Prince George County
The court system in Prince George County includes Circuit, General District, and Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Courts. Circuit Courts (part of the 6th Judicial Circuit) have broad jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases, focusing on matters beyond the scope of other courts. They handle felonies, certain misdemeanors, and civil claims exceeding $4,500, and have exclusive jurisdiction for claims over $25,000. Circuit Courts also oversee divorce, adoptions, property disputes, probate, and emergency protective orders.
General District Courts manage preliminary hearings for felonies, misdemeanors, traffic infractions, and ordinance violations. They have exclusive jurisdiction over civil claims under $4,500 and share jurisdiction with Circuit Courts for claims between $4,500 and $25,000. These courts also handle evictions, FOIA disputes, personal property partitions, and protective orders. A Small Claims Division addresses claims up to $5,000.
Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts focus on domestic relations, juvenile matters, and certain family-related criminal cases. They handle child custody, support, visitation, abuse, adoption, parental rights termination, juvenile offenses, and mental health cases involving minors. Both General District and Juvenile & Domestic Relations Courts share jurisdiction over adult mental commitment proceedings.
Public court records in Prince George County are official documents generated by the county's courts. These records include court filings, writs, warrants, court proceedings, transcripts, motions, orders, sentences, and judicial rulings, all of which are accessible to the public. Court clerks are responsible for preparing, organizing, indexing, and securely storing these records. The Prince George County Clerk manages records from the Circuit Court, while other court clerks handle records from additional courts. The public in Prince George County can access various types of court records, subject to legal confidentiality restrictions:
- Juvenile Records
- Criminal Records
- Traffic Violation Records
- Civil Litigation Records
- Family Court Records
Individuals seeking access to these public court records have multiple options, including in-person requests at the courthouse, online case management systems, and written request procedures. While access is generally transparent, the system implements important safeguards to protect personal privacy and maintain the sensitive nature of legal proceedings. Potential requestors should be prepared for possible processing fees associated with document reproduction and understand that some records may have restricted access due to legal or privacy considerations. Note Each court system manages its own online records platform for public use.
