New Castle Court Docket

The New Castle court docket covers cases at JP Court 11, a 24-hour criminal court in the city, and at the New Castle County courts in nearby Wilmington. New Castle is a historic city and the gateway to Delaware via I-95 and I-295. The city sits about 5 miles from the county courthouse. Civil case info is open on CourtConnect. For bigger cases and full files, visit the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington.

JP Court 11 New Castle Criminal Docket

JP Court 11 is the main court in New Castle city. It runs 24 hours daily for criminal matters. The court is at 2 Penns Way, Suite 100A, New Castle, DE 19720. Phone (302) 323-4450. Fax (302) 323-4452. The 24-hour schedule makes it a key court for the I-95 corridor and the Port of Wilmington area.

The court handles minor criminal cases, bail hearings, and preliminary matters. Criminal case info is on CourtConnect for some case types. Submit Form MISC35 for a certified copy or a docket request.

Visit the JP Court 11 page for more info.

The JP Court 11 page lists hours, phones, and case types. The 24-hour schedule makes the New Castle court docket unusual among Delaware JP Courts. Most JP Courts run only Monday through Friday during business hours.

New Castle Police and Local Records

The New Castle Police Department keeps arrest records for the city. The PD is at 1 Delaware Street, New Castle, DE 19720. Phone (302) 322-9800. Incident reports and arrest records can be requested through the PD records office. Criminal cases from arrests go to JP Court 11 or to the New Castle County courts in Wilmington.

The City of New Castle keeps municipal records through the City Clerk. The office is at 220 Delaware Street, New Castle, DE 19720. Records cover ordinances, meeting minutes, historical records, permits, and licenses. Court records are not here; they are at JP Court 11 or the county courthouse.

For civil cases, New Castle residents use JP Court 13 at 1010 Concord Avenue, Wilmington. Phone (302) 577-2550. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Civil jurisdiction runs up to $25,000 per case.

New Castle County Courts for New Castle City

Cases over the JP Court limit go to the New Castle County courts in Wilmington. The Leonard L. Williams Justice Center at 500 N. King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 is the main state court building. Distance from New Castle city to Wilmington is about 5 miles. DART bus service runs between the two.

Main phone lines:

• Superior Court: (302) 255-0800
• Court of Common Pleas: (302) 255-0900
• Family Court: (302) 255-0300
• Court of Chancery: (302) 255-0544
• Prothonotary: (302) 255-0735

The Superior Court Prothonotary keeps the civil court docket for New Castle County. Submit Form ADM_ADM_03_A for a record request. Certified copies cost $15 for the first three pages. Extra pages up to $2 each. A retrieval fee of $25 may apply to older records. Cash or check only.

The Court of Common Pleas handles misdemeanors, civil cases up to $50,000, and appeals from JP Court. It also sits at the Justice Center. See the Court of Common Pleas page for forms and e-filing info.

Under 10 Del. C. § 2304, the Prothonotary keeps two indices of judgments, one by plaintiff and one by defendant. Each judgment is indexed the same day entered.

New Castle Court Docket Access

CourtConnect is the fastest tool for civil case lookups. Search by person, business, or case number. The system covers Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and JP Court statewide. Basic info is free. Family Court cases are restricted.

For a file that is not online, visit the Justice Center in Wilmington. Public access terminals at the courthouse connect to CourtConnect for free. Staff can help with a search but cannot give legal advice.

Federal cases are on the PACER system at pacer.gov. The U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware is at the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building, 844 King Street, Wilmington. Clerk's Office: (302) 573-6170.

The records access policy page on the Delaware Courts website spells out what is public and what is sealed. Family Court matters with minors, mental health cases, and sealed files are not open.

Other New Castle Court Docket Resources

For a certified Delaware criminal history, go to the State Bureau of Identification at 1407 N. DuPont Highway, Dover. Phone (302) 739-5880. Fee is $52 per check. The SBI is the only office that can issue a certified history.

Property records for New Castle, including judgment liens from the Superior Court, are at the New Castle County Recorder of Deeds. The office is at the Justice Center, 500 N. King Street, Room 110. Judgment liens from Superior Court cases are often recorded here to attach to real property.

New Castle Court Docket Filing Fees

Fees depend on the court. A quick list:

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

The Superior Court filing fee covers the first 50 filings in a case. Each new 50-filing block costs $245. Court of Chancery also charges $2 per page to docket each document. Payment is cash or check only at the Prothonotary.

Records retention in New Castle follows the statewide rules. Superior Court civil cases with judgments run 20 years from the judgment date. Misdemeanors are kept 10 years. JP Court civil files are held 5 years. Dockets and indices are kept permanently.

A New Castle court docket search for a civil case should start on CourtConnect. For bigger cases that need a certified copy, the Prothonotary in Wilmington handles the request. Fees are set statewide under Superior Court Civil Rule 77.

Civil judgments are indexed by the Prothonotary under 10 Del. C. § 2304. The office keeps two alphabetical indices, one by plaintiff and one by defendant. Each judgment is indexed the same day it is entered.

Nearby Cities in New Castle County

New Castle sits on the Delaware River south of Wilmington. Several nearby cities use the same county courts.

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