Hanover County
Hanover County is situated in the Tidewater region of Virginia and was named in honor of the Electorate of Hanover in Germany. It covers roughly 474 square miles and has around 114,148 residents. Among the communities in the county, the Town of Ashland is the only incorporated area.
There are three levels of courts in the Hanover County court system, namely the Circuit Court, District Court, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. The Hanover County Circuit Court, as the county's trial court of general jurisdiction, handles various legal matters, including civil claims over $25,000, family law issues, contract disputes, felony and misdemeanor cases, as well as appeals from other county courts.
In criminal cases, the Hanover District Court decides all violations of county and state laws are punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $2,500, or both. In civil matters, the court has jurisdiction over personal injury and wrongful death cases involving amounts up to $50,000, small claims of $4,500 or less, and other civil lawsuits where the amount in dispute does not exceed $25,000. Additionally, the District Court handles preliminary hearings for felony charges and traffic violation cases.
The Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court is responsible for protecting and addressing legal matters affecting juveniles and their families. This court specializes in handling cases involving:
- Child abuse and neglect
- Child custody and visitation
- Status offenses
- Traffic violations
- Emancipation
In Hanover County, public court records are maintained by the clerk of the court where the case was first initiated. These records are stored in both paper and electronic formats and include docket sheets, decrees, motions, and other official court files submitted during proceedings. In the office of the appropriate court clerk, records seekers have access to publicly available court records in these case types:
- Civil case
- Criminal case
- Traffic case
- Probate case
Lastly, Hanover County public court records can also be accessed online through the online case information system maintained by individual courts. By providing a case number, hearing date, or party name, you can conduct searches for criminal and civil cases heard in the Hanover County Circuit Court. On the other hand, the District Court online case information system allows users to look up court records by name, process, case number, or hearing date search.
