Saginaw County
Established in 1822 and organized in 1835, Saginaw County encompasses about 810 square miles of land area in the Great Lakes Bay Region of Michigan. The county comprises six incorporated villages, 27 townships, and three cities, with a little over 200,000 residents.
The judicial system in Saginaw County consists of a number of courts, including the Business Court, District Court, Circuit Court, 10th Circuit Juvenile and Family Court, Recovery Court, and Probate Court. The Business Court presides over cases involving commercial or business disputes, even if the cases also include nonbusiness claims. On the other hand, the District Court in Saginaw County has jurisdiction over civil suits, criminal cases, and traffic matters.
Saginaw County's 10th Circuit Juvenile and Family Court has sole jurisdiction over cases like juvenile traffic offenses, juvenile delinquency proceedings, adoptions, juvenile guardianships, emancipation of minors, and protective proceedings involving child neglect and abuse. The Circuit Court primarily deals with dispute resolutions for civil suits over $25,000, felony cases, divorce, and family-related matters. It also hears appeals from the District and Probate Courts.
The Probate Court in Saginaw County has original jurisdiction over guardianships and conservatorships, decedents' estates and trusts administration, and the involuntary commitment of mentally ill individuals. The county's Recovery Court, also known as the Recovery Treatment Court, is a special court that is focused on treatment programs. It is particularly designed to reduce substance abuse and recidivism among chronic criminal offenders who are nonviolent drug addicts.
Most records of legal proceedings, known as court records, in Saginaw County are public records unless they are confidential or sealed. They include files, documents, information, and transcripts related to court cases. The Clerk of the Circuit Court maintains these records and makes them available to the public on request. Generally, in Saginaw County, public court records of the following types of cases are available at the Clerk's Office:
- Probate cases
- Criminal cases
- Civil cases
- Family law cases
Saginaw County public court records can also be searched online using the Court Case Search Portal.
