Middletown Court Docket

The Middletown court docket is kept by Justice of the Peace Court 9 and by the New Castle County courts in Wilmington. Middletown is a fast-growing town in southern New Castle County. It does not run its own Alderman's Court. The state JP Court handles most civil and criminal matters inside the town. Bigger cases go to the county courthouse at 500 N. King Street in Wilmington. Civil case info is open on CourtConnect.

Middletown JP Court 9 Docket

Justice of the Peace Court 9 sits at 757 North Broad Street, Middletown, DE 19709. Phone (302) 378-5221. Fax (302) 378-5220. Email JPCourt09@delaware.gov. The court hears civil and criminal cases for Middletown and western New Castle County. Hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The civil docket covers landlord-tenant disputes, debt collection, and small claims up to $25,000. The criminal docket covers minor offenses, traffic tickets, and bail hearings.

Case info is on CourtConnect. For certified copies or case files, send a request to the court with the right fee. See the JP Court 9 page for hours, contact info, and forms.

JP Court fees in Middletown:

• Disposition record: $7
• Certified civil copy: $10
• Civil docket: $0.25 per page
• Audio recording CD: $25

Use the statewide CourtConnect portal as the first stop for civil case lookups. Submit Form MISC35 for a written records request.

Middletown Municipal Records and Court Docket Info

Middletown operates under a municipal charter. The town does not run an Alderman's Court, so violations go through JP Court 9 or the state court system. The Town Clerk keeps municipal records like ordinances, meeting minutes, and permits.

The Middletown Police Department handles arrests in the town. The PD is at 310 Dove Run Center Boulevard, Middletown, DE 19709. Phone (302) 378-0200. Arrest records go to JP Court 9 for state criminal cases. Incident and accident reports are on file with the PD's records division.

For a town code violation that results in a citation, the case is filed with JP Court 9. The court keeps the docket entry, handles the hearing, and enters any ruling. Appeals go to the Court of Common Pleas for a new trial.

New Castle County Courts for Middletown Residents

Middletown cases over the JP Court jurisdiction go to the New Castle County courts in Wilmington. Distance from Middletown to the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center is about 25 miles. Plan travel time for any court date there.

Case filings by type:

• Civil over $25,000: Superior Court or Court of Common Pleas
• Misdemeanors: Court of Common Pleas
• Felonies: Superior Court
• Divorce, custody, adoption: Family Court

The New Castle County Superior Court Prothonotary's Office is at 500 N. King Street, Lower Level 1, Wilmington, DE 19801. Phone (302) 255-0735. Email nccproth@nccourts.de.gov. Submit Form ADM_ADM_03_A for a record request.

Certified Superior Court copies cost $15 for the first three pages. Extra pages run up to $2 each. The retrieval fee for older files may be $25. Pay by cash or check. More details on the Superior Court page.

Middletown Court Docket Access

Start with CourtConnect. Search by person, business, or case number. The system shows case status, party info, and a full docket report. Guest access is free, and most basic info is available without an account.

For a file that is not online, visit the courthouse in Wilmington. Public access terminals at the courthouse connect to CourtConnect at no cost. Staff at the clerk's office can help you find a file, but they cannot give legal advice.

Property records for Middletown are at the New Castle County Recorder of Deeds in Wilmington. The office records judgment liens that grow out of Superior Court cases. Deeds and mortgages are also on file there. The online search tool has most of the filings.

For a certified Delaware criminal history, go to the State Bureau of Identification at 1407 N. DuPont Highway, Dover. The fee is $52 per check. Bring a fingerprint card and a photo ID.

Records on the Middletown Court Docket

A Middletown court docket entry shows party names, case type, filing date, motions, hearing dates, and any ruling. Civil judgments are indexed by the Prothonotary under 10 Del. C. § 2304. The office keeps two lists, one by plaintiff and one by defendant, in alphabetical order.

Criminal records on the docket include the charge, the plea, the court's ruling, and any sentence. Records with minors are sealed. Mental health cases are not open. Financial data, like full SSNs and bank accounts, is redacted in public copies.

Court Docket Filing Fees for Middletown Cases

Fees depend on the court. Here is a rundown of common costs:

• Superior Court civil complaint: $200
• Complex Commercial Litigation: $250
• Superior Court certified copy: $15 for first three pages
• Court of Chancery new case: $410 minimum
• JP Court disposition record: $7
• JP Court certified civil copy: $10

The Superior Court filing fee covers the first 50 filings in a case. After that, each new 50-filing block costs $245. Court of Chancery also charges $2 per page to docket each document.

Fee waivers for low-income Delaware residents are available in some cases. The court reviews the request and sets terms. Under 10 Del. C. § 1911, the courts are allowed to recover reasonable costs for reproduction but must keep records open for public inspection.

A Middletown court docket request for a civil case can be made in person at the New Castle County Courthouse. The clerk can pull the file and make copies. Certified copies carry a seal and are needed for things like name changes or proving a case outcome to another agency.

Middletown Court Docket Retention

Court records are kept on a set schedule. Superior Court civil cases with judgments run 20 years from the date of judgment. Civil cases without judgments run 10 years. Misdemeanors run 10 years. Felonies run 20 years or longer for serious crimes.

JP Court civil cases are held 5 years. JP Court criminal cases are held 5 to 7 years. Traffic cases run 3 years. Dockets and indices are kept permanently. Old Middletown cases may have been moved to the Delaware Public Archives in Dover.

Nearby Cities in New Castle County

Middletown sits in southern New Castle County. Nearby cities use the same county courts.

See the New Castle County court docket page for the full list of courts.