Sedgwick County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Sedgwick County, Kansas, was formed in 1867 and named after John Sedgwick, a high-ranking general killed during the American Civil War. It has a population of about 523,000 residents, and its land area covers 998 square miles. Wichita is its largest city and county seat. The Sedgwick County court system comprises District, County, and Municipal Courts. They handle all the civil and criminal cases in the county and ensure that the residents have prompt access to justice.

The District Court of Sedgwick County in Wichita has general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases. It is the preeminent court in the county, and it handles cases outside the purview of County and Municipal Courts. It has exclusive jurisdiction over probate, juvenile, civil, family, and major criminal cases. The Sedgwick County Court handles municipal ordinance violations, misdemeanors, and traffic infractions. Sedgwick County is the only county in Kansas that has a county court. Sedgwick County Municipal Courts have jurisdiction over municipal ordinance violations, traffic infractions, and misdemeanor offenses. There are 18 Municipal Courts in different cities in Sedgwick County, including Andale, Bel Aire, Bentley, Wichita, Goddard, Garden Plain, Maize, Kechi, Haysville, and Park City.

Sedgwick County has a crime rate of 3,810 crimes per 100,000 population. The Sedgwick County District Court hears over 35,000 civil cases, about 3,500 criminal cases, and about 1,000 juvenile cases annually. The District Court Clerk maintains the court records from the District Court, while Clerks of other courts maintain records from their respective courts. Anyone can visit the courts to view and make copies of their public court records. They can also use public access computers at the District Courthouse to view public records from the court. In addition, record seekers can access public court records from Sedgwick County via the Kansas District Court Public Access platform. However, some court records, such as adoption records, juvenile records, medical records, adoption information about jurors, and certain information about victims of domestic violence, are closed to the public for privacy or security reasons. These records are sealed by court orders or by default under Kansas laws and can only be accessed by approved personnel.

In summary, Sedgwick County's court system ensures that disputes are settled fairly and timely to protect the freedoms and rights of the people living in the county. The District, County, and Municipal Courts play crucial roles in delivering justice to the county residents. The ease of accessing public court records boosts the public's confidence in the judicial system. Sedgwick County is committed to fulfilling its legal obligations and is a model of effective judicial administration in Kansas.