Located in the west-central part of Indiana, Tippecanoe County was created in 1826 and has a land area of 499.81 square miles. It is home to about 186,251 people. Lafayette is its largest city and county seat.

Courts in Tippecanoe County

The Tippecanoe County court system comprises circuit, superior, magistrate, and city courts. As the highest court in the county, the Tippecanoe County Superior Court is the county's general jurisdiction court. It hears all major civil cases, felonies, and offenses arising from the same conditions as felonies. It also hears domestic relations, juvenile, and probate matters, including delinquency, divorce, child custody, paternity, mental health, wills, termination of parental rights, and guardianships.

The Tippecanoe County Superior Court has seven divisions specializing in different areas. Superior Court 1 and Superior Court 2 share jurisdiction with the Circuit Court over criminal and civil cases. They hear felonies, dissolution of marriages, and major civil cases. Superior Court 3 hears juvenile matters, including delinquency, paternity, child support, and termination of parental rights. Superior Court 4 handles landlord/tenant cases, drug cases, misdemeanors, and small claims cases. Superior Court 5 typically hears misdemeanors and various civil cases. Superior Court 6 hears traffic offenses and level 6 felonies. Superior Court 7 hears landlord-tenant issues, evictions, and divorce cases without children. 

The Tippecanoe County Magistrate Court was established to assist superior courts. It handles preliminary hearings for criminal cases and some civil cases.

The West Lafayette City Court is the only city court in Tippecanoe County. It hears traffic offenses and city ordinance violations.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Tippecanoe County

Public court records in Tippecanoe County can be viewed and copied by members of the public, including court filings, warrants, writs, court proceedings, and judgments from the county courts. The Tippecanoe County Clerk maintains all public court records from the county’s courts. All public court records from Tippecanoe County are accessible on the Indiana Case Search Portal. The public can also visit the clerk’s office to view and request copies of nonconfidential court records.

Types of Public Court Records in Tippecanoe County

The right of the public in Tippecanoe County to access certain court records is enshrined in the Oklahoma Constitution and helps to assure the public of the fairness of the judicial system. Tippecanoe County makes the following types of court records available to the public unless sealed by a court:

• Criminal Court Records: includes felony and misdemeanor cases
• Family Court Records: includes divorce decrees, maintenance orders, and emancipation
• Civil Court Records: includes professional malpractices, product liabilities, libel, breaches of contracts, employment disputes, mortgage foreclosures, breach of fiduciary duty, slander, eminent domain, and trade secrets
• Probate Court Records: includes documentation of wills, estates, and trusts

Confidential Court Records in Tippecanoe County

In Tippecanoe County, confidential court records are sealed to preserve privacy and protect sensitive information. These records are either sealed by court orders or sealed by default under Indiana law. Unlike public court documents, which are accessible to anyone, confidential court records can only be accessed by specific court orders or by authorized persons. Typically, parts or all of the following court records cannot be accessed by the public in Indiana:

• Personally identifiable information such as license plate number, Social Security number, and driver’s license number
• Adoption records
• Identifying information about jurors
• Most juvenile records
• Grand jury proceedings and records
• Medical and mental health records
• Expunged or sealed records
• Eligible misdemeanor or felony convictions after certain years.

Juvenile Delinquency in Tippecanoe, IN

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Tippecanoe 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 751 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Tippecanoe County. Of that total, 51% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 386 court cases. Another 37% were dependency cases that accounted for 279 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of Tippecanoe County, IN

https://www.in.gov/

County Seat:	Lafayette
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Home Rule
Year Organized:	1826
Total Square Miles:	503
2019 Population:	190,587
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00
County Contact:	301 Main St County Courthouse Lafayette , IN 47901-1364 http://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/

Tippecanoe County, IN Courts