How to Find a Docket Number
When trying to locate a docket or case number within a court system, the bureaucracy can become a headache. Some courthouses are rife with fragmented case files, caused by someone erroneously assigning a docket number to every piece of information that is filed in a case. The majority of courthouses employ efficient clerks who file items correctly and are able to locate any docket number with a few simple pieces of information. Here are a few ways to locate a docket number.
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Instructions
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Locate the state where the case was filed. If this information is not known, start a first and last name search of courthouse records in the state where the filing party lived for the past six months.
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Determine whether your case is a superior, magistrate or juvenile court case. Superior courts handle civil and criminal cases and general administrative filings. Cases such as divorce and custody are usually decided in superior court. When a law is broken within a county, a county ordinance criminal proceeding is brought in magistrate court. This same crime can also be transferred to superior court. Juvenile court cases usually involve minors, under the age of eighteen. However, some juvenile cases can be transferred to superior court, depending upon the crime.
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Provide the clerk of the court with the name of the filing party (petitioner) or defendant. You may also need to provide the date of birth of the petitioner or defendant, should two or more identical names appear in the search.
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Tips & Warnings
Court clerks are kept very busy by the daily demands of their job, so be sure to have all identifying information readily available for the clerk when requesting a docket search.
Never perform searches on individuals for fun or harassment. Though the records are for public viewing, addresses and other personal information are often included in the files. Continuous searches of individuals for no cause could lead to possible stalking or other harassment charges by authorities.
