King County is the most populous County in Washington. The County is bounded by Puget Sound to the west and the Cascade Range to the east.  It was established in 1852 and is home to some of the state’s most successful businesses. The county has a population of about 2.2 million people and spans over 2,307 square miles.

Courts in King County

King County has two courts -Superior Courts and District Courts. Superior Courts in Kings County are general-jurisdiction trial courts that hear all types of cases, including civil, criminal, family, and juvenile. Except when the jurisdiction to hear a case is limited by law or granted exclusively to another court, such a case will be heard at the Superior Court. There are four Superior Courts in King County, and they are located in Seattle and Kent.

District Courts in King County have limited jurisdiction over certain types of civil, criminal, and traffic cases. They hear civil litigation matters up to $100,000 per claimant and small claim matters up to $10,000. Their criminal jurisdiction extends to misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor criminal cases, felony expedited cases, etc. The court is located throughout King County, including at Auburn, Burien, Bellevue, King County Courthouse (Seattle), Issaquah, King County Jail (Seattle-jail calendars only), Redmond, Shoreline, Vashon Island (one day per month), and Maleng Regional Justice Center (Kent).

Where to Find Public Court Records in King County

King County makes many of its court records available to members of the public. The King County’s Clerk is the custodian of records in the Supreme Court. Many of these records are available online or can be requested via mail. However, mail requests require a $10 postage and handling fee. Also, some pre-1979 records are unavailable online and can only be accessed in person.

Types of Public Court Records in King County

Public court records are official documents from court processes made accessible to the public. They include the following: 

• Criminal Court Records: including misdemeanors, felonies, traffic offenses, and infractions
• Civil Court Records: such as ordinance violations, landlord/tenant disputes, foreclosures, and small claims
• Family Court Records: including divorce records and child support court records
• Probate Court Records: these include wills, guardianships, name changes, and conservatorship

Confidential Court Records in King County

While court records are generally made accessible to the public in King County, due to legal restrictions or privacy concerns, some records are sealed. Such records include juvenile records, medical records, and adoption records. In addition, in some instances, court records contain personal identifying information such as financial information, social security numbers, and driver's license numbers. Such information is redacted from the court record before such record is made accessible to the public.

Juvenile Delinquency in King, WA

Unfortunately, in many areas of the King County, juvenile delinquency crimes are on the rise. There are many reasons for the increase in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Washington often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of offenses, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 52 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of King County. Of that total, 4% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 2 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of King County, WA

https://access.wa.gov/

County Seat:	Seattle
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Home Rule
Year Organized:	1852
Total Square Miles:	2,307
2019 Population:	2,188,649
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00
County Contact:	516 3Rd Ave County Courthouse Seattle , WA 98104-2385 http://www.kingcounty.gov/

King County, WA Courts