Bristol County is the seventh largest County in Massachusetts by land mass. It has a total land area of 553.1 square miles. As of 2020, the United States Census Bureau estimated the County’s population as 579,200. It is home to Taunton, which also serves as its county seat.

Courts in Bristol County

Bristol County has several divisions under the superior court that handle legal matters within its jurisdiction. These divisions consist of courthouses that hear different cases, including criminal, civil, family, small claims, and probate matters.

The towns and cities of Bristol County are served by the Taunton-based Bristol County Superior Court. Only criminal cases are handled at this location. The Fall River District and Superior Court handles cases of felony, homicide, drug offenses, and domestic violence, among others. Also, the Bristol Probate and Family Court in Taunton has jurisdiction over civil, small claims, family, and probate cases. The Attleboro District & Juvenile Court, Taunton District & Juvenile Court, and New Bedford District & Juvenile Court handle all cases related to juvenile delinquencies.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Bristol County

The Office of the Clerk makes public court records available online. Interested parties can submit requests in person at the Court Records Office to obtain publicly available court records, or they can submit requests online to the Bristol County Commissioners; and Records Access Officer. Copies of the records of cases heard in Bristol County courts can be viewed by filling out an online request form.

Types of Public Court Records in Bristol County

Interested parties may be able to see all publicly available case files except those deemed confidential and sealed by court orders. Bristol County makes the following types of court records available to the public:

• Criminal Court Records: These include court proceedings for misdemeanors and felonies
• Traffic Court Records: These include citations by the police for traffic violations
• Family Court Records: These include divorce, adoption, and custody cases
• Civil Court Records: These include records relating to breach of contract, debt recovery, and personal injury
• Probate Court Records: These include records related to trusts, wills, and documentation of estates

Confidential Court Records

Confidential court records in Bristol County include those sealed by court orders. While most court documents are publicly available in Massachusetts, the following are considered confidential and usually exempt from public disclosure:

• Domestic abuse records
• Juvenile records
• mental health data
• Social Security numbers
• Financial and bank account information

Juvenile Delinquency in Bristol, MA

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Bristol County, juvenile delinquency offenses are on the rise. There are many reasons for the inflation in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Massachusetts often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of charges, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 995 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Bristol County. Of that total, 0% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 1 court cases. Another 39% were dependency cases that accounted for 388 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of Bristol County, MA

https://www.mass.gov/

County Seat:	Taunton
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1685
Total Square Miles:	691
2019 Population:	561,483
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00
County Contact:	9 Court St County Courthouse Taunton , MA 02780-3223 http://www.countyofbristol.net/

Bristol County, MA Courts