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Tompkins County, New York State Court Records

Tompkins County court records are case files, notes, memos, dockets, papers, and sheets produced by court staff to record court proceedings and document court judgments. The purpose of creating records is to ensure that key information about court cases in the county is preserved for use as evidence in legal disputes, as a reference for legal researchers, and as a record-keeping tool. Tompkins County court records are maintained by the court clerks as mandated by New York judicial statutes.

Apart from court documents, which are generated within the courts, some records from other government agencies become court records when they are used in a court case. For example, arrest records and reports used as evidence in a criminal case become court records when they are added to the court's in-house database. Similarly, vital records, such as birth certificates obtained from the local vital health office in Tompkins County, become court records when admitted in a probate case.

Are Tompkins County Court Records Public?

Yes, Tompkins County court records are public records according to the New York Freedom of Information Law and Part 124 of the New York Unified Court Portal. According to these laws, court records are designated as public records unless they are specifically exempt from public access by a state statute or court order. Some examples of Tompkins County court records that are exempt from public disclosure include

  • Juvenile court records
  • Financial probate court records
  • Court records that reveal medical information
  • Civil court records that reveal business trade secrets

What Information is Available in Tompkins County Court Records?

Every court record created in Tompkins County is unique in the information they contain. However, records from the same department within the court follow the same theme and have similar categories of labelled data. Some of the information contained in these records is as follows:

  • Names of parties in the case( plaintiff, defendant, attorney or business)
  • Case title
  • Case number
  • Charges against defendant(for criminal case records)
  • Scheduled hearing dates
  • Case type
  • Name of presiding judge
  • Motions, pleas and court orders
  • Fines and payments made by parties
  • Date the case was filed

Tompkins County Court Records Search

Anyone looking to access Tompkins County court records has three main options through the Tompkins County court clerk's office. The request record request options are as follows:

Online Access

People looking to access Tompkins County court records online can search the Tompkins County web portal. The online portal can be used to search for civil court records for free. However, felony filings in Tompkins County are not publicly available online through the portal. The portal is a free-to-use tool that allows users to look up court records by providing the name of a key party or business in civil cases. A search takes only a few seconds to complete, and users must then filter results for similar names using other information, such as case type and filing dates. Portal users can then download documents or send them to their email.

In-Person Access

Any person who wants to obtain copies of Tompkins County court records in person should visit the Tompkins County Clerk's Office, located in the county courthouse. Individuals can submit an in-person request for court records by providing the information they need on a records request form. Record seekers may view the images of papers filed from 2002 to the present by using the free public viewing terminals at the clerk's office. The office staff at the Requisitions Counter, located in the clerks' office lobby, can also provide certified copies upon request. If someone is looking for a document from a case that started before 2002, staff members can order it from our off-site archive facility and let them know when it will be delivered.

Mail and Phone Requests

While the Thompson County Clerk's Office does not send copies of whole court files via mail, the office will accept requests for individual legal records. Mail requests can be completed by submitting a letter requesting an unsealed legal record that includes as much information as feasible about the following: index or file number, the name of the particular document the requester is looking for (such as "a judgment"), the names of the parties involved in the action, and the date the record was filed. Mail requests should be to the following address:

Tompkins County Courthouse

320 N. Tioga St.

Ithaca, NY

14850


Fees for Court Records in Tompkins County

As per New York's public records laws, court records should be obtained at no cost. However, the county court clerk's office in Tompkins County may charge a fee for searching, processing, and preparing court documents. The following are some of the associated costs for requesting court records in Tompkins County.

  • Search court records per name - $5 for a two-year range and $20 for a seven-year range.
  • Per Page $0.65
  • File Transcript of Judgment $10.00
  • Issue Transcript/Certificate of Disposition $5.00
  • To Certify $5.00 per document
  • Clerk's Certificate: $10 for each document issued and signed by a clerk in Tompkins County regarding marriage, birth, or death

Tompkins County Courthouse Locations

The court system in Tompkins County consists of 5 types of courts, located in 16 locations throughout the county. The types of courts include the Supreme Court, the County Court, the Family Court, the Surrogate Court and the town/village court. The Supreme Court serves as Tompkins County's main supervisory court, with superior jurisdiction over all other courts in the county. Below are the locations of the different courts in Tompkins County.

Supreme Courts in Tompkins County

Tompkins County Supreme Court

320 North Tioga Street, PO Box 70, Ithaca, NY 14851

Phone: 607-216-6610

Fax: 212-401-9071

County Courts in Tompkins County

Tompkins County Court

320 North Tioga Street,

PO Box 70, Ithaca, NY 14851

Phone: 607-216-6610

Fax: 212-401-9071

Tompkins County Family Court

320 North Tioga Street, PO Box 70, Ithaca, NY 14851

Phone: 607-216-6640

Fax: 607-457-2951

Surrogate's Courts in Tompkins County

Tompkins County Surrogate's Court

320 North Tioga Street, PO Box 70, Ithaca, NY 14851

Phone: 607-216-6655

Fax: 212-457-2952

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City Courts in Tompkins County

Ithaca City Court

118 East Clinton Street, Ithaca, NY 14850

Phone: 607-216-6660

Fax: 607-240-5821

Town Courts and Village Courts in Tompkins County

Caroline Town Court

2668 Slaterville Road, PO Box 121, Slaterville Springs, NY 14881

Phone: 607-539-7796

Fax: 607-539-7796

Cayuga Heights Village Court

836 Hanshaw Road, Ithaca, NY 14850

Phone: 607-257-3944

Fax: 607-257-8615

Danby Town Court

1830 Danby Road, Ithaca, NY 14850

Phone: 607-277-0095

Fax: 607-277-0031

Dryden Town Court

93 East Main Street, Dryden, NY 13053

Phone: 607-844-8888 ext. 1

Fax: 607-844-9358

Enfield Town Court

Enfield Community Building

182 Enfield Main Road, Ithaca, NY 14850

Phone: 607-272-0529

Freeville Village Court

5 Factory Street, PO Box 288, Freeville, NY 13068

Phone: 607-844-8470

Fax: 607-844-4971

Groton Town Court

Town Hall

101 Conger Boulevard, PO Box 5, Groton, NY 13073

Phone: 607-898-3711

Fax: 607-898-5798

Ithaca Town Court

215 North Tioga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850

Phone: 607-273-0493

Fax: 607-275-0728

Lansing Town Court

29 Auburn Road, PO Box 186, Lansing, NY 14882

Phone: 607-533-4776

Fax: 607-533-3667

Newfield Town Court

166 Main Street, Newfield, NY 14867

Phone: 607-564-9982

Fax: 607-564-7404

Ulysses Town Court

10 Elm Street, Trumansburg, NY 14886

Phone: 607-387-5411

Fax: 607-387-3728

Criminal Records Access in Tompkins County

Tompkins County criminal records are referred to as New York rap sheets because they show a person's criminal history, including arrests, convictions, parole, and indictments issued by both county and state law enforcement. Criminal records in Tompkins County are created, maintained, and can be requested from the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office and the criminal records division of the Tompkins County Court Clerk's office. These records can be requested by visiting the county offices to submit a formal request in person or by mail. However, county sources do not provide a comprehensive criminal record because they omit information about criminal offences that occurred outside the county but within New York State.

A complete criminal record can be accessed either through the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) or the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA). Requests for criminal records through the OCA can be made using the agency's online direct-line portal. The online request method requires an individual to create an account and initiate a search by the subject's name. Alternatively, requests can be completed by downloading the OCA's criminal record request form and submitting it by mail to:

NYS Office of Court Administration

Division of Technology and Court Research

Criminal History Record Search Unit

25 Beaver Street (Room 940)

New York, NY 10004

The cost of a criminal history record search (CHRS) through the OCA is $95.00.which, depending on the mode of payment, might be paid by money order, check, or credit card.

Criminal record requests from the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) are done through local law enforcement offices in Tompkins County. Requesters will be required to complete a records request form and submit their fingerprints at the offices. The form and fingerprint will then be sent to the DCJS office. Record requests are completed within the following working day after they are received, and the search results can be sent to the requester via mail or email.

Tompkins County Probate Records

Tompkins County probate records are documents created within the Tompkins County Surrogate Court. The Tompkins County Surrogate's Court handles matters related to the affairs of the deceased, such as estate administration and probate of wills. The court also resolves adoption actions and guardianships.

Tompkins County Family Court Records

The Tompkins County Family Court is a specialised stand-alone court that deals with legal matters involving children and families, such as adoption, guardianship, approval and review of foster care, juvenile delinquency, family violence, child abuse and neglect, and child support, custody, and visitation. Records from the family court in Tompkins County are public records under New York's public records law unless exempt from access under any other statute. However, many family court records are exempt because they typically contain private and sensitive information.

Anyone seeking Tompkins County Family Court records should visit the county clerk's office. Requesters will need a valid ID to show they are eligible to obtain records, and may also need a supporting vital record to show that they are connected to the case from which they are seeking the records. It is also important that requesters call to inquire about the public access status of family court documents.

Federal Court Records in Tompkins County

Federal records are court documents drawn from federal court cases. These cases arise from federal prosecutions and civil disputes, such as tax fraud and interstate drug trafficking. The New York Northern District Court handles federal cases in Tompkins County. The district court has four locations and serves 32 additional neighbouring counties.

Individuals who want to search federal court records in Tompkins County can do so online through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system. The PACER portal can be searched using the federal case number and the name of the main subject in the federal case. The portal is a pay-per-search process. Users will need to pay $30.00 for each name searched plus $0.10 for each page of each electronically supplied document, up to a maximum of five documents.

Tompkins County Court