Rockingham County
Established in 1778 from Augusta County, Rockingham County lies in the west-central region of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley. It is home to an estimated 86,568 residents, and Harrisonburg, an independent city, is its county seat. It is named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, a former two-time Prime Minister of Great Britain and the second Marquess of Rockingham.
A circuit court, a general district court, and a juvenile and domestic relations district court serve Rockingham County. The Rockingham County Circuit Court, which is a general jurisdiction court, hears felonies, lesser offenses, misdemeanors indicted by decision from the grand jury, and for any civil claims greater than $25,000. It also handles divorce, emergency protective orders, property disputes, will probates, adoptions, and appeals from the district courts.
The General District Court in Rockingham County adjudicates certain criminal and civil cases, including initial felony hearings, misdemeanors, traffic infractions, and ordinance violations. It also oversees various civil claims, including small claims for $5,000 and less, and shares jurisdiction with the Circuit Court over monetary claims between $4,500 and $25,000.
Other cases within the Rockingham County General District Court's purview include evictions, personal property partition, protective orders, and Freedom of Information Act disputes. In addition, it shares concurrent jurisdiction with the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts relating to various mental commitment rulings for adults. Rockingham County's Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts exclusively handle cases relating to the family and minors, including domestic relations cases (this excludes divorce), juvenile cases, child custody/visitation/support, adoption, parentage, terminating a parent's rights, and select juvenile offenses, which includes traffic offenses.
Court records in Rockingham County are records of trial activities in the county courts, and they include docket sheets, court orders, decrees, trial transcripts, and judgments. These records are necessary for effective justice delivery and provide a vital legal reference for future litigations. In Rockingham County, typical court records examples include:
- Criminal records
- Civil records
- Juvenile records
- Probate records
- Domestic relations records
The Rockingham County Clerk of the Circuit Court is the authorized custodian of court records. They are responsible for managing the court records repository and also responding to public records requests in the county. Per State law, anyone can access public records, including court records, after making a proper request and paying the applicable fees. Requesters can do a court record search online by using the Circuit Clerk's online records portal or the statewide case search service. Access to hardcopy court records is also available and can be obtained at the courthouse where the case trial occurred or by visiting the Circuit Clerk's Office in person at:
80 Court Square
Harrisburg, VA 22802
Phone: (540) 564-3111
