What are Arizona Court Records?
Arizona is the 14th most populous state in the United States, boasting a population of over 7.9 million residents. The court system in Arizona is organized into three tiers, including the appellate courts (Supreme Court and Court of Appeals), general jurisdiction courts (Superior Court), and limited jurisdiction courts (Justice Courts and Municipal Courts). Notably, Arizona permits the death penalty for capital crimes and imposes substantial sentences for other major offenses.
The state's court system efficiently handles over one million cases annually, including civil and criminal matters. Records of these cases are stored and maintained as public records, accessible to all members of the public. Arizona's court records generally include the following:
Docket Sheet
Court dockets are documents that track all the events in a court case. They typically start with the initial complaint and cover all the proceedings up to the judge's final order. All information related to a filed case is recorded and entered in the docket sheet.
Judgments and Orders
Judgments are decisions made by the judge and jury in a particular case. They are usually documented and signed. A court order is the formal issuance of the judge's decisions.
Transcripts
Transcripts are official verbatim documentation of all spoken dialogue and proceedings within a courtroom during a trial. They are crucial pieces of evidence for motions and can be instrumental in the process of filing an appeal. If you need a copy of the transcripts, you must contact the court clerk at the specific court where the case was heard.
Evidence
This refers to any item or information provided to support or refute the existence of a fact during a trial. It has various forms, such as oral or written testimony, physical documents, photographs, videos, voice recordings, DNA testing, or other tangible objects.
Court Minutes
These are documents containing the events in a court trial, such as recesses, testimonies, and official statements, alongside their time of occurrence.
Pleadings
These statements explain each party's requests to the court, such as complaints, plea bargains, or motions.
Briefs
This document contains an in-depth account of the facts of a particular case, the applicable laws, and the arguments made by the parties involved regarding the contested issues.
Types of Court Cases
In Alaska, court cases are typically categorized into civil and criminal cases. Although distinct, both cases deal with determining fault and upholding individuals' rights within the legal system.
Civil Cases
Civil cases are legal disagreements between individuals, businesses, corporations, or partnerships in which one party sues the other for breach of contract, debt collection, monetary compensation for personal injuries, or property damage. The party initiating a civil case is the plaintiff, and the party responding to the case is the defendant. Common examples of civil cases include:
- Divorces
- Contract Disputes
- Landlord and tenant Disputes
In Arizona, civil proceedings are initiated when the plaintiff submits a formal complaint to the court clerk, outlining the grounds for their lawsuit against the defendant and the specific relief sought. Subsequently, the defendant is served with a copy of the complaint and a summons. The defendant must provide a written response within 20 days, admitting or denying the allegations. Following this, both parties engage in the discovery process, exchanging information relevant to the case. Civil cases in Arizona are typically heard before a judge or a jury, and decisions are rendered based on the evidence and testimonies presented during the trial. In most cases, the individual initiating the legal action receives some compensation upon the conclusion of the proceedings, provided their claim is justified.
Criminal Cases
In criminal cases, legal actions are initiated against individuals by state agencies representing the public. These cases center around allegations that the defendant has committed a crime. If the defendant is found not guilty, they are released immediately. However, a sentencing date is set if the defendant is found guilty. A sentencing hearing is then convened to determine the appropriate punishment for the convicted defendant. During this process, the judge listens to the prosecution and defense testimony to ascertain the suitable punishment. In Arizona, the Legislature has established a range of sentences for different crimes, and the judge must impose a sentence within the parameters set by law. This may include probation, fines, imprisonment, or a combination of these penalties. In some instances, the death penalty may be applicable. Following a conviction, the defendant has the right to appeal. An automatic appeal is filed with the Supreme Court in cases where the death penalty is imposed, while appeals in other criminal cases are directed to the court of appeals.
Common examples of criminal cases include:
- Murder
- Domestic Violence
- Burglary
What Are the Different Courts in Arizona?
In 2023, Alaska allocated $126 million, approximately 1.3% of the state's budget, to sustain its court system. Like most U.S. states, Alaska categorizes its courts into the following tiers: appellate courts, courts of limited jurisdiction, and courts of general jurisdiction.
Appellate Courts
The appellate courts in Arizona comprise the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate Court, while the Supreme Court is the Court of last resort.
The Court of Appeals
The Arizona Court of Appeals has jurisdiction over all matters properly appealed from the Superior Court, including appeals from the Industrial Commission, unemployment compensation rulings of the Department of Economic Security, and rulings by the Tax Court. This Court comprises two divisions. Division One, located in Phoenix, has 16 judges, while Division Two, situated in Tucson, has six judges the state governor appoints.
Supreme Court
The Arizona Supreme Court is the highest in the state. It reviews appeals and sets the rules for all state courts. The Court can choose not to review lower court decisions and must review all cases where a defendant has been sentenced to death. The Court has seven justices appointed by the governor and then face retention elections every six years.
Limited Jurisdiction Court
Arizona has two limited jurisdiction courts: Municipal Courts and Justice Courts.
Municipal Courts
Arizona municipal courts, also called city or magistrate courts, are courts of limited jurisdiction. They primarily handle criminal cases, including misdemeanor and petty offenses within their city or town. These courts also share jurisdiction with justice courts for violations of state law within their city or town limits. In addition to criminal cases, Arizona municipal court judges preside over civil traffic cases and violations of city ordinances and codes and have the authority to issue Orders of Protection and injunctions prohibiting harassment. They are also empowered to issue search warrants. Notably, these courts do not entertain civil lawsuits between citizens.
Justice Court
Justice courts handle civil lawsuits up to $10,000, landlord-tenant disputes, small claims cases, civil and criminal traffic offenses, including DUIs, misdemeanor allegations like shoplifting and bad checks, and requests for orders of protection and injunctions against harassment. In Arkansas, each county has justice courts presided over by a justice of the peace, who is elected for a four-year term.
Court of General Jurisdiction
The Superior Court is the court of general jurisdiction in the state. It is responsible for overseeing a wide range of cases throughout the state. This court has the authority to hear diverse legal matters, making it the go-to for a wide spectrum of civil and criminal cases.
Superior Courts
The Arizona Superior Court is the court of general jurisdiction in the state. This court handles felony criminal cases, misdemeanor cases not explicitly addressed by existing laws, landlord and tenant disputes, probate matters, and dissolution or annulment of marriages. Additionally, the court presides over equity cases concerning the title or possession of real property, the legality of taxes, assessments, tolls, or municipal ordinances, and other cases involving a property value of $1,000 or more, exclusive of interest and costs. The court is also responsible for addressing actions to prevent or cease nuisances. Each county in Arizona has at least one superior court judge, and counties with multiple superior court judges operate in numbered divisions.
How Many Federal Courts Are in Arizona?
Arizona is served by a single federal district court that has jurisdiction over all matters under federal government laws. The court also comprises specialized bankruptcy courts located in Phoenix and Tucson dedicated solely to adjudicating bankruptcy cases. Appeals originating from the Arizona federal district court are directed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. The federal district court in Arizona is presided over by 13 U.S. District Judges, each of whom is appointed for life by the President and subsequently confirmed by the Senate.
How Many Court Cases Are Filed Each Year in Arizona?
In 2022, Arizona's courts received about 1,506,604 cases, averaging 6,024 cases daily. The most common cases were civil and criminal traffic filings, with over 507,468 new cases in 2022. The estimated annual breakdown of cases filed in Arizona courts is as follows:
- Civil Cases:Over 100,000 minor civil cases are filed annually.
- Criminal Cases: Over 120,000 criminal cases are filed in Arizona every year, most of them misdemeanors.
- Juvenile:In 2022, there were 4,785 juvenile dependency petitions and 4,490 juvenile delinquency petitions in the state's courts.
- Domestic Relations:Some 43,737 domestic relations cases were heard in the state in 2022, while there were 11,148 domestic violence petitions across the state in the same year.
- Traffic:Over 507,468 traffic offenses were filed across the state's municipal courts, comprising approximately 66.4% of all municipal court cases.
How Do I Look Up Court Cases in Arizona?
Court records are official documents that provide detailed information about the proceedings of a court case. In Arizona, the clerk meticulously maintains these records at each court location. Most court records are accessible online through the public access portal managed by the Arizona Judicial Branch, including records from 177 out of 184 courts in the state. If the court in question does not have records on the portal, individuals may directly contact or visit the court clerk's office to submit a record request. Individuals can utilize the respective court records search portal to obtain case information for cases handled by the state's appellate courts. When searching for Court of Appeals records, individuals may use either the Court of Appeals, Division One, or Division Two portal, depending on the division where the case was heard. Supreme court records can be found on the court's opinions portal.
Note that court records, such as transcripts and certified copies, are only available upon formal requests. To access such documents, you must contact the court clerk where the case was filed to determine the requirements and procedures for obtaining the records. In some instances, individuals may also have the option to request court records via mail. This involves downloading, completing, and submitting the necessary request form. It is essential to note that this method only applies to specific counties nationwide.
What Court Records Are Not Available to the Public in Arizona?
Court records in Arizona are generally accessible to the public. However, certain records may be withheld from public access, particularly those pertaining to orders of protection or containing sensitive information, posing a risk to the parties' privacy. This category of restricted records primarily includes:
- mental health information
- victim and witness data.
- juvenile incorrigible/delinquency case information
- certain administrative functions carried out by superior court clerk's offices in each county
- criminal cases that have been dismissed