San Joaquin County Court Records
As defined by Rule 2.502 of the California Rules of Court, San Joaquin County court records include all paperwork, reports, or exhibits rendered or filed with the court in a legal action or proceeding. Following Cal. Gov. Code §§ 68150 through 68153, trial courts in California, like the San Joaquin Superior Court, have been authorized to assemble and maintain court records. This law permits the Courts to keep records of filed cases in any format (either on paper, electronic devices, microfilms, or pictorial formats) that aligns with stipulated rules and regulations.
The Records Management Department of the San Joaquin Superior Court creates and preserves court records. The department has in its custody records from 1850 till date and provides them to the public on request. Interested persons may retrieve specific case information like party names, case and docket numbers, attorney or judge handling the case, claims, and charges from these records. They can also be presented as exhibits in case appeals. San Joaquin County court records are considered a part of San Joaquin's Public Records and are thus accessible to the public on request.
Are Court Records Public in San Joaquin County?
Under the California Public Records Act, Government Code §6250 et. seq, San Joaquin County provides requesters with access to public records, except those exempt from public disclosure. Government Code §6253 of the Act states that the public is permitted to inspect and retrieve copies of known public records not exempt by law, whereas Government Code §6254, et seq instructs the county to provide access to and copies of court records in its possession upon request.
Any interested individual can request to view or copy court records held by the County Superior Court. However, this Act does not mandate the county to supply information, reply to inquiries, or produce non-existent documents.
It is worth noting that some court records are exempt from public access due to the sensitive nature of the information they contain. Such documents include records whose disclosure can threaten a person's security, impede judicial proceedings, breach a person's right to privacy, juvenile delinquency and dependency records, mental health records, and adoption court records.
What Do San Joaquin County Court Records Contain?
San Joaquin County court records contain information regarding legal proceedings that ensued in the county, comprising:
- Lawsuit information, such as the name and address of persons or entities involved in the suit, the state of the case, docket and case number, filing date, and case classification
- All filed documents and paperwork, including decrees and decisions, actions, pleadings, and responses
- Snapshots, tapes, audio recordings, professional witness assertions, and other materials tendered as evidence in court
- Court registers and timetable
- Directories for filing motions or litigations
- Summaries and notes of legal proceedings
- Citations and Paraphrases
- Oaths and affidavits.
An individual may want to access or make copies of court records for various reasons. The information listed above is usually embedded within court records to provide vast information about a legal proceeding, making the records suitable for referencing and investigating purposes.
Where to Conduct a San Joaquin County Case Lookup
Members of the public can conduct a court case lookup in San Joaquin County at the following places:
- The Records Management Department of the San Joaquin Superior County
- The Records Division of the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office
These agencies provide public access to paper and electronic formats of court case records.
How to Conduct a San Joaquin County Case Records Search
Information seekers intending to conduct a San Joaquin County case search or find court records on a person can examine case records kept by the Records Management Department of the San Joaquin County Superior Court in person, online, or by mail. Copies of the records can, however be provided for only in-person or mail requests. The Records Management office is usually open on Weekdays from 8:20 A.M. for walk-ins or appointments. Members of the public can schedule an appointment by completing the General Records request online and entering the word "Appointment" and the desired time next to the assigned case number.
In-person requesters are to visit the courthouse and submit a completed request form in person. They can also submit the request form online or via mail. Upon submission, Records staff then notify the requester by email when the requested file is available for viewing by appointment or walk-in. The location of the Records Management office is given below:
San Joaquin Superior Court - Records Management
180 E Weber Avenue
Stockton, CA 95202
Phone: (209) 992-5697
To request copies by mail, an inquirer will need to fill out the mail request form, enclose it in a self-addressed stamped envelope with a check or money order of copy fees attached, and submit it to the address:
Superior Court of California, County of San Joaquin
Records Management Suite 204
180 E Weber Avenue
Stockton CA 95202
Requesters are to note that requests for copies submitted either by email or mail have a processing time of 15 business days from the reception date of the request and fees and may be modified depending on the magnitude of requests submitted. The Records Management does not have a provision for expedited processing.
Online inquirers are to use the public access portal of the Superior Court. The court provides different search tools for civil and criminal cases. The online portal can be accessed through courthouse kiosks or personal devices. The primary search criteria used are the party's name or case number. There is no fee attached to finding and viewing electronic case records at these public terminals.
The few schedules for obtaining copies of court records are
- $15.00 for certified copies of Divorce decrees
- $10.00 for public agency copies of Divorce decrees
- $40.00 plus copy fee per page for certified documents other than Divorce decrees
- $0.50 per page and side for copies of non-certified documents
Further details on how to access court records in person or online are available at the Records Management website.
San Joaquin County Civil Court Case Records
Civil court case records in San Joaquin are simply court records produced from civil court proceedings. They are files and legal paperwork generated from non-criminal court proceedings instigated to uphold or implement a person's legal right.
The Superior Court and Sherrif's office in San Joaquin County maintain records of civil case litigations filed in the county. Interested individuals can obtain civil case records as follows:
- Contact the Records management of the superior court to obtain the civil case record in person or via mail
- Utilize the Civil Case Management System on the Superior Court's website by entering a civil case number or party name
- Make use of the Search tool provided by the Records division of the Sherrif's office to access active civil cases.
San Joaquin County Criminal Court Case Records
Criminal court case records are generally all documents and case data assembled by courts in lawsuits connected to crimes and illegal activities.
In San Joaquin County, the Records Management Department of the Superior Court and the Records Division of the Sheriff's office are responsible for preserving criminal court case records. Inspecting and obtaining copies of criminal records are open to the general public. An inquirer can obtain criminal case records using the options listed:
- Contact the Records management of the superior court to obtain the criminal case record in person or via mail.
- Use the Criminal Case Management System on the Superior Court's website to review criminal case records via the case number or party name.
- Obtain criminal case reports from the Records division of the Sherrif's office by submitting a filled request form in person or via mail for a fee of $47.00. The address of the Sherrif's office is given below:
San Joaquin Sherrif's Office - Records Division
7000 Michael Canlis Boulevard
French Camp, CA 95231
Phone: (209) 468-4400
Information seekers are to note that Per California Rule of Court 2.507, copies of criminal cases cannot be obtained online. They can only be retrieved in person onsite after proper identification.
How to Get San Joaquin County Court Records Online for Free
Per Rule 2.503 (Access to Electronic Court Records) of the California Rules of Court, courts in California are authorized to provide remote access for members of the public to court records at a fee or for free.
The San Joaquin Superior Court retains a case management system that offers online access to case information for free. The Sheriff's office also has a search portal on its website through which individuals can inspect active civil cases at no cost. However, inquirers will be required to pay a fee to access the record of interest.
Courts in San Joaquin County
The Superior Court caters to the judicial needs of the citizens of San Joaquin County and functions as the general trial court. The location of the courthouse in the county is listed below:
San Joaquin County Superior Court - Juvenile Justice Center
535 West Matthews Road
French Camp, CA 95231
Phone: (209) 992-5698
San Joaquin County Superior Court - Lodi Branch - Department L-1
217 West Elm Street
Lodi, CA 95240
Phone: (209) 992-5522 (Civil, Small Claims, Civil Harassment, Evictions)
Phone: (209) 992-5521 (Criminal)
Phone: (209) 992-5520 (Traffic, Fish & Game)
San Joaquin County Superior Court - Lodi Branch - Department L-2
315 West Elm Street
Lodi, CA 95240
Phone: (209) 992-5522 (Civil, Small Claims, Civil Harassment, Evictions)
Phone: (209) 992-5521 (Criminal)
Phone: (209) 992-5520 (Traffic, Fish & Game)
San Joaquin County Superior Court - Manteca Branch
315 East Center Street
Manteca, CA 95336
Phone: (209) 239-1316 (Criminal, Traffic)
Phone: (209) 239-9188 (Civil Harassment, Evictions)
San Joaquin County Superior Court - Stockton Courthouse
180 East Weber Avenue
Stockton, CA 95202
Phone: (209) 992-5555
