Hancock County covers 307 square miles of Indiana. Much of the county is land, with water making up less than 1% of its geography. Over 75,000 individuals reside in the county, and the City of Greenfield serves as the county seat.

Courts in Hancock County

The courts in Hancock County are responsible for handling all types of legal matters that can be filed in the county. The county’s court system comprises two Superior Courts and a Circuit Court. The Circuit Court handles civil and criminal cases in the county. It hears all felonies brought before the court and some misdemeanor criminal cases. Civil cases, such as personal injury, property damages, and other non-criminal matters where parties seek legal remedies or monetary compensation, are under the Circuit Court’s jurisdiction. Domestic relations matters, probate matters, and juvenile complaints against minors in Hancock County are also handled by the Circuit Court.

The Superior Court 1 serves as a trial court of general jurisdiction in Hancock County. The court hears criminal cases involving serious felonies, juvenile delinquency matters, divorces, and cases involving children in need of services. It also handles cases concerning evictions and mortgage foreclosures.

Hancock County Superior Court II handles criminal cases involving Class D felonies, which are punishable by incarceration sentences between six months and three years and $10,000 in fines. The Superior Court II also handles traffic infractions, misdemeanors, and small claims matters not exceeding $10,000.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Hancock County

The Clerk of Courts serves as the custodian of public court records in Hancock County. Anyone can access court documents and filings in the county online or from the Clerk. To obtain copies of public court records, the Clerk requires the submission of requests for court information and payment of stipulated fees via mail. Individuals may also visit the Clerk’s Office to get or inspect such records.

Types of Public Court Records in Hancock County

The following types of court records in Hancock County are publicly available:

• Civil Court Records - including the records of non-criminal cases that are filed in the county, like personal injury or contract disputes
• Criminal Court Records - including the court documents and non-confidential case information of criminal cases
• Small Claims Court Records - court details and other records of small claims cases where the monetary claims are below $10,000
• Probate Court Records - including the case information and documents related to probate matters like wills settlements, guardianships, and estates

Confidential Court Records in Hancock County

While anyone can inspect most court records in Hancock County, the rules of court and state laws exclude some records from public access. The confidentiality of such court records may be to protect the general public interest or anyone involved in the cases. However, confidential court records in Hancock County are accessible, under court orders, to the filing party and other persons authorized by the court.

Examples of court records that are inaccessible to the public in Hancock County include:

• Paternity records
• Mental health records
• Medical records
• Drug and substance abuse records
• Records of the personal information of witnesses, claimants, or minors, such as Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, addresses, and phone numbers
• Records containing the residential addresses of court staff
• Probation records
• Domestic violence records.

Juvenile Delinquency in Hancock, IN

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

In 2017, a total of 128 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Hancock County. Of that total, 30% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 38 court cases. Another 70% were dependency cases that accounted for 90 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of Hancock County, IN

https://www.in.gov/

County Seat:	Greenfield
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Home Rule
Year Organized:	1827
Total Square Miles:	307
2019 Population:	74,985
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00
County Contact:	111 American Legion Pl County Courthouse Greenfield , IN 46140-2370 http://www.hancockcoingov.org

Hancock County, IN Courts