Fairfax County is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The county is home to approximately 1.2 million people and spreads across 406 square miles of land. Founded in 1742, the county is home to the headquarters of intelligence agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Counterterrorism Center, and so on. It has over 450,000 housing units with an average of three persons per household.
Courts in Fairfax County
The courts in Fairfax County are comprised of Circuit Courts, General District Courts, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts.
The Fairfax County Circuit Court (19th Judicial Circuit) is the highest in the county. It is a trial court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases and has fifteen full-time trial judges. Its civil and small claims division handles business disputes, personal injury, and domestic relations cases. The court’s criminal handles felonies while its traffic division handles traffic infractions. The court also hears appeals of misdemeanor and traffic cases from the General District Court and Juvenile Court.
The Fairfax County General District Courts have jurisdiction to hear both civil and criminal cases. The court hears civil cases, including landlord-tenant disputes, personal injury cases, and actions for breach of contract. It has jurisdiction over civil cases of more than $4,500 but less than $25,000. It also has a small claims division to handle cases involving money or property claims up to $5,000. The criminal jurisdiction of the court extends to misdemeanors, traffic violation cases, and preliminary hearings in felony matters.
The Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court in Fairfax County hears cases involving juveniles and crimes against juveniles. It also hears cases relating to family matters except divorce.
Where to Find Public Court Records in Fairfax County
The Fairfax County Clerk is the custodian of court records in Fairfax County. The office provides public access to court records to the extent permitted by law. For access to court records in the county, interested members of the public can either send a mail to the office requesting such records or access the records online.
Types of Public Court Records in Fairfax County
In Fairfax County, the courts may provide the following types of public court records:
- Probate Records
- Divorce Records
- Marriage Records
- Criminal Records
- Traffic Records
Confidential Court Records in Fairfax County
In Fairfax County, confidential court records are records redacted from the public either because of a court order or by provision of a statute. These records differ from public court records because while confidential records can only be accessed by the parties to the case and their lawyers, public court records can be accessed by any interested person. Examples of confidential court records include:
- Probation Reports and Pre-Sentence Memoranda
- Records of Adoption Proceedings
- Sealed records in criminal cases that end favorably to the accused
- Orders of commitment of mentally ill Inmates
- Court records that might identify the victim in sex offense cases
Juvenile Delinquency in Fairfax, VA
Unfortunately, in many areas of the Fairfax County, juvenile delinquency crimes are on the rise. There are many reasons for the increase in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Virginia often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of offenses, and other family matters.
In 2017, a total of 974 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Fairfax County. Of that total, 76% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 741 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.
A lot of counties, including, Fairfax County, are focusing on family health and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Fairfax County juvenile delinquency statistics will show whether or not this approach is working.
| Juvenile Cases | Number of cases |
|---|---|
| Delinquency | 11,717 |
| Dependency | 0 |
| Status | 10,509 |
Government of Fairfax County, VA
| County Seat: | Fairfax |
| Government Type: | County |
| Authority: | Dillon's Rule |
| Year Organized: | 1742 |
| Total Square Miles: | 406 |
| 2019 Population: | 1,148,433 |
| Persons/Square Mile: | 0.00 |
| County Contact: | 12000 Government Center Pkwy
County Government Center Fairfax , VA 22035-0066 http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov |