Benton County
Benton County is named after Senator Thomas Hart Benton from Missouri. It was created in 1905 from Yakima and Klickitat Counties and is situated in the southeastern region of Washington. Benton County is home to over 206,000 people and has 1,700.1 square miles of land area.
The court system in Benton County primarily comprises the District Courts and Superior Courts. The District Courts are courts of limited jurisdiction with concurrent jurisdiction with Superior Courts in all misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor actions which are violations of state and county regulations and municipal ordinances. Benton County District Courts also hear cases relating to small claims of up to $10,000 (individuals) or $5,000 (business). District Courts in the county also have other divisions, such as Mental Health Court, Recovery Court, and Veterans Court.
Benton County Superior Courts have general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases, except in situations where jurisdiction is limited by law or granted exclusively to another court. Benton County Superior Courts have original jurisdiction over felony criminal matters, misdemeanors not heard by the District Court, probate, annulment, and divorce matters.
Public court records in Benton County refer to unsealed documents or any information in a case management system prepared or created by the court pertaining to a judicial proceeding. Benton County public court records are managed by the Benton County Clerk's office. The office also provides calendars and dockets for trials and hearings. Benton County makes court records available in the following categories:
- Civil
- Criminal
- Traffic
To request court case records from Benton County, use the Court Case Record Request resource on the Benton County government website. There is a $10 research fee per person searched (not per case) when requesting Benton Court records. A certified copy costs $5, paid after the records search is completed and totaled. A CD copy of a court recording costs $10, and this may be added to the search fee. Search fees may be paid via NCOURT at 1-855-873-9709 or in person at the Clerk's office. To search court dockets in Benty County, see the Court Dockets page of the county government website.
