Placer County Superior Court Case Search

The Placer County Superior Court records comprise files and documents related to cases previously listed on the Court’s docket. Court dockets typically provide details on pending cases; once cases are resolved, they are removed from the active docket but are preserved as official court records by the court clerk. These records often include essential details related to concluded court cases, including:

• Notices setting hearings
• Interim rulings
• The statement of decision or final judgment
• Transcript

According to the Local Court Rules, the court clerk may create, maintain, and preserve the court record in any format and make it available only for public inspection. These records are essential for legal research and public access to court proceedings.

What Kinds of Cases Are Heard in the Placer Superior Court?

The Superior Court is responsible for interpreting and applying the law in criminal cases, such as felonies, misdemeanors, and infractions, as well as civil cases, including monetary compensation, property claims, and rights protection. The judges also adjudicate domestic disputes, such as divorce, legal separation, child custody, paternity issues, and domestic violence or abuse.

Given its enormous caseload and the complexities of some of the cases, the Superior Court is divided into multiple divisions. These include the Civil, Criminal, Family, Juvenile, Probate, and Traffic Divisions. Other cases handled by the Court include Landlord/Tenant disputes, Harassment, Probate, Workplace Violence, Elder Abuse, and Name Changes.

Placer County Superior Court

Understanding the structure of the Placer County Superior Court is essential. The Court is a trial court with broad jurisdiction to hear and decide a wide variety of criminal and civil disputes. Judges are responsible for resolving civil disputes, while they typically solicit the opinion of a jury to decide criminal cases.

Civil cases are distinguished and handled based on the amount in controversy. Cases with claims not exceeding $35,000 are categorized as limited cases and unlimited when the claims exceed this amount. If the damages claimed are $6,500 or less, they fall under the category of small claims.

The Superior Court serves as the primary avenue for free and fair dispute resolution.

Hon. Howard G. Gibson Courthouse (Main Courthouse)
Departments 30 - 44
10820 Justice Center Drive
Roseville, CA 95678
(916) 408-6000

Historic Courthouse
Departments 1-6
101 Maple Street
Auburn, CA 95603
(916) 408-6000

Superior Court Juvenile Courthouse
Departments 12
11270 B Avenue
Auburn, CA 95603
(530) 745-2100

Superior Court Tahoe Courthouse
Departments 14
2501 N. Lake Blvd
Tahoe City, CA 96145
(530) 584-3460

Placer County Case Lookup

The Local Court Rules allow the court clerk to maintain records in any form. However, these records are typically maintained in document and digital format, with separate means of accessing each.

Walk-in

Case documents of the Placer County Superior Court can be accessed at the courthouse where the matter was heard. Individuals can visit the courthouse to request records at the counter. They may be asked to present a government-recognized ID (e.g. driver's license) before viewing the requested file.
Some files may not be immediately accessible because they are preserved in a storage facility outside the courthouse premises or still on the calendar.

When requested, these files need to be brought in and made available for inspection, which typically takes three weeks. As such, individuals are advised to phone the Court first before visiting. In addition, certain records may not be available for viewing because they are deemed confidential by statute, regulations, or court order, which prohibits public disclosure.
There is a limit to the number of each file type a requester is allowed to view at a time:

• Appeals: 5 files
• Civil/Family Law/Probate: 5 files; 50 if in chronological order
• Criminal: 5 files
• Small Claims: 5 files; 50 if in chronological order
• Traffic: 5 files

According to the Local Court Rules, individuals may use their phones to take pictures of the documents if they have obtained permission from the clerk. However, if they wish to receive physical copies, they have a few options:

• The clerk can copy up to 25 pages while they wait. If a lot of pages are requested, the court clerk typically schedules an appointment (usually within two weeks). Requesters are advised to call before visiting to confirm the copies are ready.
• They can make an appointment in advance to copy the documents with their own copier or by using a bonded copy service. The clerk typically schedules these appointments within a reasonable time, say two weeks, but this is not a guarantee.
• Individuals can complete and mail this request form to the Court — include a self-addressed stamped envelope so that the Court can return copies.

Note: Copies of both criminal and civil records cannot be made in the same letter. A separate request must be made for each.

Court reporter transcripts are exempt from copying. If an individual must obtain them, they should contact (916) 408-6153 or use the online request form. Record Seekers are charged for research and copying according to the current Placer Uniform Fee Schedule. The fees are paid at the time of copying.

Online

Instead of having to go to the courthouse, researchers can pull up Criminal, Civil, Traffic, and Family Law records electronically through the online portal. To do this:

• Visit the Placer County Superior Court website
• Click on "Online Services" at the top of the page to open the drop-down menu.
• Select Online Portal
• Navigate to Portal Access and click on "Go to the Online Portal".
• Accept the terms
• Click on Search for a Case
• Search by entering the last name and first name, company name, case number, or date filed.
• Click on the search button below the search field to query the database.

It is important to note that records retrieved online are not immune to errors. The Court makes no guarantee that they are fit for purpose.

Placer Superior Court Case Search by Name

Having the case number is crucial for performing a search for Placer County Superior Court records. Researchers can look up this case number on the Online Portal or by using public access terminals at the Honorable Howard Gibson Courthouse.

They often also need to give this detail to the court clerk seeking the record on their behalf. Researchers wishing to obtain court records but who do not have the case number can search by name. However, name searches taking longer than 10 minutes incur a $15 charge per name. Furthermore, copies obtained are subject to the Statewide Fee Schedule.

Placer Superior Court Docket Search

Also known as Calendars, the Placer County Superior Court docket is an online logbook that updates in real-time to reflect the status of court cases, including the series of events that have occured, such as pleadings filed, exhibits tendered, and the judge's rulings on certain issues. They are similar to court records, except they relate to unconcluded court cases. Consequently, if a matter is still on the calendar, it will not be available as a record.

The Court docket also relates to the general schedule of the court, providing information on when cases were last heard and when they are scheduled for hearing. The Placer County Superior Court docket is available online via the Court’s website:

• Visit the website and click on Online Services
• Click on Court Calendars to view the weekly updated calendar provided in pdf.

Lookup Placer County Superior Court Online

The Placer County Superior records are accessible online via the Court’s Online Portal or by using public access terminals at the Honorable Howard Gibson Courthouse. These records can also be accessed via third-party sites like Californiacourtrecords.us. Although these websites are typically straightforward and friendly to use, because they are not the originators, they cannot guarantee their reliability or accuracy. As such, users are urged to compare the information received with other official paperwork for accuracy purposes.

Supreme Court vs. Superior Court

The Placer County Superior Court serves as a trial court with jurisdiction over a wide range of criminal and civil disputes. If a party wishes to challenge the decisions of this court, they must appeal to the California Courts of Appeal. Further appeals from the Courts of Appeal go to the Supreme Court of California—the state’s highest court and final court of appeal.

The Supreme Court has exclusive authority to review cases involving capital offenses. It has discretionary appellate jurisdiction to review cases decided by the Courts of Appeal. This allows it to determine important constitutional and legislative issues of the law. However, its authority is confined to matters of state law and the California State Constitution. It does not have jurisdiction over federal law matters or issues concerning the interpretation of the Constitution of the United States. Those issues fall within the scope of the US Supreme Court’s authority.