What are Nevada Court Records?
- Arrest Records
- Judgments
- Bankruptcies
- DUIs & DWIs
- Felonies
- Warrants
- Jail Records
- Lien Records
- Sex Offenses
- Misdemeanors
- Criminal Records
- Federal Dockets
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With 3.1 million people, Nevada is the thirty-second most populous state in the US. A state Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and trial courts - District Courts, Justice Courts, and Municipal Courts - make up the Nevada court system. These courts have varying degrees of authority - general or limited jurisdiction - and handle over a million cases yearly.
Court records are any official written or recorded documents related to a case, including hearings and trials, that can be used as evidence in court. Public access to Nevada court documents is available unless the courts seal them. Any court record in the state typically begins with a complaint in civil cases or an indictment in criminal cases. Usually, these court documents include the following details:
Briefs
These are written legal arguments that are presented to a court to help it decide on the legal issues raised by the case.
Court orders and judgments
Judges' decisions on motions are known as court orders, while the court's conclusion, including the winner and any associated sanctions, is known as a judgment.
Pleadings
These are written documents submitted to the court by an attorney. It is a formal filing of claims and denials of the other side's claims.
Evidence
Important facts and items, whether real or digital, that either side may use in court to bolster their case.
Dockets
A continuous list of the parties and actions conducted throughout a court proceeding. It includes all court-submitted documents in a numbered order, starting with the initial complaints and ending with the final judge's order.
Motion
This is an application submitted to the court by the prosecution or defense lawyer asking the court to rule on a particular matter before the commencement of a trial.
Transcripts
These are records that, in real-time by a transcriber or through an electronic recording of the events, specify exactly what was said and by whom.
Court minutes
These describe a trial, hearing, or other legal action's proceedings in detail, and are kept by the court clerk or another designated person. It acts as an official log of everything that happens during the process.
Case Documents/Data
These are a collection of documents related to a particular legal matter that might include case evidence.
Types of Court Cases
Court proceedings in Nevada fall into two categories: civil and criminal. The main difference between a civil and criminal case is that the former usually involves monetary restitution for damages, while the latter usually involves jail time if proven guilty. There are also different standards of proof required for both. A civil case involves two or more parties, with one side requesting restitution from or a court order against the other, while a criminal case involves someone being prosecuted by the government.
Civil Cases
The goal of civil litigation is to settle disagreements among residents. The absence of jail time or other serious rights violations is one of the main features of civil trials. Consequently, compared to criminal proceedings, the burden of proof, the amount of evidence required to support a claim, is much reduced.
The burden of proof for a civil case is the "preponderance of the evidence". This implies that the person with the strongest evidence would be favored by the jury or judge. A civil judgment does not require a unanimous verdict, which is attained when all jurors agree on the verdict and the case's outcome.
Particularly in cases when a criminal prosecution has failed, the goal of civil verdicts is to give the victor relief, restitution for damages, or a sense of justice. Penalties may include compensating parties, halting specific actions, or resolving the root cause of the dispute. Furthermore, there is no legal right to counsel in a civil action. Civil parties are required to retain their own attorneys or appear in court pro se.
Criminal Cases
Criminals who are suspected of committing crimes are charged by the state. A criminal case's primary goals are to deter future criminal activity and remove or rehabilitate offenders from society.
The local district attorney's office frequently brings the case against the defendant on behalf of the State. In criminal proceedings, defendants have the right to a jury of their peers. The jury is chosen by the court from a random sample of district inhabitants, and each juror is questioned to remove any potential bias. Defendants may also waive their rights to a jury in favor of a bench trial.
Unlike juries in civil trials, jurors in criminal proceedings must vote unanimously. This implies that they must all agree on the court case's verdict and conclusion. This necessity is due to the significantly greater potential repercussions in a criminal case. Jurors must therefore be absolutely certain that the inmate is "guilty beyond a reasonable doubt". If found guilty, the punishment may be probation, jail time, another kind of supervised release, or all of these.
If a fine is imposed, the money goes to the State rather than the person who was harmed. In certain cases, however, the judge might order the offender to compensate the victim for whatever damages the offense may have caused.
What Are the Different Courts in Nevada?
Nevada courts deal with a variety of cases, ranging from civil lawsuits and criminal misdemeanors to more serious crimes like murder and sexual assault. Several courts may handle matters following different procedures and norms to resolve conflicts and preserve social order.
Nevada's trial courts have both general and limited jurisdiction, together with the State Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. The judicial system in Nevada is composed of the following courts:
- Supreme Court
- Court of Appeals
- Trial courts
- District Courts
- Justice Courts
- Municipal Courts
Nevada Supreme Court
The highest court in the Nevada legal system is the Nevada Supreme Court. The Supreme Court reviews hears from the decisions of the district courts. The Supreme Court is headed by the Chief Justice, who takes on the role of the administrative head of the Nevada judiciary and the official public voice of the Supreme Court. This court determines whether or not there were legal mistakes in the lower court's decision. The court has the authority to uphold, alter, or reverse the appealed decision.
Nevada Court of Appeals
About one-third of all claims filed with the Nevada Supreme Court are heard by this special court under the deflective model, in which the Supreme Court refers cases to a three-judge Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals is headed by a chief judge, who oversees the administrative functions of the Court of Appeals and provides leadership to ensure timely and fair resolution of appeals. Before this modification, the Supreme Court considered appeals of all kinds, ranging from revocations of driver's licenses to murder convictions.
Nevada District Court
Nevada's general jurisdiction courts are divided into eleven judicial districts. The 17 counties of Nevada are served by these district courts. 82 District Court judges, who serve their elected county but have the authority to serve in any district court in the state, oversee the 11 Judicial Districts.
Nevada Justice Court
Small claims lawsuits, evictions, traffic infractions, misdemeanors, and other civil cases under $15,000 are all handled by the justice courts. They may also hold district court preliminary hearings. Judges of justice courts have the authority to preside over proceedings in community courts, which deal with misdemeanor criminal cases involving qualified defendants. They might also serve as the presider in misdemeanor offense-related specialty court cases.
Nevada Municipal Court
Municipal courts handle cases involving the violations of city ordinances and traffic. Community court sessions, which cover misdemeanor criminal proceedings for qualified defendants, may also be presided over by municipal court judges. They may also hear misdemeanor offense-related specialty court matters.
How Many Federal Courts Are In Nevada?
Nevada has one federal court known as the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. This court has offices in Las Vegas and Reno. Judges in this federal district court are appointed to their positions for life and are nominated by the president and confirmed by the US Senate. The court is headed by Chief US District Judge Andrew P. Gordon appointed by President Barack Obama in 2013. He is assisted by ten distinct judges and eight magistrate judges.
If you are looking for court records from this court, you can do so for free in person during regular business hours at the clerk's offices in Las Vegas and Reno. PACER, a web-based system that offers access to electronic federal case dockets and filings at a per-page price set by the Judicial Conference of the United States, is another way to access the court's documents online. By filling out the Copy and Service Request form on their website, you can send a written request to the clerk's office to look up a person or case in their records.
Appeals from this court are handled by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
How Many Court Cases Are Filed Each Year in Nevada?
In Nevada, trial courts deal with around 1,091,347 new cases every year.
- Domestic Relations Matters: In Nevada, there are more than 70,761 domestic relations cases filed each year.
- Juvenile Matters: The state's juvenile courts hear around 8,516 cases annually.
- Traffic Matters: 319,037 traffic-related cases were reported to the state.
- Civil Matters: In Nevada, roughly 180,274 civil lawsuits are filed annually.
- Criminal Matters: Every year, the state receives roughly 126,604 criminal cases
How Do I Look Up Court Cases in Nevada?
Nevada court records are available for the general public, including non-residents, to see and examine. To get access to court records, requesters may visit the court where the case was handled and submit a record request in person. They may also make this request via mail.
Those who want to look up court records can do so by using the Nevada Courts' Case Lookup Tool. This tool can be used to locate a court, a case, a document, a lawyer, and legal forms. Using case numbers and captions, which may include the name of a party to the lawsuit or the name of a business, the case lookup section enables a search of Nevada court records.
What Court Records Are Not Available to the Public in Nevada?
While many of Nevada's court records are available to the public, certain court records, such as those involving minors, child abuse, custody issues, mental health situations, or current criminal investigations, are not available to the public because of their nature.
The public is also restricted from accessing sealed or expunged records, records protected by court order, and confidential information such as social security number and financial details.
The judge may also be asked to seal the records of certain court participants. They must, however, give legitimate justifications, such as protecting their safety or concealing financial records.