Sanpete County
Sanpete County was founded on January 31, 1850. It was named for Chief Sampitch, the leader of the Sanpits Native American tribe. Its county seat is Manti, and its largest city is Ephraim. Sanpete County has a total land mass measuring 1,603 square miles and a population of almost 30,000 inhabitants.
A District Court, a Juvenile Court, and Justices of the Peace Courts are the courts handling various aspects of the law in Sanpete County. The Sixth District Court provides timely justice to the people by hearing a wide spectrum of cases. It is a trial court of general jurisdiction. It has original jurisdiction over all civil (e.g., forgery, drug offenses, arson, and homicide) cases and criminal (misdemeanor and felony) crimes. In addition, it manages landlord-tenant, domestic relations, small claims, and probate cases as well as exercises the power to issue extraordinary writs. The Sixth District Juvenile Court located in Manti, handles cases involving unruly behaviors (status offenses) committed by minors. It also presides over child neglect cases, guardianship, delinquency, and child support cases.
The Justices of the Peace Courts process small claims, traffic violations, evictions, and misdemeanor cases. They also issue protective orders in cases that involve domestic violence or harassment.
Court reporters ensure they keep paper-based records in the courthouse. These records can also be stored digitally (in audio/CD formats) via modern-day technology. They are indexed and properly managed to enhance their availability whenever the public makes a request. This is a shift from the analog (cassette/videotape) format. Historical/older court records can be found on the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service website.
Utah State Archives is the repository for many judicial or court records, including many county district, municipal, and justice court records. Court hearings are stored in each courthouse and cost a fee if you are ordering one. Therefore, you can also walk into any of the courthouse locations depending on the type of case you are searching.
The most frequently requested court records come in the following case types:
- Probate
- Criminal
- Divorce Decrees
- Name Change Petitions
- Civil
