Palm Beach County became the 47th county created in Florida State in 1909. The county is home to about 1.4 million residents, making it the third most populous county in the state. The county seat is located in the City of West Palm Beach.

Courts in Palm Beach County

The Palm Beach County Circuit Court is part of the 15th Judicial Circuit of Florida and serves as the highest court in the county. The county has five Circuit Courts in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Delray Beach, and Belle Glade. These courts have different divisions, such as the Circuit Civil Court which handles guardianship matters, probate cases, and civil cases in which a party sues for more than $50,000 in damages. The criminal division of the Circuit Court has jurisdiction over felony and misdemeanor cases.

Palm Beach County Courts are lower than the Circuit Courts. The County Civil Court division has jurisdiction over non-criminal cases with claims not exceeding $50,000. Landlord-tenant actions involving evictions and small claims cases with $8,000 damages or less also fall under the purview of the County Civil Court. Likewise, the County Criminal Court division handles cases involving traffic offenses, county and municipal ordinances, misdemeanors, marine infractions, and animal infractions.

Lastly, Palm Beach County has a Unified Family Court that exercises jurisdiction over adoption, child support, juvenile delinquency, and domestic violence cases.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Palm Beach County

In Palm Beach County, the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller is responsible for maintaining public court records of all the county courthouses. The clerk also provides copies of such records upon request. Anyone looking for a court record in the county can also access the case online.

Types of Public Court Records in Palm Beach County

In Palm Beach County, the following court records are available for public viewing, as permitted by Florida laws:

• Criminal Records - Information on criminal cases, including charges, court proceeding transcripts, and judgments
• Civil Case Records - Information on non-criminal disputes, such as contract disagreements and damage to property
• Probate Records - Documents related to the administration of estates, wills, and guardianships
• Traffic Court Records - Records of cases involving traffic violations and infractions
• Small Claims Court Records - Information on civil actions involving claims of up to $8,000
• Family Court Records - Details of cases related to family law matters, including divorce, child custody, and adoption

Confidential Court Records in Palm Beach County

Confidential court records in Palm Beach County are not available for public inspection in compliance with state laws and court orders that seal such records. Confidential court records differ from publicly available ones because they can only be obtained by individuals involved in the case.

 Examples of confidential court records include:

• Juvenile Records
• Adoption Records
• Mental Health Records
• Medical Records

Florida laws also require the redaction of the following information from court documents and case filings:

• Social Security numbers
• Bank account numbers
• Health reports
• Addresses of domestic violence victims
• Juvenile delinquency information
• Identifying information about sexual crime victims

Juvenile Delinquency in Palm Beach, FL

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

In 2017, a total of 2 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Palm Beach County. Of that total, 100% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 2 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of Palm Beach County, FL

https://www.myflorida.com/

County Seat:	West Palm Beach
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Home Rule
Year Organized:	1909
Total Square Miles:	2,383
2019 Population:	1,471,150
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00

Palm Beach County, FL Courts