Columbia County Criminal Court Records

Columbia County criminal court records are held by the Clerk of Superior Court, with main offices at the Justice Center in Evans and a satellite office in the county seat of Appling. The Columbia Judicial Circuit was created on July 1, 2021, and three elected judges now serve the Superior Court. You can search criminal case data through the clerk's office in person or use state tools to look up court filings. Evans is the hub for most court work in the county, and the Appling office is open on Tuesdays only. Both locations can help with case file lookups, copies of criminal records, and court date info for felony and misdemeanor matters.

Columbia County Court Clerk Office

Cindy Mason serves as the Clerk of Superior Court for Columbia County. The main office sits in the Justice Center Annex in Evans. This is where the bulk of criminal case work gets done. Staff can pull case files, print copies, and check court dates. The Evans office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Call (706) 312-7139 to reach the Evans location. Jennifer Willis serves as Chief Deputy and can help with records when the clerk is out. The Criminal Division at this office handles all felony and misdemeanor filings for Columbia County, along with civil and domestic case records.

The Columbia County Superior Court page has details on the court system, judges, and how criminal cases move through the Columbia Judicial Circuit.

From this page you can find info on court schedules, judge assignments, and how to file documents with the Columbia County Clerk. The Superior Court has three elected judges who each serve four-year terms. They hear felony cases, death penalty cases, civil contract disputes, and more. Criminal cases in Columbia County start here when charges go beyond what Magistrate Court can handle.

Note: The Appling office is only open on Tuesdays, so plan your visit to the Evans Justice Center for any other day of the week.

How to Search Columbia County Criminal Records

There are a few ways to look up criminal court records in Columbia County. The most direct path is to go to the Evans office in person. Bring a valid ID. Staff can search by name or case number. They will pull up case files and make copies if you need them. You can also call the office at (706) 312-7139 to ask about a specific case before you drive there. For those who live closer to Appling, the satellite office handles the same type of requests but only on Tuesdays.

The GSCCCA clerk page for Columbia County shows the contact info and links for the clerk office in the statewide system.

Through the GSCCCA, you can search real estate and lien records from Columbia County. The authority also serves as a gateway to find the right clerk office for criminal case files. A regular GSCCCA account costs $14.95 per month. Premium access is $29.95 per month. While GSCCCA does not host criminal case data directly, it connects users to the correct county clerk for criminal court records across all 159 Georgia counties.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, criminal court records in Georgia are public. You do not need to give a reason for your request. The Columbia County Clerk must respond within three business days. Copy fees are $0.10 per page for standard copies, and the first 15 minutes of search time are free under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. These rules apply the same way in Columbia County as they do across the rest of the state.

Columbia County Criminal Case Types

The Superior Court in Columbia County handles felony cases. These include drug charges, violent crimes, theft above a certain threshold, and white collar offenses. The Columbia Judicial Circuit was carved out as its own circuit on July 1, 2021. Before that date, Columbia County shared a circuit with other counties. Now the three Superior Court judges focus on Columbia County cases only. This means criminal cases move through the system faster than they did under the old shared circuit structure.

Magistrate Court sits in the Justice Center as well. It deals with bond hearings, preliminary hearings, and small claims. Criminal matters that start in Magistrate Court often get bound over to Superior Court if the charges are serious enough. The Probate Court also has a spot in the Justice Center, with a satellite in Appling. While Probate Court handles estate and guardianship matters, it also has limited jurisdiction over certain misdemeanor traffic violations in Columbia County.

Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, some criminal records in Georgia can be restricted from public view. This used to be called expungement. Arrests that did not lead to a conviction may qualify. Certain misdemeanor convictions are eligible after a four-year wait, and cases placed on a dead docket for more than 12 months can also be restricted. Georgia limits each person to two record restrictions for misdemeanor convictions over a lifetime. Agencies may charge up to $50 to process a restriction request.

Columbia County Records Online Access

The Columbia County government website is the starting point for finding court info and public services in the county.

From the county site you can find links to the Superior Court, Magistrate Court, Probate Court, and other departments. Hours, phone numbers, and office locations are all listed here. Columbia County also posts meeting agendas and public notices on this site.

The statewide E-Access to Court Records portal is another way to search criminal court records in Columbia County. This portal connects to case data from counties across Georgia. You need an account to search. It is one of the fastest ways to check on a criminal case without going to the courthouse. The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority also indexes filings from all 159 counties. While GSCCCA focuses on real estate and lien records, it can point you to the right clerk for criminal case files. The FANS (Filing Activity Notification System) lets you monitor new filings tied to your name or property for free.

For your own criminal history, visit the Columbia County Sheriff's Office or a local police department. Ask for a "Purpose Code U" report. This is the standard way to get your Georgia criminal history for personal use. The GBI Criminal History Records Helpline at (404) 244-2639 option 3 can answer questions about your record statewide, including any cases that started in Columbia County. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, the Georgia Crime Information Center can also share criminal history data with attorneys who submit a written request with case details and subject info.

Note: The GBI Open Records Unit no longer accepts record requests by email as of December 2023, so use their online portal or mail your request.

Getting Criminal Records in Columbia County

When you go to the Columbia County Clerk's office to request criminal court records, bring along a few key pieces of info. The more details you have, the faster staff can find the right file. Searches by name work, but a case number speeds things up. You can request records in person at Evans or Appling, by mail, or by phone for basic info. The clerk staff can tell you what is in a case file and whether copies are available.

To search criminal records in Columbia County, you will need:

• Full name of the person you are searching for
• Date of birth or rough age if known
• Case number if you have one
• Type of case (felony or misdemeanor)
• Approximate date of the arrest or charge

The clerk office also handles other record types beyond criminal filings. Services include real estate recordings, judgment and lien recordings, UCC filings, notary public appointments, and military discharge DD214 records. All of these fall under the Columbia County Clerk of Superior Court. If you are at the Justice Center for a criminal record request, you can take care of other filing needs at the same time. The civil division and domestic division also sit in the same office, so staff can point you in the right direction if your case crosses over into family or civil court matters.

Residents who live in Evans, Martinez, or other parts of Columbia County all use the same clerk office for criminal court records. Evans and Martinez are unincorporated communities, so there is no separate city court. All criminal cases file through the Columbia County court system regardless of where in the county the arrest took place. For arrests on or after July 1, 2013, record restriction requests go through the District Attorney's office. For older arrests, contact the arresting law enforcement agency directly.

Cities in Columbia County

Columbia County is largely made up of unincorporated areas. Evans and Martinez are the two biggest communities, but neither one is an incorporated city. Grovetown and Harlem are smaller incorporated towns. All criminal cases from these areas go through the Columbia County Superior Court or Magistrate Court at the Justice Center in Evans. There are no separate city courts here, so the county system handles every criminal filing in Columbia County.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Columbia County. If you are not sure which county handles a criminal case, check the address where the arrest took place. Criminal cases must be filed in the county where the alleged crime occurred.