Hampden County is a non-governmental county situated in the Pioneer Valley of the State of Massachusetts. It has a land mass of 19.6 square miles. As of 2020, the United States Census Bureau estimated the County’s population as 465,825. It is home to Springfield, the largest city in the Connecticut River Valley. It doubles as the traditional county seat and economic capital.

Courts in Hampden County

The towns and cities of Hampden County are served by a district court that hears all criminal and civil cases. It is a court of general jurisdiction with several divisions based on the specific law-related matters handled. The Palmer District Court hears civil matters, criminal cases, and housing lawsuits. The Western Housing Court has jurisdiction over criminal cases and civil matters involving the use of property and the practice affecting such use. The Hampden County Juvenile Court is the juvenile division of the district court with jurisdiction over youthful offenders, delinquency, and guardianship cases.

Other Divisions include the Hampden Probate and Family Court, which has jurisdiction over Probate proceedings such as decedents’ estates and trusts and family matters, and the Land Court, where its judges preside over preliminary hearings on real estate tax lien cases, zoning, and registration of title deeds.

On the other hand, the Hampden County Superior Court has jurisdiction over medical malpractice tribunals. It also hears labor disputes where injunctive relief is sought. Civil cases exceeding $50,000 and all felonies are handled in this court.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Hampden County

The Office of the District Attorney maintains court records and makes them accessible to the general public. Interested parties can submit requests in person at the District Attorney's Office to obtain publicly available court records, or they can submit requests online to the Hampden District Attorney Records Center.

Types of Public Court Records in Hampden County

Interested parties may be able to see all publicly available court records except those deemed confidential. Hampden County makes the following types of court records available to the public:

• Criminal Court Records
• Family Court Records
• Civil Court Records
• Probate Court Records

Confidential Court Records

Confidential court records are documents of sensitive information sealed by court orders. The following are records in Hampden County exempt from the general public:

• Juvenile records
• Reports of rape or sexual assault
• Domestic abuse records
• Criminal offender record information
• Medical health and hospital data
• Materials on an ongoing investigation and prosecution
• Social Security numbers
• Financial and bank account information.

Juvenile Delinquency in Hampden, MA

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

In 2017, a total of 881 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Hampden County. Of that total, 0% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 1 court cases. Another 60% were dependency cases that accounted for 530 of the juvenile cases.

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

Hampden County, MA Courts