Queens County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Established in 1683, Queens County is the largest of the five counties in New York. The county has the second-largest and most diversified economy of all five boroughs in its state. It spreads across an area of 178 square miles and has an estimated population of over 2.36 million people. The county's court system consists of a Supreme Court, Family Court, Surrogate Court, Civil Court, and Criminal Court.

Queens County is a part of the 11th Judicial District in the state of New York. The county has a Supreme Court with jurisdiction to hear all civil and criminal cases, but the court typically only hears cases that are beyond the jurisdiction of other courts. This Supreme Court is divided into two Divisions, including civil and criminal. The courts are located in Jamaica, Long Island City, and Kew Gardens. The Family Court, situated in Jamaica, handles certain types of juvenile matters, domestic violence cases, and guardianship cases. The Surrogate Court takes control of matters of probate of wills and guardianship of property of minors. Queens County Civil Court, located in Sutphin Boulevard, handles civil cases of less than $25,000 and has four Divisions: a General Civil Division that handles property cases, a Small Claims Division for civil cases of less than $5,000, a Housing Court Division and a Commercial Claims Division. The Criminal Court in Kew Gardens has jurisdiction over most misdemeanors and preliminary hearings for felonies.

The crime rate in Queens County is about 21.79 per 1,000 residents. Records from court proceedings in Queens County are made accessible to the public and are kept by the Queens County Clerk's Office. Interested persons can access the records by visiting the Clerk's Office in person at Queens Boulevard, Kew Gardens. Alternatively, an online search can be done via the New York State Unified Court System. Notwithstanding the fact that records are generally made public, certain records like juvenile records, family court records, sex offense issues, and sealed criminal matters are kept confidential. Such records are only accessible by court officials and the legal representatives of parties to the case.

In conclusion, the courts of Queens County play an important role in maintaining peace and order in the state. They interpret the law and help resolve legal disputes. For fairness and transparency, the court makes some records available to interested members of the public for a little charge.