Campbell County
Formed from Bedford County, Campbell County lies in the Piedmont region in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was named after General William Campbell, an American Revolutionary War hero, and is home to the independent city of Lynchburg. More than 55,000 inhabitants make Campbell County their home. Rustburg is the county seat.
Campbell County has a three-tier trial court structure comprising a circuit court, a general district court, and a juvenile and domestic relations district court. The Campbell County Circuit Court, which has the highest jurisdiction, hears all civil and criminal cases, including cases with legislatively undefined jurisdiction. Typically, it presides over felony cases and misdemeanor appeals from a grand jury indictment or the district courts, minor courts, and administrative agencies. Probate matters, divorce, property suits, and civil claims for $25,000 and above also fall under the Circuit Court's purview. In addition, it has shared jurisdiction with the General District Court for civil claims between $4,500 and $25,000.
The Campbell County General District Court is a limited jurisdiction court that hears state-defined misdemeanors, holds no jury trials, and oversees preliminary felony hearings. Also, it presides over traffic infractions, violations of municipal ordinances, and civil claims for $25,000 and less, provided personal injury and wrongful death cases that involve monetary claims up to $50,000 are excluded. Its Small Claims division handles small claims cases for $5,000 and less.
Similarly, the Campbell County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court exercises limited criminal jurisdiction and hears lawsuits involving minors and domestic relations, except divorce. It also shares concurrent jurisdiction with the General District Court over adult mental commitment suits. Common cases heard in these District Courts include mental health cases involving minors, children needing supervision, child custody/support, and parentage.
Court records in Campbell County refer to legal information generated and preserved from various civil, criminal, and traffic case trials, along with District Court appeals. These records, which provide legal precedence and facilitate judicial transparency, generally include progress dockets, electronic recordings, case transcripts, and court decrees. The following court records are commonly created and maintained in Campbell County.
- Civil records
- Domestic relations records
- Criminal records
- Juvenile records
The Campbell County Clerk of the Circuit Court is the designated custodian of court records. Per the Virginia Code § 17.1-208, Campbell Court records are open to public access and can be inspected or copied after proper requests and specified payments have been made. A Campbell County court record lookup can be conducted online through the Virginia Case Information System, or in person at the Circuit Clerk's Office or the specific courthouse where the case trial occurred.
