Alameda County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

With its expansive 821 square miles, Alameda County is a thriving community of over 1.66 million people spread across 14 vibrant incorporated cities, including Oakland, the county seat. The Alameda court system, comprising the county's Superior Court and its divisions, handles all trial court matters for the county's residents, including criminal, civil, juvenile dependency and delinquency, family law, probate, guardianship, conservatorship, mental health, and traffic cases. The Alameda County Superior Court divisions consist of Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Juvenile, Small Claims, Traffic, and Collaborative Courts Divisions.

The Civil Division handles non-criminal disputes involving money, property, or civil torts. The Criminal Division deals with infraction, misdemeanor, and felony cases within the county. The Family Division has jurisdiction over matters such as divorce, domestic partnership, paternity, child custody, child support, domestic violence, elder abuse, and adoptions. The Probate Division has jurisdiction over appointing personal representatives, such as guardianships for children and conservatorships for adults who can not make their own decisions. It also handles the distribution of estates of people who have died, petitions about trust administration, reviewing guardians and conservators, and disputes about wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. The Juvenile Division has control over cases involving individuals under 18 who are accused of breaking the law or who are in danger of or have been abused or neglected. The Small Claims Division handles claims in which the disputed amount is at most $10,000 for individuals and $5,000 for businesses. The Traffic Division is responsible for handling cases related to traffic offenses in the county, while the Collaborative Courts Division assists individuals dealing with drug, alcohol, and co-occurring conditions. Alameda County Superior Courts has ten courthouse locations that handle different types of cases. Residents can use the statewide "Find Your Court" electronic system to see each courthouse location in Alameda County and the types of cases heard at each location, improving public access to court locations. Annually, the Alameda County court system handles over 40,000 cases, underscoring the vital role of the courts in the county's enforcement of law and order.

Alameda County takes pride in its transparent approach to maintaining court records, making them readily accessible to the public. Individuals can easily retrieve these records through the Alameda County eCourt public portal, thereby streamlining legal proceedings and increasing public access to vital judicial information.

In summary, the Alameda County court system, comprising the Superior Court of Alameda County and its eight divisions, including Civil, Family, Criminal, Juvenile, Probate, Small Claims, Traffic, and Collaborative Courts Divisions, is dedicated to the efficient resolution of legal disputes and criminal offenses within the county. Its primary objective is to safeguard the rights and liberties of the county's residents as enshrined in the Constitutions of California.