Pitt County is named in honor of William Pitt, a British statesman and the Earl of Chatham. Established in 1760 and located in the eastern part of North Carolina, Pitt County covers an area of 651 square miles and is home to over 179,000 people. The county seat is Greenville City.

Courts in Pitt County

The court system in Pitt County has Superior and District Courts to handle all legal disputes in the county. The Pitt County Superior Court adjudicates all criminal and civil cases and hears appeals from the District Court. The court presides over criminal cases, including felonies, misdemeanors, and infractions. Civil cases include disputes for more than $25,000, complex business cases, injunctions, and constitutional rights lawsuits. The Superior Court has a Probate Division that exclusively handles the administration of decedents' estates, including wills, trusts, and guardianship of minors.

The District Court presides over some criminal and civil cases, including misdemeanors, municipal ordinance violations, infractions, civil disputes for claims under $25,000, domestic violence protection cases, and involuntary mental health commitments. The District Court has the following divisions:

• Small Claims Division: Presides over civil disputes for claims under $10,000
• Domestic Relations Division: Deals with disputes involving families, such as divorce, child visitation, paternity, and domestic violence protection
• Juvenile Division: Presides over cases involving minors, including child neglect and abuse, emancipation, foster care, and delinquency.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Pitt County

Public court records are documents from the courts that are accessible to the public. Interested persons can find Pitt County public court records online using the eCourts Portal. Record seekers may also access court records at the courthouse or mail requests for copies of the documents.

Types of Public Court Records in Pitt County

The following court records are open to the public for viewing, inspection, and copying in Pitt County.

• Civil Court Records: Personal injury claims, restraining  orders, evictions, employment disputes, and property disputes
• Criminal Court Records: Assaults, burglaries, drug possession, simple theft, public intoxication, and vandalism
• Family Law Records: Marriage dissolution, annulments, legal separation, child custody, and child and spousal support
• Probate Records: Wills, estates, conservatorships, guardianships, and  trusts
• Traffic Records: Stop signs violations, reckless driving, red light violations, driving with suspended licenses, and failure to signal

Confidential Court Records in Pitt County

Confidential court records in Pitt County are documents restricted from the public. Confidential court records contain sensitive or personal information and are sealed to protect the identity and safety of the person named on the document. Confidential court documents inaccessible to the public in Pitt County include:

• Juvenile court records
• Adoption records
• Substance abuse treatment records
• Grand jury proceedings
• Crime victim information

Furthermore, personal identifiers on court records are confidential. Personal identifying information is redacted from court records to prevent identity theft and fraud. Examples of personal information removed from public court documents include:

• Social Security numbers
• Bank account and credit card information
• Home addresses, phone numbers, and birthdates
• Driver’s license numbers
• Tax identification numbers.

Juvenile Delinquency in Pitt, NC

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Pitt County, juvenile delinquency issues are on the rise. There are many reasons for the rise in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in North Carolina often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of crimes, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 363 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Pitt County. Of that total, 98% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 357 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of Pitt County, NC

https://www.nc.gov/

County Seat:	Greenville
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1760
Total Square Miles:	655
2019 Population:	179,042
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00

Pitt County, NC Courts