Spokane County Superior Court Case Search

The Spokane County Superior Court is an important part of the county’s judicial system. It hears many cases and legal matters that directly impact residents' lives as they cover serious crimes and major civil disputes.

Superior Court cases are usually maintained in court archives and can be searched for various purposes, such as research, promoting judicial transparency, and better legal representation. The public can access this court’s cases by providing a records request that includes details of the case of interest, such as the case names, case numbers, or the filing date. Requesters can also use the Spokane County Court Viewer to search for court dates and case information.

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

Superior Courts handle cases from various legal matters due to their general civil and criminal jurisdiction. This court can handle the following cases:

• Major Civil Cases: The Superior Court handles civil matters involving significant property claims, financial claims, and personal injury. Civil cases generally involve disputes or disagreements between individuals, businesses, or government entities.
• Criminal Cases: Criminal cases handled by the Superior Court include felony charges. Such charges include murder, armed robbery, rape, and more.
• Probate Proceedings: Probate proceedings include court hearings instituted for the administration of estates and Wills. This court division also handles cases of conservatorships and guardianships.
• Family Law Cases: Family law matters involving divorce, child custody, adoption, domestic violence cases, judicial separation, and child support cases.
• Juvenile Cases: Juvenile cases involve matters of delinquency and dependency. This court division focuses on cases involving minors and protects their identities.
• Mental Health Cases: Mental health matters are handled by a special court for crimes committed involuntarily due to mental health challenges. This court focuses on the rehabilitation and treatment of such individuals.

Spokane County Superior Court also has Therapeutic Courts for specific cases of drugs or substance abuse within the legal system.

Spokane County Superior Court

Spokane County Superior Court is the main trial court responsible for handling most of the county’s civil and criminal cases firsthand. This court provides county locals with the most convenient and accessible forum for resolving legal issues and enforcing their rights.

The Superior Court has wide jurisdiction over family law matters, probate matters, criminal matters, and major civil disputes in the county. This court handles cases through court trials, which involve fact-finding to determine liability in a case. The parties argue their positions, call witnesses to testify, and present evidence that the jury will deliberate on in jury trials while a judge gives the final judgment. This court also handles appeals from lower courts of limited jurisdiction, such as the District Courts and Municipal Courts.

Spokane County Superior Court
1116 W Broadway Avenue
3rd Floor Annex, Room 300
Spokane, Washington 99260
(509) 477-2211

Spokane County Superior Court - Juvenile
902 N Adams Street
Spokane, Washington 99260
(509) 477-4742 - Phone
(509) 477-2699 - Fax

Spokane County Case Lookup

A county-wide case search refers to searching court archives that contain all legal documents and processes in a county. This type of search will provide access to case records from all court divisions within the county.

Online searches

The Spokane County Court Viewer is an online search tool for accessing Spokane County case records. This website provides access to case information within the county for criminal, civil, probate, and family law matters. You are not required to create an account or register, nor will you have to pay to use this website. Online access to case records may be limited by delayed uploading of case documents or the unavailability of restricted records, such as juvenile records.

Walk-in searches

Walk-in searches involve using physical records requests to access case information. You will submit your request at the county courthouse between 8:30 am to 4 pm. When making requests, you must provide details to determine if you can access such records. If sensitive or restricted case information is requested, you may have to provide a valid ID to the clerk’s office.

There are public computer terminals at the courthouse and the courthouse’s law library where you can view civil court records. The clerk’s office may not charge for searching the archives, but there is a fee schedule for obtaining case documents, which stipulates $5 for the first page of certified copies and $1 for subsequent pages. Non-certified case documents will go from 25 cents for printed copies and 50 cents for microfilm copies. This fee can be paid in person at the clerk’s office during work hours or by a self-addressed stamped envelope in the mail.

Mail-in searches

Mail-in searches are conducted by sending a mail containing your records request the details of the case to the courthouse at:

1116 W Broadway Avenue,
#3, Spokane, Washington 99260.

Searchers can include details like the case number, names of parties, and hearing dates in the mail for a search. Due to the mailing procedures, the waiting period for mail-in requests can range between 5 and 15 days. Always use a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want a response from the clerk’s office.

Spokane Superior Court Case Search by Name

A name search is one of the most effective search parameters for looking up case information, as it can be used for mail-in or in-person requests. The public can also search Spokane County Superior Court case records online through the Spokane County Court Viewer website. This website uses the first and last name of the defendant for case records searches. When conducting name searches, ensure the names provided are spelled correctly. You can narrow down search results by including extra case information, such as the filing date or case number.

Spokane Superior Court Docket Search

A court docket refers to a chronological timeline of case events that includes rulings, filings, and court hearing schedules. Court dockets are important for helping parties to a case access court information for upcoming hearings. They also provide updates, which help keep up to date with cases. The public can submit records requests in person or through the mail to search court dockets. These requests will only be processed where they are submitted with some details of the case of interest. The County Court Viewer also provides a search link that contains court dates and case information.

Lookup Spokane County Superior Court Online

Spokane County Court records can be viewed online through the Spokane County Court Viewer or third-party websites such as Washingtoncourtrecords.us. These websites allow the public access to court records archives via internet and computer. Requesters can provide details like the parties’ names or case numbers to search for case information. Third-party websites provide less formal or bureaucratic access to court records but may not be as accurate as documents from the official website. Online access to court records will generally exclude documents or information that is sealed, redacted, or expunged by court orders.

Supreme Court vs. Superior Court

The Supreme Court of Washington is the state’s highest appellate court, which handles appeals from the Court of Appeals. This court handles cases on its interpretation of the state laws and the constitution. Thus, unlike the Spokane Superior Court, which is primarily a trial court, no trials are conducted at the Supreme Court.

The Superior Court has broad jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases. This court also has appellate jurisdiction over decisions from lower courts with limited jurisdiction, such as the Municipal Courts and District Courts. The US Supreme Court is the highest appellate court with nationwide jurisdiction, to which Washington Supreme Court cases can be appealed.