Orange County is located in the southeastern area of New York State. The county has a land area of 812.32 square miles and is bordered by both the Hudson and Delaware Rivers. The county’s seat is Goshen Village.

Courts in Orange County

Orange County’s court system is part of the 9th Judicial District of New York State. It consists of the Supreme Court, County Court, Surrogate’s Court, Family Court, and City Courts.

The Orange County Supreme Court has wide jurisdiction over matters arising from the county. The civil jurisdiction of the court covers monetary claims exceeding $25,000 and claims for injunctions. It also handles divorce and related matters. Although the court's criminal jurisdiction encompasses felony cases, these cases are often heard by the County Court. Also, the Supreme Court shares jurisdiction with the Family and Surrogate’s Court in matters involving guardianships for infants.

The Orange County Court has jurisdiction over matters beyond the authority of other lower courts. These include felonies, lesser offenses, and civil claims of less than $25,000. The court also has jurisdiction over real estate matters like evictions, foreclosures, and partition of real property.  

The Orange County Family Court has jurisdiction over family and juvenile-related matters, including juvenile delinquency, dependency cases, paternity cases, adoption, and certain child support cases. However, matters relating to wills, probate, trusts, and administration of estate fall within the jurisdiction of the Orange County Surrogate’s Court. Both courts can hear adoption cases.

City Courts operate at the city level. Their criminal jurisdiction covers misdemeanors and lesser offenses, as well as arraignment for felony offenses. City courts also have jurisdiction over civil cases involving monetary claims of $15,000 or less. The courts may also hear landlord-tenant matters, housing violations, and small claims of  $5,000 or less.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Orange County

The office of the Orange County Clerk is responsible for maintaining records of court cases in the county. Members of the public can obtain court records by requesting them from the Clerk’s office in person or via mail. Orange County court records are also accessible online. 

Types of Public Court Records in Orange County

Court records in Orange County are materials containing information about cases handled by the courts. They include:

• Dockets
• Parties’ pleadings
• Filings
• Court judgment

Members of the public can access these court records, so far they are not declared confidential by law or sealed by court order. 

Confidential Court Records in Orange County

Records relating to certain cases are considered confidential in Orange County. As such, they are not open to the general public. Some examples of such records in Orange County are:

• Matrimonial case records
• Records of mental health cases
• Juvenile cases
• Records of adoption proceedings

Juvenile Delinquency in Orange, NY

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

In 2017, a total of 189 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Orange County. Of that total, 78% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 148 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of Orange County, NY

https://www.ny.gov/

County Seat:	Goshen
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Home Rule
Year Organized:	1683
Total Square Miles:	839
2019 Population:	382,226
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00

Orange County, NY Courts