Henrico County, one of the oldest counties in the United States, is situated in central Virginia. It covers an area of 233.7 square miles by land mass. At the 2020 Census, the County’s population was estimated at 334,389, making it Virginia's fifth-most populous county. The county’s seat is Laurel, a Census-designated place.
Courts in Henrico County
Henrico County is home to various courts serving different purposes. These include Circuit Courts, General District Courts, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts.
Circuit Courts in Henrico's County have general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases. However, they only conduct trials on cases beyond the purview of other courts. The court’s Criminal Division handles felony offenses. The court's Civil Division handles civil cases where monetary claims exceed $25,000.
General District Courts hold limited jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. Criminal cases heard by General District Courts include preliminary hearings in misdemeanor offenses, traffic infractions, and ordinance violations. The court also hears civil claims where the amount in dispute is $25,000 or less.
Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts have limited jurisdiction over domestic relations cases, such as juvenile delinquencies and certain criminal offenses involving family members and harm to a child.
Where to Find Public Court Records in Henrico County
Court records are maintained by the Office of the Clerk and made accessible to the general public. Interested members of the public may visit the Clerk’s Office to make a request or search online. However, not all court records are available online.
Types of Public Court Records in Henrico County
All court records are open to the public except those sealed by statute or court order. The following types of court records are made available to the public in Henrico County:
- Land Records: These include bills of sale, mortgages, indentures, leases, and title deeds
- Civil Court Records: These include personal injury cases, product liability, and mortgage foreclosures
- Family Court Records: These include divorce, annulment, spousal support, and paternity cases
- Criminal Case Records: These include court proceedings for misdemeanors and felonies
Confidential Court Records in Henrico County
Confidential court records are not open to the public due to the sensitive nature of the information. The following are confidential records in Henrico County:
- Juvenile Court Records
- Adoption Court Records
- Mental Health Records
- Records related to victims of domestic violence
- Social Security number
- Identifying information about jurors
- Intellectual proprietary
- Cases involving domestic violence.
Juvenile Delinquency in Henrico, VA
Unfortunately, in many areas of the Henrico County, juvenile delinquency offenses are on the rise. There are many reasons for the inflation in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Virginia often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of charges, and other family matters.
In 2017, a total of 863 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Henrico County. Of that total, 48% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 410 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.
A lot of counties, including, Henrico County, are focusing on family counseling and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Henrico County juvenile delinquency tallies will show whether or not this approach is working.
| Juvenile Cases | Number of cases |
|---|---|
| Delinquency | 9,414 |
| Dependency | 0 |
| Status | 5,890 |
Government of Henrico County, VA
| County Seat: | Henrico |
| Government Type: | County |
| Authority: | Dillon's Rule |
| Year Organized: | 1611 |
| Total Square Miles: | 245 |
| 2019 Population: | 327,898 |
| Persons/Square Mile: | 0.00 |