Tempe Criminal Records

Tempe criminal court records split between two court systems. Charge severity determines which court hears your case. All felony cases from Tempe go to Maricopa County Superior Court. Misdemeanor charges stay at Tempe Municipal Court. Traffic violations get processed locally too. City ordinance violations come to municipal court as well. Tempe Municipal Court charges a 17 dollar research fee for records which covers the staff time needed to locate and pull files for copying. You can search criminal case info through online case status portals or visit courthouses in person during regular business hours to inspect files and request copies.

Felony Court Records

Maricopa County Superior Court handles all felony cases from Tempe. The Clerk keeps records at 601 West Jackson Street in Phoenix. Call 602-372-5375 for general info. Email PublicRecords@jbazmc.maricopa.gov with requests. The Superior Court Docket portal offers free felony case searches online where you can type in names or case numbers and see results that show case status, docket entries, and hearing dates.

Document copies come through eAccess at ten dollars per document. The Clerk's office takes requests too. Paper copies cost 50 cents per page there. Certified copies run 35 dollars per document plus page fees if the document spans multiple pages. Personal checks do not work. You must pay by money order, debit card, credit card, or cash if visiting in person at the courthouse.

Tempe Municipal Court Records

Tempe Municipal Court sits at 140 East Fifth Street. Call 480-350-8271 for info. Email court-web@tempe.gov with questions. Visit tempe.gov/government/city-court for the court website. Misdemeanor criminal charges get heard here. Traffic violations come to this court. City ordinance violations get processed locally too. Felonies never appear on the municipal court docket since they must go to Superior Court. The court opens Monday through Friday. Counter service runs during business hours for people who need help or want to file documents.

DUI charges make up a large portion of criminal cases. Retail theft allegations come through often. Shoplifting cases get filed regularly. Assault and battery charges appear when fights happen. Domestic violence misdemeanors fill the docket in Tempe since the city has many residents and domestic incidents occur frequently enough to create steady caseloads. Possession of marijuana or drugs brings people to court when the amount is small enough to qualify as a misdemeanor instead of a felony distribution charge. Disorderly conduct citations get issued downtown. Criminal trespass charges come when people refuse to leave private property. Speeding tickets are the most common traffic violation by far. Red light camera citations generate many cases since Tempe uses automated enforcement at busy intersections throughout the city. Driving without insurance gets charged often during traffic stops. Suspended or revoked license charges appear when officers run license checks and discover problems with driving privileges. Reckless driving allegations come from dangerous behavior on the road. Tempe city code violations bring people to court for issues like noise complaints, property maintenance problems, and other local ordinance matters that require judicial resolution.

Check case status at courtcaseinfo.tempe.gov for free. Search by case number or party name. Case info appears in results. Court dates show up too. You can view basic info online at no cost. Documents like court filings and minute entries need separate requests though since the online portal only provides summary information and status updates rather than actual filed paperwork. Orders from judges require clerk requests with the 17 dollar minimum research fee per request to cover staff time.

Electronic records exist for recent cases. Archived paper files hold older matters in storage. Most files sit readily accessible at the courthouse in filing systems. Very old cases may need extra retrieval time from deep storage or off-site facilities. Submit records requests in person, by mail, or through online forms on the court website. Include the defendant name in all requests. Add the case number if you know it since that speeds up the search process significantly. Date of offense or citation helps too when case numbers are unknown. Contact details let staff reach you with questions or when records are ready for pickup. The 17 dollar research fee covers staff time for locating files and pulling them from the system. Copy fees add 50 cents per page to your total cost. Certified copies cost more than regular copies due to the extra certification process. Cash works for payment. Checks are accepted. Credit cards and debit cards both work at the court counter and for online payments.

Getting Court Records

Felony records come from Superior Court. Use the free docket search online first to find case numbers and status info. Visit 601 West Jackson Street in Phoenix for copies. Regional offices work too if they are closer to you. Email PublicRecords@jbazmc.maricopa.gov with request details including which documents you need and case numbers to speed up processing. Mail requests take several days usually based on volume at the court and how complex your request is with multiple cases or large files taking longer than simple single-document requests.

Misdemeanor records come from Municipal Court at 140 East Fifth Street. Call 480-350-8271 with questions. Email court-web@tempe.gov for general info. Use courtcaseinfo.tempe.gov to check case status online for free before you pay for copies. Visit in person during court hours. Submit written requests for documents and copies when you cannot visit. Expect the 17 dollar research fee per case. Copy costs add up based on page count at 50 cents per page.

Legal assistance exists through multiple organizations in Tempe. Community Legal Services helps qualifying individuals with free legal representation when they meet income guidelines. The State Bar of Arizona provides lawyer referral services to connect you with attorneys who handle criminal cases. The court offers self-help resources too including forms you can download from the website or pick up at the courthouse self-service center which also has procedural guides explaining how to navigate the court system without a lawyer.

Nearby Cities

Other cities in Maricopa County have separate Municipal Courts for misdemeanors.