Saint Clair County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

St. Clair County is located northeast of Detroit in Michigan and has a population of 160,257 people. Its county seat, Port Huron, is situated at Lake Huron. The county is served by a Circuit Court, two District Courts, and a Probate Court.

St. Clair County's 31st Circuit Court, located in Port Huron, has general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases. The Criminal Division of the court hears all felonies, juvenile delinquency, and lesser-included offenses. Meanwhile, civil claims exceeding $25,000 in disputes, equity cases, and appeals from administrative agencies' decisions are handled by its civil division. Furthermore, the Circuit Court also has a separate division that hears family and domestic matters like divorce, custody, paternity, name change, and child protection. On the other hand, the District Courts are located in Marine City and Port Huron and have limited jurisdiction over certain criminal and civil cases. They handle cases such as misdemeanors, most traffic violations, and preliminary hearings for felonies. Civil cases heard by the court include most tenant-related cases and monetary claims in which the amount in dispute is less than $25,000. The District Courts have a Small Claim Division tasked with handling most general civil matters not exceeding $5,000. Meanwhile, the Probate Court, located in Port Huron, has authority over the probate of wills, administration of decedent's estates and trusts, adoptions, name changes, guardianships, and conservatorships.

St. Clair County has a violent crime rate of approximately 16.0 incidents per 1,000 residents and 27.3 incidents for property crime. According to the 2021 Court Caseload Report, 1,014 criminal caseloads were recorded during the 2021 fiscal year. The St Clair 31st Circuit Court resolved 1,241 civil cases, 999 family cases, and 312 juvenile cases within this period. The Probate Court resolved 1,881 probate cases, while the 72nd District Courts had 25,700 civil caseloads. Records of cases handled by the Circuit Court are kept by the Court's Clerks. All records are open to the public unless those deemed confidential by law, such as records on juvenile, paternity, and adoption cases. To request court records, Request for Records Form must be completed and submitted to the clerk's office. Also, members of the public can check out information on cases that are accessible on the Court's Portal. Records of cases handled by the Probate Court are maintained in the court's office.

In summary, the St. Clair County Courts enforce the implementation of judgments to preserve order in the county. They also provide the facilities to resolve civil disputes and protect the rights of the county's residents. Moreover, the general public is granted access to several non-confidential court records.