Franklin County
As of the 2020 decennial census, Franklin County had a population of 96,749 people and has 1,242 square miles of land area. It was formed out of Whitman County in 1883, and named after Benjamin Franklin. The most populous city in the county and the seat of its government is Pasco.
The Benton and Franklin Counties Superior court is the branch of the Washington Superior Court that serves the residents of Franklin County. This court has limitless jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases. Some of the civil cases heard by the Superior Court include contract disputes, civil actions above $75,000, business torts, personal injury lawsuits, property disputes, and real estate foreclosure.
Criminal cases heard in the Superior Court usually involve jail time penalties of more than a year. Examples of such cases include assault, robbery, murder, DUI, stalking, and certain drug offenses.
The Benton-Franklin Counties Juvenile Justice Center is a division of the Superior Court that has exclusive jurisdiction of cases of criminal law violations by juveniles in Franklin County. This court also handles the cases of children who are in need of protection or at risk of abuse or neglect.
As a court of limited jurisdiction, the Franklin County District Court holds hearings for criminal misdemeanor cases with potential penalties of $1,000 fine and up to 90 days in jail, as well as gross misdemeanor cases punishable by $5,000 fine and up to a year of incarceration. The district court also hears civil actions up to $75,000, infractions, name changes, and miscellaneous cases. The Pasco Municipal Court is also a court with limited jurisdiction that handles traffic and non-traffic infractions, parking tickets, and misdemeanor criminal cases.
All Franklin County court records are available to the public except those sealed by federal law, state law, or court rule. The Franklin County Clerk is responsible for processing, managing, and keeping superior court records as well as serving the public by providing access to court records upon request. Interested persons may request non-certified or certified copies of court records from the District Court or Superior Court. However, individuals who prefer to access court records online may use the Odyssey Portal.
Examples of case types for which Franklin County residents can access public court records are:
- Civil case
- Criminal case
- Probate or mental health case
- Family case
Furthermore, the Odyssey Portal provides registered users with access to the court documents of their desired cases. However, unregistered users are granted access to only case information. To become a registered user, contact the Franklin County Clerk's Office at 509-545-3525 or visit its physical address at:
1016 N 4th Avenue
B306
Pasco, WA 99301
