Monroe County
Monroe County, located in southeast Michigan, was established in 1817 and named for James Monroe. It is home to over 154,802 residents and covers about 549.35 square miles of land. Monroe is the largest city and the county seat.
The Monroe County court system consists of two Circuit Courts, two District Courts, and a Probate Court. The Monroe County Circuit Courts, which are trial courts of general jurisdiction, handle all civil and criminal cases, such as felonies, juvenile delinquency, and civil claims involving disputes over $25,000. The Circuit Courts also hear appeals from the District Courts, specific administrative agencies of the state government, and local government bodies. The Circuit Courts include a Family Division. Cases of misdemeanors, most traffic violations, and civil cases involving disputes under $25,000 are handled by the Monroe County District Courts. Additionally, the District Courts have a Traffic Division. The courts also run specialized courts, such as Mental Health Recovery Court and Veterans Treatment Court. The Monroe County Probate Court has jurisdiction over certain juvenile matters and probate cases such as name changes, adoptions, and administration of estates and trusts. Monroe County public court records are created during legal proceedings. The Monroe County's Clerk is responsible for keeping and maintaining court records, which include court filings, judgments, and other official documents. These records are stored both in physical files and digitally in secure databases.
Monroe County Clerk's Offices makes the following public court records available to interested individuals upon request:
- Civil records
- Traffic records
- Domestic records
- Probate records
- Criminal records
Monroe County allows the public to search court records online through the Michigan Court Case Search. They can search such records by party names or case numbers. Physical copies of court records can also be obtained by visiting the courthouse. In some cases, for instance, where a record is sealed, the court may require a court order before allowing access.
