Lake County Court Records
Lake County court records refer to all case files, records, and materials created, maintained, or compiled by the court in relation to civil or criminal proceedings. This includes but is not limited to registers of actions, court filings, court orders, court exhibits, court minutes, indexes, copies of criminal history information, court progress and status reports, and court history summaries.
Personnel records, judicial work product, judicial staff work product, memoranda of drafts, internal mail, and appellate case assignments are not considered court records. The accuracy of court records makes them highly valuable, especially in cases where there is a dispute over what was said in court or what evidence was presented.
Court records can also be used to establish legal precedence and as evidence in future legal proceedings. According to Florida State statutes, records maintained by government agencies at different levels must be made available for inspection and copying by any person. In Lake County, the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's office is responsible for creating, maintaining, and compiling all court records.
Are Court Records Public in Lake County?
Yes. Pursuant to the Florida Sunshine Laws, records maintained by all public offices and establishments – including that of law courts – must be regarded as public records. Consequently, government-operated agencies are required to provide a means for members of the public to access these records.
Court records are sometimes withheld from public disclosure or parts of the document(s), redacted. This is usually the case for documents that reveal sensitive information such as the identities of crime victims or juvenile offenders. Court records may also be sealed for security reasons such as when an informant or witness is being protected.
More commonly, court records are sealed if the information they contain is classified as confidential by state or federal statute, court order, administrative rule, or court rule. Notwithstanding, sealed records remain accessible to law enforcement agencies and parties to the case.
Where to Conduct a Lake County Case Lookup
The Office of the Lake County Clerk of Circuit Court maintains a repository of all court records generated in the county. The office also makes them available for inspection either:
- In person at the courthouse
- Online via its official website.
Interested persons may make copies of court records of interest at no cost, except the cost of reproduction. They can request copies of court records via mail, in-person, or email. Under Florida State law, email addresses are public records. Persons who do not want their emails disclosed in response to a public records request may contact the clerk's office in writing or by phone.
For country-wide court record searches, people may use the PACER platform (for Federal court cases). The clerk's office furnishes visitors at the courthouse with information on how to find court records on a person and also provides necessary assistance through the search process.
How to Conduct a Lake County Case Records Search
To conduct a Lake County records search visit the Lake County Courthouse during official business hours and give the court clerk the case number or other identifying information about the case of interest. The office of the court clerk is located on the first floor of the courthouse building and is open Monday through Friday, with the exception of public holidays. The courthouse's physical address is:
Lake County Courthouse (CH)
550 West Main Street
1st Floor
Tavares, FL 32778.
You may also call the clerk's office at (352) 742-4100 prior to your visit for guidance. Alternatively, persons can find any court case of interest by using the clerk's website. The site features a tool through which people can search for records. To conduct a search on the site a person is typically required to provide information about the case such as the case number, citation number, or the name of any of the parties involved in the case.
Keep in mind that certified copies of records are only obtainable in person at the courthouse. Additionally, the clerk's website acknowledges the possibility of errors in the information provided on its site. As such, it is best to inspect records physically at the courthouse. A person can also fill out and submit a public records request form to access the needed records.
Lake County Civil Court Case Records
Civil court cases are legal disputes between two parties regarding legal duties and obligations they owe one another. Proceedings involving cases of this nature lead to the creation of civil court cases. The clerk of the Lake County Circuit Court maintains all civil court case records and makes them available for public inspection.
Also, members of the public are allowed to reproduce these records. To obtain civil court case records, a person may visit the physical courthouse location where the case was filed and request the records. They can also obtain the records online. Whichever method they choose, a searcher has to provide identifying information about the case in order to find them.
Lake County Criminal Court Case Records
A criminal court case takes place when a person is alleged to have violated a criminal law and is considered an offense against the state. Criminal court case records are documents generated, compiled, and maintained during proceedings related to such cases. The Lake County Circuit Court clerk is the recognized custodian of all criminal court case records within the county's jurisdiction.
Interested persons can obtain case records online or in person at the court clerk's office. Since most online lookup tools show limited information, anyone who is not satisfied with their online search should visit the courthouse or contact the office of the Circuit Court clerk.
How to Get Court Records Online for Free
The search tool provided on the website of the Lake County Clerk of Circuit Court offers free court record searches. Additionally, it is more reliable since it gets updated daily. Alternatively, interested persons may obtain court records online via a range of third-party websites provided by private owners. However, many of these sites usually demand a fee before a user can view certain categories of information.
Courts in Lake County
There are several courthouses in Lake County and each courthouse has jurisdiction over a specific geographic area and they each offer specific services.
Services rendered by the different courts in the county are courts, traffic, administration, recording of documents, issuance of passports (strictly on appointment) and marriage certificates, document recording, records management, etc.
The courthouses located within the county include:
Lake County Courthouse
550 West Main Street
Tavares, FL
Phone: (352) 742-4100
South Lake County Courthouse
290 Citrus Tower Boulevard
Suite 116
Clermont, FL 34711
Phone: (352) 253-4589
North Lake County Courthouse
902 Avenida Central
The Villages of Lady Lake, FL
