Created in June 1887, Pasco County was named after Florida Senator Samuel Pasco. It has a land area of 747 square miles and a population of 561,691 as of the 2020 census. Zephyrhills is the largest city in the county by land area, and Dade City is the county seat.

Courts in Pasco County

As the highest court in Pasco County, the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court handles cases beyond the jurisdiction of the County Court. It has five divisions responsible for different cases. The Civil Division hears civil cases with claims over $50,000. The Criminal Division hears all felonies and misdemeanors arising from the same conditions as felonies. The Family Division deals with domestic matters, including annulment, divorce, adoption, custody, and child support. The Probate and Guardianship Division handles all probate matters, including guardianship, trusts, estates, and mental health. The Juvenile Division handles all juvenile-related matters, including juvenile delinquency and juvenile dependency.

The County Court of Pasco County is a trial court of limited jurisdiction. It hears civil cases with claims under $50,000 and most misdemeanors. It also hears municipal ordinance violations and traffic offenses.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Pasco County

The Pasco County Clerk and Comptroller is in charge of public court records in the county. The County Clerk and Comptroller’s office maintains and keeps these records in compliance with state and county laws. Pasco County allows the public to search for non-confidential court records via its Online Court Records Search website.  Members of the public can also visit the Records Retention Facilities in Dade City and New Port Richey to view or copy public court records in Pasco County. They can also mail their request to either facility for copies of court records. It costs $1 per page and $2 per document to obtain ordinary and certified copies, respectively.

Types of Public Court Records in Pasco County

Pasco County makes the public records from the following cases available to the public unless sealed by court orders:

• Family Court Records: including annulment, divorce, and custody cases
• Criminal Court Records: including court proceedings for felonies and misdemeanors
• Civil Court Records: including professional malpractices, product liabilities, mortgage foreclosures, contract indebtedness, and personal injury cases
• Probate Court Records: including guardianship, wills, and documentation of trusts and estates

Confidential Court Records

Confidential court records in Pasco County include those records sealed by default under Florida law and records sealed by court orders. The following are usually excluded from public records in Florida:

• Juvenile court records, excluding traffic offenses
• Identifying information about jurors
• Adoption records
• Sexual assault victim information and records
• Grand jury proceedings and records
• Unexecuted warrants and summons
• Domestic violence victim information and records
• Dismissed or acquitted cases records
• Records sealed or expunged under Florida’s expungement and sealing laws

Parts of a Pasco County court record may also be sealed if it contains sensitive information, including:

• Financial information
• Personally identifiable information, such as the social security number of individuals in the case
• Settlement agreement of a divorce case
• Psychological evaluation report
• HIV/AIDS testing and treatment information
• Intellectual proprietary

Juvenile Delinquency in Pasco, FL

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Pasco County, juvenile delinquency offenses are on the rise. There are many reasons for the inflation in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Florida often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of charges, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 1186 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Pasco County. Of that total, 100% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 1186 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of Pasco County, FL

https://www.myflorida.com/

County Seat:	Dade City
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1887
Total Square Miles:	868
2019 Population:	525,643
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00
County Contact:	7530 Little Rd W Pasco Government Center New Port Richey , FL 34654-5598 http://www.pascocountyfl.net/

Pasco County, FL Courts