Fulton County is located in the north-central part of Georgia. More than one million people live in the county, according to the US Census Bureau. Fulton County covers only 526.7 square miles of land area despite being the most populous county in Georgia. Its county seat is the City of Atlanta.

Courts in Fulton County

Fulton County’s Superior Court handles criminal and civil cases beyond other lower courts. Felony-related criminal cases are heard in the Superior Court. On the other hand, residents take civil lawsuits like domestic relations and equities to the apex court. The Superior Court has a Family Court division that presides over child support cases, child abuse, and paternity cases.

The State Court in Fulton County has two divisions: Civil and Criminal Divisions. Misdemeanors, traffic infractions, and ordinance violations are heard at the State Court criminal division. Meanwhile, the civil division handles foreclosures, medical/legal malpractices, breaches of contracts, and serious personal injuries.

All cases related to minors or underaged persons are brought before the Fulton County Juvenile Court. The court exercises exclusive jurisdiction over delinquent children and mentally-retarded minors. Other cases handled by the Juvenile Court in Fulton County include juvenile traffic offenses, parental rights termination, and child support/custody. There is also a Probate Court in Fulton, where cases related to conservatorships, guardianships, and administration of estates are resolved.

Fulton County’s Magistrate Court typically settles civil disputes involving below $15,000 financial claims. Other civil cases handled at this court include landlord-tenant disputes and bad check claims. The criminal division of the Magistrate Court may preside over pretrial hearings and warrant applications. Cities and other municipalities in Fulton County have Municipal Courts that handle city ordinance violations and other lesser crimes.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Fulton County

Public court records created in Fulton County are available at the Clerk of Courts Office. Examples of accessible court records include the following:

• Transcripts
• Case dockets
• Plea bargains
• Motions and responses
• Notice of rights of involved parties
• Warrants and court injunctions
• Verdicts and judgments

Requesters can use the Records Search Center to find public court records online. Alternatively, they can request certified copies of court records by following the steps provided on the Clerk of Court website. Note that court records created at Fulton County Municipal Courts are not available in the county clerk's office. To access Municipal Court records, interested persons must visit the court that heard the case.

Types of Public Court Records in Fulton County

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

• Civil Case Records
• Criminal Case Records
• Arrest Records
• Family Law Case Records
• Divorce Decrees
• Probate Case Records
• Traffic Case Records
• Small Claims Case Records
• Land and Property Records

Confidential Court Records

Confidential court records in Fulton County are those exempted from the Georgia Open Records Act. These records are not public due to various reasons such as personal privacy, public safety, confidentiality agreements, and other statutory protections. Examples of confidential records include the following:

• Medical records
• Records pertaining to ongoing investigations
• Confidential informant records
• Juvenile records
• Trade secrets and confidential commercial information
• Social security numbers
• Financial information
• Mental health records

Interested persons can only access these files by obtaining court orders. Some records may not be confidential but are sealed by the record holders. Accessing sealed records is also possible only by getting court orders.

Juvenile Delinquency in Fulton, GA

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

In 2017, a total of 1410 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Fulton County. Of that total, 11% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 153 court cases. Another 34% were dependency cases that accounted for 484 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of Fulton County, GA

https://georgia.gov/

County Seat:	Atlanta
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Home Rule
Year Organized:	1853
Total Square Miles:	534
2019 Population:	1,041,423
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00

Fulton County, GA Courts