With a land area of 628.5 square miles, Clark County is considered the 35th largest county in Washington. Its topography consists of forested foothills of the Cascade Mountains. As of the 2020 US Census Bureau, the county had 503,311 residents, making it the fifth most populous County. The City of Vancouver serves as its County seat.
Courts in Clark County
Clark County’s court system comprises the Clark County Superior Court, District Court, and Municipal Courts. The Clark County Superior Court is regarded as a court of general jurisdiction. This court hears all civil matters and criminal cases exceeding $75,000. It also hears appeals of other administrative proceedings and decisions made by the District Court. It also serves as a trial court for probate, family, and juvenile cases.
The District Courts are courts of limited jurisdiction. Their criminal jurisdiction is restricted to misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, small cases, name changes, criminal traffic citations, and traffic violation offenses. However, they also conduct preliminary hearings for felony cases. The district court's civil jurisdiction covers all claims for money, damages for personal injury, or property that do not exceed $100,000.
In Clark County, Municipal Courts are designed for individual cities. They hear cases on violations of municipal or city ordinances. Their jurisdiction is limited to misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors, and infractions. Civil or small claim cases are not accepted by them. Nonetheless, they have the authority to impose no-contact and protection orders against domestic violence within the municipality.
Where to Find Public Court Records in Clark County
Clerks in Clark County's courts are responsible for maintaining all court cases and proceedings. Online records from the Superior Court can be obtained from the Washington State Digital Archives, but interested persons need to have the relevant case number. The Odyssey Portal - Washington Courts Online Case Search also provides case information, such as parties, case numbers, and summaries. Superior Court records can also be obtained by requesting them from the Clerk of the Superior Court in person or via mail.
To obtain records of the Clark District Court, the Request for Court Records form must be completed and sent via email to the court. Requests can also be made in person at any location of the District Court. Records of the Municipal Court are accessible at the courthouse.
Types of Public Court Records in Clark County
All court records are generally open to the public except those considered confidential according to state statute or sealed by court order. Public court records in Clark County include:
- Criminal Court Records
- Civil Court Records
- Family Court Records
- Traffic Court Records
- Probate Court Records
Confidential Court Records in Clark County
The following Clark County court records are confidential hence not accessible to the public
- Adoption records
- Mental illness commitment records
- Alcohol and drug treatment commitment records
- Paternity records
- Juvenile records
Juvenile Delinquency in Clark, WA
Unfortunately, in many areas of the Clark County, juvenile delinquency issues are on the rise. There are many reasons for the rise in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Washington often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of crimes, and other family matters.
In 2017, a total of 2567 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Clark County. Of that total, 57% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 1466 court cases. Another 12% were dependency cases that accounted for 315 of the juvenile cases.
A lot of counties, including, Clark County, are focusing on family therapy and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Clark County juvenile delinquency numbers will show whether or not this approach is working.
| Juvenile Cases | Number of cases |
|---|---|
| Delinquency | 8,515 |
| Dependency | 4,592 |
| Status | 12,302 |
Government of Clark County, WA
| County Seat: | Vancouver |
| Government Type: | County |
| Authority: | Home Rule |
| Year Organized: | 1845 |
| Total Square Miles: | 656 |
| 2019 Population: | 474,643 |
| Persons/Square Mile: | 0.00 |
| County Contact: | 1200 Franklin St
County Courthouse Vancouver , WA 98660-2812 https://www.clark.wa.gov/ |
Clark County, WA Courts
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Clark County Superior Court
Address: 1200 Franklin St,, Vancouver, WA 98660
Phone: 360-397-2150