For all the relative publicity that court hearings and processes receives, it could not be denied that very few people actually know the proper procedure within a court. Hence, there is a need for a higher judicial authority to review the process, and for such a procedure to be effected, there must be a record that the higher judicial authority, whether another trial court or an appellate court, could refer to. These collections of records are known as court records. In Alachua County, Florida, these court records may be found amongst the collection of Alachua County Public Records.
Court records are often available to the public given that they are a matter of public record. These records often contain the name of the subject, the case number and case type including specifics if available, and the minutes of the day-to-day hearing that was conducted by the judge overseeing the case. It is possible that there may be other pertinent records contained within the file folder, such as final judicial disposition if there is already a final judicial disposition regarding the case.
As the county recorder, the Clerk of the Court has custody of all original public records within Alachua County. To obtain court records from the Clerk of the Court, a person has two options. The first would be to go to the Office of the Clerk of Court to obtain the records there and the second would be to conduct an online search using the online search database operated and maintained by the Office of the Clerk of Court.
The first option would require the person who desires a copy of the record to personally show up at the Office of the Clerk of Court located at the first floor of the Alachua County Family/Civil Justice Center in Gainesville, Florida. As all records are open, the Clerk of Court would have no authority to deny the searcher the opportunity to look into the ‘Official Records’. Given the sheer number of records available, however, it may take some time for the searcher to find the records that he or she would wish to see. It is important to note that while all records may be seen by the searcher, there is a fee if a copy of the same is desired. Copies of most records typically costs around a dollar per page.
The second option is more efficient as it would not require the searcher to travel all the way to the actual location of the office. The Clerk of Court has an online search database where most records are now contained. To use this website, one has to go to the address of the site. Once there, the searcher only has to fill in the details required for the search, note that not all blank spaces are required to be filled. Although more efficient, one must remember that the database is currently incomplete. In addition, it would take at least two business days for recently filed records to be available through the website. There is no charge for the use of the search database.
A more efficient method of searching for court records would be to use online resources. These online resources are typically available through specialized online search databases. In addition to the fact that most of them are free to use, most of these databases provide more information than just the court records, information that may or may not be of use to the searcher. As it is an online search, there is typically no need for the searcher to even leave the comforts of their home, all they need is a computer and a fairly stable internet connection.
Alachua County Court Records Public Access
The procedure to obtain records from the Clerk of Court of Alachua County is as follows
- Proceed to the Office of the Clerk of Court
- Inform the clerk of your desire to conduct a search of their records.
- You could either do the search yourself or you could request assistance from the clerk on duty.
- Once the records you want are obtained, peruse the information.
- Should a copy of the same be desired, inform the clerk who should make a copy of the records for you at a rate that is usually one dollar per page.
Alachua County Public Records Free Access
Other questions may be directed through the following links
Florida Public Records
Comprehensive Public Court Records of Florida Counties