Hart County Criminal Records Search

Hart County criminal court records are kept by the Clerk of Superior Court at the courthouse in Hartwell. This northeast Georgia county sits along Lake Hartwell near the South Carolina border and handles felony and misdemeanor cases through its court system. The clerk office on West Franklin Street stores all criminal case files for the county. You can search for criminal records by visiting the clerk in person, calling ahead, or using statewide online search tools. Hart County clerk staff can look up case files, check court dates, and provide copies of criminal court documents during business hours. Walk-ins are welcome for most record requests.

Hart County Court Clerk Office

The Clerk of Superior Court in Hart County manages all criminal court records for the county. The office is at 185 W. Franklin Street in Hartwell. Call (706) 376-2024 to ask about a case or verify a court date. Staff can search by name or case number and give you copies while you wait. This is the one office in Hart County where you can get criminal case files, look up court dates, or file court documents tied to a criminal matter.

The GSCCCA page for Hart County lists the clerk contact details and provides links to filing info for the county.

Through the GSCCCA site, you can confirm the Hart County clerk address and find links to the county filing system for criminal records.

Note: Bring a valid photo ID when you visit the Hart County clerk office for criminal records in person.

How to Find Hart County Criminal Records

There are several ways to search for criminal court records in Hart County. The most direct path is to visit the clerk office on West Franklin Street in Hartwell. Staff can pull records by name or case number and make copies while you wait. You can also call (706) 376-2024 to ask about a specific case before you make the trip. Written requests sent by mail to the Hartwell address will get a response within three business days as required by Georgia law.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, criminal court records in Georgia are public. Anyone can ask to see them without stating a reason. The Hart County clerk must respond within three business days. Copy fees run $0.10 per page, and the first 15 minutes of staff search time are free under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71. After that, the county can charge based on the hourly rate of the lowest paid employee who can do the work. Most simple lookups in Hart County take less than 15 minutes.

For online access, the E-Access to Court Records portal connects to courts across Georgia. You need an account to search. This is a way to check a Hart County case from home without driving to Hartwell.

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

• Full name of the person you are searching for
• Date of birth or age if you know it
• Case number if one is available
• Type of case, felony or misdemeanor

Criminal Cases in Hart County

Hart County Superior Court handles felony criminal cases. Drug trafficking, armed robbery, violent crimes, and other serious charges all go through this court. Hart County is part of the Northern Judicial Circuit, and the DA for this circuit prosecutes felony cases from Hart County and the surrounding counties. Misdemeanor cases like DUI, simple assault, and minor drug offenses go through State Court or Magistrate Court. Magistrate Court also handles preliminary hearings and bond settings.

Each of these courts creates records that the Hart County Clerk of Superior Court keeps on file at the courthouse in Hartwell. Every step in a criminal case generates documents. Arrests, charges, hearings, motions, and trials all produce records that become part of the case file. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, records from active criminal investigations may be exempt from public view. Once a case wraps up, most of the file becomes available to anyone who asks.

Hart County Record Restriction

Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, certain criminal records in Georgia can be restricted from public view. This covers arrests that did not lead to a conviction, certain misdemeanor convictions after a four-year wait, and cases on a dead docket for more than 12 months. Hart County residents can begin the restriction process by contacting the District Attorney for the Northern Judicial Circuit for arrests on or after July 1, 2013. For older arrests, contact the arresting law enforcement agency in Hart County.

Agencies can charge up to $50 for a restriction request. The process takes two weeks to 90 days. Georgia limits each person to two misdemeanor conviction restrictions in a lifetime. Serious violent felonies and sex offenses cannot be restricted. Time-expired restrictions can happen on their own if the Georgia Crime Information Center does not get a final disposition within two years for a misdemeanor, four years for a felony, or seven years for a serious violent felony. The GBI helpline at (404) 244-2639 option 3 can help with restriction questions for Hart County cases.

Note: Victims of trafficking may qualify for free record restriction under O.C.G.A. § 17-10-21, the Survivors First Act.

Hart County Records Online Access

Hart County does not run its own online court records portal. The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority indexes filings from all 159 Georgia counties and can point you to the right clerk for criminal case files in Hart County. A regular GSCCCA account costs $14.95 per month. Premium is $29.95 per month. The GSCCCA also runs the Filing Activity Notification System, a free service that lets you watch for new filings tied to your name.

For your own criminal history, visit the Hart County Sheriff's Office and ask for a Purpose Code U report. The GBI Criminal History page has more info on how to get your Georgia record. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, attorneys can request criminal history records from GCIC for trial prep. Defense lawyers in Hart County use this when they prepare for cases in the Northern Judicial Circuit. The fee is waived for defendants who cannot pay. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-6-11, Hart County may offer access to eFiled documents through the Odyssey eFileGA system.

Cities in Hart County

All criminal cases from cities and towns in Hart County go through the Superior Court or State Court in Hartwell. The courthouse on West Franklin Street handles all felony and misdemeanor filings from across the county.

Cities and towns in Hart County include Hartwell, Bowersville, Canon, Lavonia, and Royston (partly). Criminal cases from these areas are processed through the Hart County court system.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Hart 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.