Oklahoma County
Situated in the State of Oklahoma's geographic center, Oklahoma County traverses a 720 square miles area and is inhabited by approximately 650,000 people. It was one of the first seven counties in the state established under the Organic Act enacted by Congress on May 2, 1890.
The Oklahoma County District Court has general jurisdiction over almost all criminal and civil matters within its ambit. It operates efficiently through the civil, criminal, probate, juvenile, and accountability court divisions of the court. The Civil Division of the Oklahoma County District Court handles cases involving disputes between at least two parties over their rights, obligations, or injuries. It hears cases of small claims for amounts in controversy not exceeding $10,000 and non-criminal cases other than probate, family, and juvenile matters. On the other hand, the Criminal Division oversees cases involving individuals who violate criminal law.
The Juvenile Division of the Oklahoma County District Court focuses on juvenile delinquency and juvenile-deprived matters involving under-18 children. While juvenile delinquency cases involve minors who violate criminal laws, juvenile deprived matters involve cases touching on neglect and/or abuse of minors. Cases involving the personal and financial affairs of children and adults are heard by the county's Probate Court. Such cases include conservatorships for incapacitated adults, estates, adoptions, guardianships for children, and disputes about wills. The Accountability Court was created to handle cases of domestic violence exclusively.
The Office of the Oklahoma County Court Clerk stores and presides over public court records from legal proceedings within the county. Public court records in Oklahoma County include documents and files containing information on cases processed by the different divisions of the county's District Court. The Clerk's Office maintains and discloses (on request) court cases such as the following:
- Civil matters
- Criminal cases
- Family cases
- Probate cases
- Juvenile cases
Although interested persons can obtain Oklahoma County court records in person from the clerk's office, it is always easier to request them online by completing the Electronic Request Records Form. The Oklahoma State Court Network Website also permits the public to search Oklahoma County court records, especially where the case numbers are known.
