Latah County was established in 1888 in the north-central part of Idaho. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county covers approximately 1,076 square miles of land area and has more than 39,000 residents. Latah’s largest city and county seat is the City of Moscow.
Courts in Latah County
The District Court oversees all civil lawsuits and criminal proceedings in Latah County. It falls within Idaho’s Second Judicial District. Felony trials and civil actions involving more than $10,000 are exclusive to the District Court. Other legal matters handled at Latah County’s District Court include probate matters, juvenile cases, and marriage annulments. Residents can also approach the court to appeal decisions and court judgments from the Magistrate Division.
The District Court also offers Family Court services and Drug Treatment Court. Child custody, child abuse, domestic violence, and child support cases are often resolved at the Family Court division. On the other hand, the Drug Court provides drug treatment programs for felons struggling with substance abuse disorders.
Latah County has a Magistrate Court division, which also functions under the District Court. The Magistrate has limited jurisdiction over some civil and criminal cases. It typically presides over misdemeanor trials, traffic offenses, and ordinance violations. Latah’s Magistrate Court may also hear felony-related pretrial motions. It can also resolve general civil lawsuits in which the monetary dispute is less than $10,000.
Where to Find Public Court Records in Latah County
The Clerk of the District Court in Latah County typically creates, stores, and distributes public court records to requesters. Court records contain one or more of the following information:
- Court transcripts
- Case dockets, hearing schedules, and calendars
- Evidence, exhibits, and witness reports
- Pretrial case filings and judgments
- Case filings
- Involved parties’ names, such as judges, prosecutors, attorneys, defendants, plaintiffs, and accused offenders
- Interrogatories
- Motions and responses
- Court judgments and verdicts
Requesters can obtain these records by contacting Latah’s District Court Clerk. The Idaho Supreme Court maintains a statewide repository for searching local court records online. To use the repository, court record searchers should open the iCourt Portal. Next, select ‘Latah County’ under the County section and choose ‘Record Search’ under the Service section. Finally, click ‘Search’ to begin viewing public court records created in Latah County.
Types of Public Court Records in Latah County
The District Court Clerk in Latah County provides access to the following public court records to requesters:
- Civil case files
- Criminal case files
- Probate files
- Divorce decrees
- Limited marriage license files
- Limited juvenile records
Confidential Court Records in Latah County
Confidential court records in Latah County are not publicly accessible online or for copying. Per the Idaho Public Records Act, these documents violate individuals’ privacy. Record-holders whose names appear on the court documents can obtain confidential records by visiting the court clerk’s office with their government-issued IDs. The Magistrate Court in Latah may issue court orders to certain persons to view confidential court records. Examples of confidential records include:
- Sealed court records
- Juvenile records
- Medical and mental health records
- Adoption records
- Domestic violence victim
- Personal identifying information (Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers)
- Records showing individuals’ financial information.
Juvenile Delinquency in Latah, ID
Unfortunately, in many areas of the Latah County, juvenile delinquency offenses are on the rise. There are many reasons for the inflation in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Idaho often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of charges, and other family matters.
In 2015, a total of 100 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Latah County. Of that total, 100% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 100 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.
A lot of counties, including, Latah County, are focusing on family counseling and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Latah County juvenile delinquency tallies will show whether or not this approach is working.
| Juvenile Cases | Number of cases |
|---|---|
| Delinquency | 2,943 |
| Dependency | 86 |
| Status | 0 |
Government of Latah County, ID
| County Seat: | Moscow |
| Government Type: | County |
| Authority: | Dillon's Rule |
| Year Organized: | 1888 |
| Total Square Miles: | 1,077 |
| 2019 Population: | 39,333 |
| Persons/Square Mile: | 0.03 |
| County Contact: | 522 S Adams St
County Courthouse Moscow , ID 83843-2971 https://www.latah.id.us/ |