Pinal County Court Records
Courts in Pinal County, Arizona, create and retain records of case activity within their jurisdictions. These records, known as court records, bear significant information about local criminal, traffic, and civil court cases, including dockets, pleadings, executed warrants, affidavits, orders, jury verdicts, transcripts, motions, register of actions, and expert testimonies.
One of the more prominent objectives behind preserving court proceedings in Pinal County is to further transparency within the county's legal system. The records ensure the courts maintain a system of fairness and accessibility to everyone and that the public can hold the judicial branch accountable for its actions.
Court records provide insight into the inner workings of the judiciary. The public (e.g., researchers, journalists, litigants) can examine the records to learn about a case or review the findings preceding a specific judgment or verdict. Moreover, court records are useful for tracking the progress of a case, researching legal precedents, or filing an appeal.
According to 17A A.R.S. Sup. Ct. Rules, Rule 123, the responsibility of keeping or disseminating court records in Pinal County, in line with the relevant statutes, lies with a clerk of court or court administrator's office.
Are Court Records Public in Pinal County?
Yes, court records are publicly accessible in Pinal County. Admittedly, the maintenance and disclosure of court records is not controlled by Arizona's Public Records Law but by the Arizona Supreme Court Rule 123. Under this court rule, members of the public can inspect or copy case records maintained by the judicial branch.
Nonetheless, there are exceptions to the Pinal County courts' open records policy. Certain court records are deemed "confidential" or "closed" and may not be examined or otherwise accessed by the public unless permitted by law. Usually, confidentiality is imposed to comply with a statute or court order, secure an individual's privacy interests, or serve the state's best interests.
Some confidential court records include:
- Records containing sensitive data like a person's Social Security, credit/debit card, or financial account numbers.
- Records of juvenile dependency, adoption, severance, and other related proceedings.
- Adult Criminal History Records, diagnostic evaluations, medical reports, alcohol screening and treatment reports, psychiatric and psychological reports, probation supervision histories, social studies, and other records kept as the work product of pretrial services staff, probation officers, and other staff for the court's use.
- Unofficial verbatim recordings of proceedings.
Where to Conduct a Pinal County Case Lookup
Below are methods to conduct a court case lookup in Pinal County:
- Visit the courthouse where a dispute/complaint was filed or resolved.
- Submit a written request to the appropriate clerk of court or administrator's office.
- Use the Arizona Judiciary's Public Access to Court Information portal.
How to Conduct a Pinal County Case Records Search
Pinal County has a general jurisdiction court (the superior court) and limited jurisdiction courts (justice and municipal courts). Members of the public can search Pinal County case records by visiting the courthouse that held the trial or hearing for a legal case. When wanting to inspect or examine case records in person, it is necessary to appear during the court's business hours. In-person requesters will also need to have details that can be used to identify the case record, such as a case number or case party's name. An inquirer can contact the clerk of court or administrator's office to determine how to find court records in person.
Another option for conducting a Pinal County case records search is to write to the clerk of court or administrator's office. However, this method comes with associated costs, as the office will need to return copies of the desired record to the requester. For example, the Clerk of the Pinal County Superior Court provides a Request for Court Records Form that individuals can complete and submit electronically. Generally, it costs 50 cents per page to order copies of any superior court case record. Other applicable costs, as well as the mailing address for submission (if preferred), can be found on the clerk's Request Copies of Court Records page.
Finally, members of the public can access the Arizona Public Access to Court Information website to research cases filed in the superior, justice, and municipal courts in Pinal County. The website has a Case Search and Document Search (eAccess) feature. The former is accessible by answering the reCAPTCHA on the homepage and clicking "Submit". Court cases can be searched by name or case number.
However, eAccess provides only criminal and civil court documents from the superior courts, including the Pinal County Superior Court. Also, unlike the Arizona Case Search platform, eAccess is not free and requires a $10 per document fee or monthly subscription.
Persons requiring information about a court date in the Pinal County Superior Court (including the judge's name and time of hearing) can access the clerk's Court Date Finder. The portal is searchable with a party's last name or case number.
Pinal County Civil Court Case Records
Pinal County civil court case records include all filings and documents from civil cases litigated locally. The custodian of these records is the clerk of the court or court administrator's office. Thus, anyone seeking civil case records can visit or mail the applicable court clerk's office (where the complaint or claim was originally filed).
Another viable option for obtaining civil court case records is to search the Arizona Supreme Court's Public Access to Court Information portal, as described previously.
The relevant court administrator's office can be contacted for case record inquiries, including how to find court records in person.
Pinal County Criminal Court Case Records
Criminal court case records are the official records of legal proceedings that occurred in a criminal court. In Pinal County, criminal cases are heard in the superior, justice, and municipal courts. Per the law (A.R.S. §§ 22-124, 22-428, and 12-282), the county criminal courts keep records of proceedings, primarily through their clerk or administrator's offices.
As such, individuals looking for Pinal County criminal records should contact, visit, or write to the applicable custodian's office, depending on the custodian's prescribed request methods. The Arizona Supreme Court's Public Access to Court Information portal is also a handy resource for retrieving criminal case records.
How to Get Court Records Online for Free
Anyone can obtain some details in Pinal County's court records for free through the Arizona Courts' Public Access to Court Information portal. However, they cannot access (print or download) documents generated in criminal or civil cases without payment. Further, only documents generated in superior court cases can be purchased through the courts' portal.
Interestingly, several third-party websites provide case information online for free to the public. Similarly, a user may have to pay to access comprehensive records.
Courts in Pinal County, Arizona
Pinal County Superior Court
971 N Jason Lopez Circle
Building A
Florence, AZ 85132
Phone: (520) 866-5400
Pinal County Justice Courts
Pioneer Justice Court
3675 East Hunt Highway
San Tan Valley, AZ 85143
Phone: (480) 380-7312
Fax: (850) 866-8051
Casa Grande Justice Court
820 East Cottonwood Lane
County Complex
Casa Grande, AZ 85122
Phone: (520) 866-7475
Central Pinal Justice Court
119 West Central Avenue
Coolidge, AZ 85128
Phone: (520) 866-7900
Fax: (520) 866-7910
Western Pinal Justice Court
19955 North Wilson Avenue
Maricopa, AZ 85132
Phone: (520) 866-3999
Copper Corridor Justice Court - Main Courthouse
60 East Main Street
Superior, AZ 85173
Phone: (520) 866-7475
Fax: (520) 866-6769
Copper Corridor Justice Court - Satellite Address
1470 North Justice Drive
Oracle, AZ 85623
Phone: (520) 866-9250
Fax: (520) 866-7812
Apache Junction Justice Court
575 North Idaho Road
Apache Junction, AZ 85119
Phone: (480) 982-2921
Fax: (850) 866-6153
Municipal Courts (City or Magistrate Courts) in Pinal County
Apache Junction Municipal Court
300 East Superstition Boulevard
Apache Junction, AZ 85119
Phone: (480) 982-8250
Fax: (480) 982-4496
Florence Municipal Court
775 North Main Street
P.O. Box 2670
Florence, AZ 85132
Phone: (520) 868-7514
Fax: (520) 868-7501
Kearny Magistrate Court
355 Alden Road
Kearny, AZ 85137
Phone: (520) 866-7821
Fax: (520) 363-9523
Casa Grande City Court
375 East 9th Street
Casa Grande, AZ 85122
Phone: (520) 421-8675
Coolidge Municipal Court
110 West Central Avenue
Coolidge, AZ 85128
Phone: (520) 723-6031
Fax: (520) 723-6067
Eloy Municipal Court
801 North Main Street
Eloy, AZ 85131
Phone: (520) 466-3913
Fax: (520) 466-0794
Mammoth Magistrate Court
116 Catalina
Mammoth, AZ 85618
Phone: (520) 487-2262
Maricopa Municipal Court
39700 West Civic Center Plaza
Maricopa, AZ 85138
Phone: (520) 494-2300
