Pinal County occupies more than 5,000 square miles of land area in the central part of Arizona. According to the US Census Bureau, the county is home to over 400,000 residents. Pinal’s county seat is the Town of Florence.

Courts in Pinal County

The Pinal County Superior Court is a court of general jurisdiction. Being the county’s apex court, the Superior Court presides over all criminal and civil cases beyond other lower courts. It has exclusive jurisdiction over felony-related criminal proceedings in Pinal County. The court also handles misdemeanors involving not more than six months jail sentence or $2,500 penalties. County residents not satisfied with the rulings from other smaller courts may appeal to the Superior Court. The Superior Court in Pinal County also resolves civil cases such as marriage annulment, probate cases, financial disputes involving more than $10,000, and divorce. Pinal’s Superior Court has a Juvenile Division that presides over all legal matters related to minors.

Pinal County has six Justice Courts. These courts often handle domestic violence cases, misdemeanor offenses, search warrant applications, and felony pretrial hearings. Civil lawsuits heard at Justice Courts include monetary disputes of less than $10,000 and landlord-tenant disputes. Residents can file small claims disputes involving financial settlements of less than $3,500 at the Small Claims Division of the Justice Courts.

There are 9 Municipal Courts in Pinal County. These courts are set up by cities and municipalities to handle local ordinance violations and traffic offenses. Municipal Courts are also regarded as City or Magistrate Courts. City residents can get injunctions against harassment at Pinal County Municipal Courts.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Pinal County

Generally, the Arizona Judiciary provides access to all public court records online via the Public Access Case Lookup portal. To find court records online, requesters must provide the case numbers or names of involved parties. Record seekers can complete and submit the Request for Court Records Form to obtain court records maintained by the Clerk of Superior Court in Pinal County. Court records created at Justice and Municipal Courts are obtainable by visiting the court in person. Public court records in Pinal County usually contain the following information:

• Court transcripts
• Case dockets
• Plea bargains
• Evidence
• Jury lists
• Summons
• Motions and responses
• Verdicts and Sentencing

Types of Public Court Records in Pinal County

Pinal County court clerks typically maintain and disseminate the following public court records to requesters:

• Civil case files
• Criminal case files
• Probate files
• Domestic Relations case files
• Juvenile case files
• Guardianship/Conservatorship
• Marriage License files from 1875 to present

Confidential Court Records

Confidential court records in Pinal County are exempted from the Arizona Public Records Law. These records are not open to the public to avoid violating federal and state privacy rules. Here are some examples of Pinal County confidential records:

• Medical records
• Taxpayer information
• Child support records
• Domestic violence victim
• Adoption records
• Personal identifying information
• Social Security numbers
• Mental health records
• Financial information
• Court records sealed by record holders

Confidential court records are obtainable by record holders and their legal representatives. However, Pinal County courts may grant court orders allowing certain persons to view these records.

Juvenile Delinquency in Pinal, AZ

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Pinal County, juvenile delinquency offenses are on the rise. There are many reasons for the inflation in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Arizona often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of charges, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 1771 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Pinal County. Of that total, 89% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 1581 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of Pinal County, AZ

https://az.gov/

County Seat:	Florence
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1875
Total Square Miles:	5,374
2019 Population:	430,237
Persons/Square Mile:	0.01

Pinal County, AZ Courts