Henry County is situated in the east-central part of Indiana and has 48,014 residents as of the 2020 census. The county has 20,952 housing units and a median household income of $57,632. Its county seat and largest city is New Castle City.
Courts in Henry County
The Henry County Circuit Court has general jurisdiction over matters arising from the county. Its jurisdiction encompasses all civil claims, including contract disputes, torts, disputes over land, forfeitures, and medical malpractice cases. Likewise, it has criminal jurisdiction over all felony and misdemeanor cases. It also handles juvenile offenses and other matters relating to minors, such as dependency and child abuse. Additionally, family matters like divorce, child support, child custody, adoptions, and domestic violence are within the authority of the court. The court also exercises jurisdiction over cases on wills, guardianships, conservatorships, and other probate matters. It also handles landlord-tenant matters and small civil claims involving $6,000 or less.
The county’s seat, New Castle City, also has a City Court that has jurisdiction over infractions, traffic cases, and municipal ordinance violations.
Where to Find Public Court Records in Henry County
The Clerk of the Henry County Circuit Court maintains all court records, including civil, criminal, small claims, family, probate, and juvenile case records. Interested persons can obtain these records by requesting them from the clerk’s office and paying the relevant fees. For records of the New Castle City Court, contact the courthouse. Henry County court records are also available online through the Indiana MyCase portal.
Types of Public Court Records in Henry County
In Henry County, dockets, judgments, pleadings, and other case records are considered public records. As such, interested people can access these records without legal restriction. Some types of public court records in Henry County include:
- Felony case records
- Misdemeanor and violation records
- Civil records
- Small claims records
Confidential Court Records in Henry County
Confidential court records in Henry County are records that are not open to the public due to legal restrictions. Some examples are:
- Records sealed by court order
- Adoption files
- Mental health case records
- Juvenile case records.
Juvenile Delinquency in Henry, IN
Unfortunately, in many areas of the Henry 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 255 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Henry County. Of that total, 39% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 99 court cases. Another 53% were dependency cases that accounted for 135 of the juvenile cases.
A lot of counties, including, Henry County, are focusing on family therapy and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Henry County juvenile delinquency numbers will show whether or not this approach is working.
Juvenile Cases | Number of cases |
---|---|
Delinquency | 2,197 |
Dependency | 2,008 |
Status | 812 |
Government of Henry County, IN
County Seat: | New Castle |
Government Type: | County |
Authority: | Home Rule |
Year Organized: | 1821 |
Total Square Miles: | 395 |
2019 Population: | 48,476 |
Persons/Square Mile: | 0.01 |
County Contact: | 101 S Main St
County Courthouse New Castle , IN 47362-4219 http://www.henryco.net/ |
Henry County, IN Courts
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Henry County Circuit Court
Address: 1215 Race Suite 320, New Castle, IN 47362
Phone: 765-529-6408