Pima County, Arizona, was founded in 1853. It covers a total area of 9,189 square miles in the south-central region of Arizona. As of 2020, approximately 1 million people reside in the county. Arizona's second-largest city, Tucson, is the county seat for Pima.

Courts in Pima County

The Pima County Superior Court is the highest court with general jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases. Felony-related criminal proceedings are exclusive to the Superior Court. However, the apex court shares jurisdiction with the Justice Court over certain misdemeanor offenses. Civil cases handled by the Superior Court judge in Pima County include probate cases, marriage annulment, financial disputes involving more than $10,000, and divorce. Pima’s Superior Court has a Juvenile Division that hears all cases related to minors.

Pima County has three Justice Courts. These courts often preside over misdemeanor offenses, search warrant applications, domestic violence cases, and felony preliminary hearings. Civil lawsuits heard at Justice Courts include monetary disagreements below $10,000 and landlord-tenant disputes. Justice Courts in Pima County typically have Small Claims Divisions that preside over civil lawsuits involving financial settlements of less than $3,500.

There are 5 Municipal Courts in Pima County. City residents can approach these courts to resolve civil traffic cases or get injunctions against harassment. Also known as Magistrate or City Courts, Municipal courts also handle local ordinance violations and criminal traffic cases.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Pima County

Court clerks are official court record custodians in Pima County. They maintain and disseminate the following court documents:

• Transcripts
• Case dockets
• Plea bargains
• Evidence
• Summons
• Motions and responses
• Sentencing information

The Superior Court Clerk allows residents to make email requests or call (520) 724-3240 for public court records. Interested persons may also view public court records online via the Public Record Search portal. Arizona Judiciary also maintains the statewide eAccess portal for accessing criminal and civil court records filed at the Superior Court in Pima County. Requesters can use the Online Case Search to find court documents created at Pima’s Justice Courts. To find court records online, requesters must provide the case numbers or names of involved parties. Public court records that are not online may only be accessible by visiting the courts in person.

Types of Public Court Records in Pima County

Requesters can find the following types of public court records in Pima County:

• Criminal court cases
• Civil court cases
• Probate court cases
• Family court records

Confidential Court Records

In Pima County, records exempted from the Arizona Public Records Law are confidential and not available to the public. Here are some examples of confidential records:

• Medical records
• Personal identifying information
• Domestic violence victim
• Child support records
• Adoption records
• Social Security numbers
• Taxpayer information
• Financial information
• Mental health records
• Sealed court records

Local courts can authorize certain persons to view confidential records. Requesters must obtain court orders to access these documents.

Juvenile Delinquency in Pima, AZ

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Pima County, juvenile delinquency issues are on the rise. There are many reasons for the rise in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Arizona often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of crimes, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 29 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Pima County. Of that total, 14% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 4 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, Pima County, are focusing on family therapy and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Pima County juvenile delinquency numbers will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of Pima County, AZ

https://az.gov/

County Seat:	Tucson
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1870
Total Square Miles:	9,189
2019 Population:	1,022,769
Persons/Square Mile:	0.01

Pima County, AZ Courts