Search Hinesville Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records in Hinesville are held by two courts. The Hinesville Municipal Court deals with city code cases, traffic tickets, and some misdemeanor crimes inside city limits. Felony charges and more serious criminal matters go to the Liberty County Superior Court, which sits in the Atlantic Judicial Circuit. Hinesville is the county seat of Liberty County, so both courts are close by. The municipal court is at 100 S. Main Street in downtown Hinesville. Public access to these records falls under the Georgia Open Records Act, which means most case files are available to anyone who asks.

Hinesville Municipal Court Records

The Hinesville Municipal Court handles cases that come from city law enforcement. This includes traffic stops, noise complaints, code violations, and misdemeanor crimes that take place inside city limits. The court does not handle felonies. Those go up to the county level.

You can reach the court at 100 S. Main Street, Hinesville, GA 31313. The phone number is (912) 876-3564. Walk-in requests for case info are taken during normal business hours. Bring a photo ID if you plan to visit. The clerk staff can look up cases by name or case number. They can print copies of case records on the spot.

Note: Hinesville Municipal Court records cover city-level offenses only. For felony cases or crimes outside city limits, contact the Liberty County Clerk of Superior Court.

Liberty County Criminal Court

All felony cases in Hinesville are filed through the Liberty County Superior Court. The Atlantic Judicial Circuit covers Liberty County along with several neighboring coastal counties. Drug charges, violent crimes, theft over a certain value, and other serious offenses all go through this court. The Liberty County Clerk of Superior Court keeps these records at the courthouse in Hinesville.

Since Hinesville is the county seat, you don't have to travel far. The county courthouse is also in downtown Hinesville. You can request criminal case files in person at the clerk's office. Staff can pull records by defendant name or case number. A valid ID helps speed things up. The clerk charges $0.10 per page for copies, which is the standard fee set by state law under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71.

Fort Stewart, one of the largest Army bases in the country, sits right next to Hinesville. This brings a large military population to the area. Criminal cases that happen on base fall under federal jurisdiction and won't show up in Liberty County court records. If you need records for an on-base incident, you would need to contact the military legal office instead.

The statewide E-Access to Court Records system can pull case data from Liberty County courts. You need a free account to search. The system shows charges, court dates, case status, and filing history. It pulls data from courts across the state, so you can search other counties too.

How to Search Hinesville Records

There are a few ways to look up criminal court records tied to Hinesville. The best option depends on what kind of record you need and how soon you need it.

The GSCCCA indexes court filings from all 159 counties in Georgia. You can search for Liberty County records through this tool. A basic account costs $14.95 per month. The GSCCCA also runs FANS, a free alert system that sends you a notice when new filings show up under a name you track.

For your own criminal history, you can get a Purpose Code U report. This pulls data from the Georgia Crime Information Center and shows arrests, charges, and case outcomes statewide. The GBI runs this database. You will need your full name, date of birth, and fingerprints. Call (404) 244-2639 for more details on the process.

To search in person, visit either the Hinesville Municipal Court on Main Street or the Liberty County Courthouse. Bring the full name of the person you need records for. A date of birth or case number helps a lot. The clerk staff at both courts can pull records while you wait in most situations.

Note: The first 15 minutes of search time are free at any Georgia public office under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. After that, agencies can charge a reasonable fee for staff time.

Criminal Record Restrictions in Hinesville

Georgia lets people restrict certain criminal records from public view. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, you can restrict records for arrests that did not end in a conviction, some misdemeanor convictions after a four-year wait, and cases that sat on a dead docket for more than 12 months. There is a lifetime cap of two misdemeanor restrictions.

To start the process for a Hinesville arrest, contact the Liberty County District Attorney if the arrest was on or after July 1, 2013. For older arrests, reach out to the Hinesville Police Department. Agencies can charge up to $50 to process a restriction request. Once the court grants the restriction, those records are no longer available to the public under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70.

Victims of trafficking may qualify for free record restriction under the state's Survivors First Act. There is no fee for this. Talk to a local attorney or the GBI for guidance.

State Resources for Hinesville

The GBI runs the state criminal history database. You can call the Criminal History Records Helpline at (404) 244-2639 option 3 for help with your record. The GBI Open Records Unit takes requests through their online portal only. They stopped taking email requests in late 2023.

Hinesville sits in the Atlantic Judicial Circuit. Criminal appeals from this circuit go to the Georgia Court of Appeals and then, in rare cases, to the Georgia Supreme Court. Both appellate courts have online docket search tools if you need to track a case on appeal.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, every public agency in Georgia must release records unless a specific exemption applies. The law requires a response within three business days. If an agency denies your request or charges what seems like too much, you can appeal to the Georgia Attorney General or take the matter to court. Most routine requests in Hinesville are filled without much hassle.

Nearby Cities

These cities near Hinesville also have criminal court records you can search. Each city runs its own municipal court for local cases, but felony matters go through the county where the crime took place.