Indian River County Public Records

Public records are supposed to be available to the public at any given time and regardless of the circumstances that they are being asked for. This is because public records are of such importance to the public welfare and to the general public that this policy must be enacted in order to not only inform the public of the contents of the same record but also to ensure transparency and the observance of governmental standards. Of all the documents that are part of the Indian River County Public Records, perhaps the most requested for type of document would have to be the court records.

Court records begin their life the moment that a case, whatever the nature of the same is, is filled before a tribunal. Initially, the record would contain only the names of the parties, the type of case, and the claims that either the complainant or the plaintiff would have against the defendant. Over the course of its admittedly long life, however, additional information would always be appended to the records so that by the time that the case is done, the record would be several inches thick with the minutes of the hearing, a summary of the procedures, the evidences presented, and, if already disposed of, the reason that it was disposed of the way that it was, among others.

The official custodian of public record would be the clerk of court, as mandated by Florida statute. The same statute had identified the primary duties of the clerk in regards to the court records, and those duties are to keep, maintain, and secure them. For this reason, while the clerk has to show the records to the public, the clerk also has the duty of keeping them within the four walls of the archives.

For this reason, a person who wishes to see the records should first look into the archives of the clerk of court. However, there is a procedure that one must first follow. First, the searcher should send a request letter to the clerk of court, detailing in the letter the request, and the reason behind the request, though this, again, could be anything, and other information. The last is where the person who wishes to see a specific record should place the specifics of the record. The same letter should contain an envelope with the address of the sender written on it so that the clerk could reply.

It usually takes anywhere between five to ten days for the clerk to reply, but when the return letter arrives, it would contain a date for when the sender could look into the records. Now for those who have requested specific records, at the time that they arrive at the clerk, the records requested for would already be waiting for them. For those who have not, then they are free to look into the records. A copy of the records would cost one dollar per page, plus two dollars for certification per document.

Another option to look into records would be to use the internet. Online search databases often contain more information than the records that could actually be found in the archives because these databases are often linked to other websites that provide other types of information. In addition, they are faster as it is done over the wire. They are also mostly free to use and easier to understand and use, with the searcher requiring only a computer, a reasonably fast internet connection, and a printer.

Florida Public Records

Comprehensive Public Court Records of Florida Counties