Otsego County
Otsego County was founded in 1791 from part of Montgomery County. It has an estimated population of 59,678 and covers approximately 1,001.7 square miles. The county seat is the Village of Cooperstown.
Otsego County's court structure consists of a Supreme Court, a County Court, a City Court, a Family Court, a Surrogate's Court, and Town and Village Courts. The Supreme Court has unlimited, original jurisdiction, but generally hears divorce, and civil cases beyond the monetary limits of the lower courts. The County Court has jurisdiction over felony and civil cases involving amounts up to $25,000. It hears appeals from the City Court and the Town and Village Courts. On the other hand, the Oneonta City Court deals with misdemeanors, small claims (less than $5,000), and civil cases where the amount in dispute is less than $15,000. The Family Court addresses issues concerning family and children such as custody, adoption, support, paternity, abuse, neglect, and juvenile cases. The Surrogate's Court oversees the affairs of decedents, including estates, adoptions, guardianship, and probate of wills. The Town and Village Courts, collectively known as Justice Courts, handle various matters including traffic infractions, small claims (up to $3,000), civil, misdemeanors, and ordinance violations.
Otsego County public court records are case files, documents, indexes, exhibits, and judgments filed or received during legal proceedings of cases in the various courts. The Otsego County Clerk is the official custodian of the county's court records, which include:
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Traffic records
- Probate records
The New York Judiciary Law, Section 255, allows the public to request court records at the clerk's office. Anyone may request Otsego County court records through phone calls, writing, or in person from the clerk's office at:
197 Main Street
Cooperstown, NY 13326
Phone: (607) 547-4276
Fax: (607) 547-7544
Otsego County allows the public to search public court records online through the Records Search Portal. Under Section 8019 of the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules, there is a $0.50 fee per page and a $0.50 fee for certification of each page of any court record.
