Access Pooler Criminal Court Records

Criminal court records in Pooler are managed at both the city and county levels. The Pooler Municipal Court processes traffic cases, city code violations, and misdemeanor crimes that happen inside the city limits. Felony cases and more serious criminal charges go through the Chatham County Superior Court in Savannah. Pooler sits in Chatham County and falls under the Eastern Judicial Circuit. Both courts release records to the public under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, the Georgia Open Records Act. Pooler has grown fast in recent years, and the municipal court caseload has grown with it.

Pooler Municipal Court Records

The Pooler Municipal Court hears traffic tickets, city ordinance violations, and misdemeanor criminal cases within Pooler. This court does not handle felony cases. If you were cited or arrested for a misdemeanor inside the city limits, your case is at this court. The clerk can search records by name or by case number.

The court sits at 100 SW Highway 80, Pooler, GA 31322. You can call (912) 748-7333 for case details. Walk-in visits are welcome during business hours. Bring a valid photo ID when you go. The clerk can print copies of case files, show court dates, and pull up disposition letters. Most basic requests are handled the same day you visit.

Note: Pooler Municipal Court does not handle felony cases or bond hearings for serious crimes, which go through the Chatham County court system.

Chatham County Criminal Records

Felony criminal cases from Pooler are filed in the Chatham County Superior Court. Drug trafficking, armed robbery, murder, and other serious crimes all go through the county court system in Savannah. The Eastern Judicial Circuit covers Chatham County. The Clerk of Superior Court maintains all felony records at the Chatham County Courthouse.

Chatham County has an online case search system. You can look up criminal records by name, case number, or attorney. The portal shows charges, court dates, case status, and the full filing history. Records in the system stretch back many years. For Pooler residents, this online tool is helpful because it saves a trip into Savannah to check on a case. The drive from Pooler to the courthouse takes about 20 minutes depending on traffic.

The Chatham County State Court also processes misdemeanor cases that go beyond what municipal courts handle. DUI cases from Pooler sometimes end up here. If a case started in Pooler Municipal Court but was bound over to a higher court, you will need to look in the county system to find it. The records transfer over when the case moves up.

The statewide E-Access to Court Records portal includes data from Chatham County courts. Create a free account and you can search court records from across all of Georgia in one place.

How to Search Pooler Records

There are several ways to look up criminal court records connected to Pooler. The best option depends on what type of record you need and how fast you need it.

The GSCCCA indexes court filings from all 159 Georgia counties. You can search for Chatham County records through this tool. A standard account is $14.95 per month. Premium access runs $29.95. The GSCCCA also runs the free FANS notification system. Set up alerts and get notified any time a new filing appears for a name you are tracking in any Georgia county.

For your own criminal history, request a Purpose Code U report. This pulls data from the Georgia Crime Information Center and shows arrest records, charges, and court outcomes from across the state. You will need your name, date of birth, and fingerprints. The Chatham County Sheriff's Office in Savannah can help process this, or you can call the GBI at (404) 244-2639 for guidance.

To search in person, visit the Municipal Court on Highway 80 in Pooler or the Chatham County Courthouse in downtown Savannah. Bring the full name and date of birth of the person you are looking for. A case number helps but is not required. Staff at both courts can pull records while you wait.

Note: Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, copy fees are $0.10 per page at any Georgia public office, and the first 15 minutes of search time cost nothing.

Criminal Record Restrictions in Pooler

Georgia lets people restrict certain criminal records from public view. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, you may be able to restrict records for arrests that did not result in conviction, some misdemeanor convictions after four years, and cases on a dead docket for more than 12 months. The lifetime cap is two misdemeanor restrictions per person.

For Pooler cases, reach out to the Chatham County District Attorney to start the restriction process. You will file a petition with the court. Agencies can charge up to $50 to handle each restriction request. Once the court grants the petition, the record is removed from public search results. Law enforcement still has access to restricted records.

If your case was in Pooler Municipal Court, also call (912) 748-7333 to confirm the local records are updated after the restriction order goes through. This ensures the municipal court files stay in sync with the county and state databases. Skipping this step sometimes leaves old records visible in the municipal system even after the county has restricted them.

State Resources for Pooler

The GBI operates the state criminal history database. Call (404) 244-2639 option 3 for questions about your criminal record. The GBI Open Records Unit now only accepts requests through their online portal. They stopped taking email requests.

O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, the Georgia Open Records Act, gives the public access to government records at all levels. Criminal court files from both city and county courts fall under this law. Agencies must respond to your request within three business days. If they deny it, they have to cite a specific legal exemption. The Georgia Attorney General's office handles complaints if an agency refuses to release records without a proper legal basis.

Pooler residents can use the Chatham County Law Library in Savannah for legal research. It has forms for record restriction petitions, open records request templates, and other self-help materials. Georgia Legal Aid also serves Chatham County and can help with criminal record matters for people who qualify based on income. Their staff works with Pooler residents who need help with restriction petitions or other court filings.

Nearby Cities

These cities near Pooler also have criminal court records resources. Each one runs its own municipal court, but felony cases go through the county where the crime took place.