Erie County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Erie County, New York has a full-service court system that serves its population of about 951,200 people well. Located in the western portion of New York state along the shore of Lake Erie, the courts hear criminal, civil, family, and traffic cases. Buffalo is its county seat and makes up just about 28% of Erie County's total population. The court system is an integral part of the New York State Unified Court System so justice is administered with the utmost integrity and efficiency.

The main courts in Erie County are the Supreme Court, County Court, Family Court, Surrogate's Court, and City Courts. The Supreme Court presides over big civil cases and felony cases. The County Court is a trial court that has jurisdiction over felonies, misdemeanors, and civil lawsuits of up to $25,000. The Family Court hears child custody, support, and domestic violence cases. The Surrogate's Court hears cases involving the deceased, such as wills and the administration of estates. The City Courts in Buffalo and other cities in the county hear misdemeanors, small claims, and traffic tickets. This multi-tiered system covers all the legal needs of the county's residents.

Erie County has all court records on file so the public can see and have access to them. The court records can be found online through the New York State Unified Court System or in person at the courthouses. Due to the nature of some cases, typically those involving juveniles, adoptions, custodial cases, and those involving mental health matters are sealed from public record and require special permission to access. This can be done in person at the County Clerk's Office and either special permission will be granted or an additional court order. The Supreme, County, Surrogate and Family Court oversees an average of over 40,000 cases filings a year. With a violent crime rate of 4.1 per 1,000 in a standard year, the courts play a vital role in upholding law and order.

In conclusion, Erie County's courts are part of the legal fabric, providing services to its citizens. They preside over all kinds of cases and justice is served quickly and fairly. With transparency and public access in mind, the court system has all the records and sees a lot of cases every year. Erie County is doing justice by how well the courts are running, which is good for the community's well-being.