Lake County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Lake County is the second most populated county in Indiana, with a population of almost half a million. It was created in 1837 and named after Lake Michigan. The county's total area contains over 20% water bodies and a land area of 499 square miles. Crown Point is its county seat, Hammond is its most populated city, and Gray is its largest city by land area. The Lake County court system comprises Circuit, Superior, and City Courts. These courts resolve disputes and punish offenders judiciously.

As the highest court in the county, the Lake County Circuit Court in Crown Point is the county's General Jurisdiction Court. It hears felonies, offenses arising from the same conditions as felonies, and civil cases. It also hears domestic relations, juvenile, and probate matters. The Lake County Superior Court is in Crown Point, East Chicago, and Hammond. It also has a Juvenile Division in Crown Point. The Lake County Superior Court, through its different Divisions, hears domestic relations, criminal, civil, juvenile, and probate matters, including misdemeanors, felonies, dissolution of marriages, delinquency, paternity, child support, termination of parental rights, traffic offenses, and general civil claims. There are 10 City and Town Courts in Lake County. They hear traffic offenses and city/town ordinance violations. These courts are in Crown Point, East Chicago, Gary, Hammond, Hobart, Lake Station, Lowell, Merrillville, Whiting, and Schererville.

Lake County has a crime rate of 2,700 crimes per 100,000 residents. The Indiana Trial Court Statistics for 2022 show that 49,487 civil violations, including infractions and ordinance violations, 16,189 criminal cases, 3,283 juvenile cases, and 30,565 civil cases were filed in Lake County. There were 16 criminal cases, one juvenile case, and 4,494 civil cases filed in the Circuit Court. Over 1,700 civil cases, 4,645 criminal cases, and 15,778 civil violations were filed in the City/Town Courts. The majority of cases in the county were filed in the Superior Court, including 43,709 civil violations, 11,528 criminal cases, and 24,371 civil cases. The Clerk of the Lake County Circuit/Superior Court maintains all public court records from the county's courts. Public court records from Lake County are accessible on the Indiana Case Search Portal. Record seekers can also visit the Clerk's Office to view and request copies of nonconfidential court records. Confidential court records containing private and sensitive information, such as juvenile records, personal identifying information, medical records, information about jurors, adoption records, and mental health records, are closed to the public.

In conclusion, Lake County's court system guarantees a seamless and effective legal process. The Circuit, Superior, and City/Town Courts perform several crucial functions, such as resolving disputes and adjudicating criminal offenses. The county's handling of court records ensures accessibility and transparency, which boosts public trust in the judicial system.