Guernsey County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Guernsey County is located in Ohio and is home to over 38,400 residents. The county's seat is Cambridge, and its court system is organized to handle several judicial matters including criminal and civil cases. Part of the 12th Congressional District the regulation of law and order is facilitated through trial courts comprising three Courts of Common Pleas and a Municipal Court.

The Courts of Common Pleas have jurisdiction over major criminal, civil, and appeals cases. Courts of Common Pleas handle criminal cases considered felonies and civil cases with more than $15,000. Courts of Common Pleas also have jurisdiction over mental health, probate, and juvenile cases. The Probate Division of Courts of Common Pleas handles cases that include wills, estates, trusts, guardianships, mental illness, and adoptions. The Juvenile Division handles cases such as offenses involving minors, juvenile traffic, and most paternity cases and the Domestic Division handles cases such as divorce. The Municipal Courts manage less severe criminal offenses, small claims, and civil cases with claims under $15,000. Municipal Courts handle criminal cases involving traffic and Non-traffic misdemeanors, and civil cases including the recovery of money or personal property, contract cases, judgment collection actions, interpleader, replevin, forcible entry and detainer, certain nuisance cases, and temporary protection orders.

In a typical year, courts in Guernsey County handle less than 5,000 cases. During the standard year, Guernsey County's overall crime rate is 25.64 per 1,000 residents. The court records in Guernsey County are maintained by the Court Clerk and accessible to the public through online, reflecting the county's openness. The Guernsey Court's electronic system ensures that the records are up-to-date and reliable. Information relating to grand jury proceedings, records that have been expunged, juvenile records, cases dealing with adoption and custodial matters, medical and mental health records, personal identifying information, sex offenders, and file content of law enforcement and probation departments are considered closed records. Special permission from authorized personnel or court orders are needed to access any file that is sealed or confidential. This all can be handled within the County Clerk's office with an in-person visit.

In summary, the court system in Guernsey County is important to the county's administration and is dedicated to ensuring law and order. With an organized court system that includes Courts of Common Pleas and a Municipal Court, and online accessibility provided to court records, the county strives to administer justice and foster openness via its judicial system.