Find Groton Court Records

Court records from Groton get filed at New London County Superior Courts. The town of Groton sits in New London County on the southeastern coast of Connecticut. Most Groton court records are handled at two main locations. Civil and family cases go to the New London Judicial District courthouse at 70 Huntington Street in New London. Criminal matters get heard at Geographical Area No. 10, located at 112 Broad Street in New London. You can search Groton court records online through the state case lookup system or visit the courthouse to request copies of specific files and dockets for cases involving Groton residents.

New London County Court System

Groton is part of New London County, which means all court cases from the town go through the county Superior Court system. Connecticut runs a unified state court system. Towns do not have their own courts. All legal matters get handled at the county level through state judicial districts.

The New London Judicial District handles civil and family court cases for Groton and surrounding towns. The courthouse is at 70 Huntington Street in New London. The clerk's office can be reached at (860) 443-5363. This court hears lawsuits, divorce cases, child custody matters, and other civil legal issues involving Groton residents.

Criminal cases from Groton go to Geographical Area No. 10, which sits at 112 Broad Street in New London. This criminal court serves Groton, East Lyme, Ledyard, Lyme, New London, North Stonington, Old Lyme, Stonington, and Waterford. The clerk's office number is (860) 443-8343. All criminal charges filed against Groton residents get heard at this location.

Online Court Record Search

Connecticut offers free online access to court records. Go to the Connecticut Judicial Branch lookup page to start. The system has separate searches for civil, criminal, family, and housing cases. Pick the right one for your needs.

For civil and family cases, use the civil inquiry portal. Enter a last name or case number. You can filter by judicial district to see only New London County cases. Results show parties, case numbers, and filing dates. Click on any case to view its docket with all court events listed by date.

Criminal records require a different search tool on the Judicial Branch site. The criminal lookup shows active cases and recent outcomes for Groton residents. Older criminal matters may not appear online. Some records are restricted under Connecticut law. Dismissed cases and acquittals become non-disclosable after 20 days according to state statute 54-142a.

The online system updates nightly. New filings from the day before appear the next morning. Very recent cases might not show up right away. If you cannot find what you need online, call the courthouse clerk's office. They can search internal systems for records that do not appear in the public portal.

How to Obtain Court File Copies

Visit the New London courthouse to get certified copies. The clerk's office pulls files and makes copies. Fees are one dollar per page. Certified copies cost more. You may need to show ID for certain types of files.

Disposed records that are no longer at the courthouse get stored at the Centralized Services Unit in Wethersfield. Email your request to SuperiorCourtRecordsCenter@jud.ct.gov with the case name and docket number. Files should be ready in one to two business days. Small files can be emailed at no cost. Larger files need pickup at a court location.

Mail requests work if you cannot visit in person. Write to the clerk's office with case details and payment. Use a check or money order payable to the court. The clerk mails copies back after processing your request. Processing times vary based on how busy the office is and how old the Groton court records are.

Groton Court Record Types

Civil case files include complaints, answers, motions, orders, and judgments. These show the full history of lawsuits over money or property. Family files contain divorce petitions, custody orders, and support agreements. Housing cases have eviction notices and landlord disputes.

Criminal files list charges and outcomes. Each file shows what happened at every stage of the case. Convictions are public. Non-convictions have restricted access after certain time periods pass.

Dockets give a quick view of all events in a case. Each entry has a date and a brief note. You can see when hearings happened, when papers were filed, and when the judge ruled. Dockets are free to view online for most cases.

Some records stay sealed. Juvenile matters are confidential under Connecticut General Statutes Section 46b-124. Youthful offender files are closed. Family abuse cases may hide names to protect victims.

Groton Police Records

Police records are separate from court records in Groton. The Police Department keeps incident reports and accident records. These show what happened when police first responded. Court records show what happened in the legal case later.

Contact the Groton Police Department at (860) 441-6700 to request police reports. Fees typically run about 50 cents per page. Reports are usually ready 5 to 10 days after an incident. Reports with arrests may not be released until court proceedings finish.

Some accident reports can be obtained online through payment portals. Call the Police Department or check their website to ask about online access for Groton police records.

Legal Assistance in Groton

Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut provides free legal help to people with low income. They handle civil matters like housing, family law, and benefits. Visit their website or call to see if you qualify.

The Connecticut Bar Association runs a lawyer referral service. They connect you with attorneys who work on your type of case. Private lawyers charge fees. Ask about costs before hiring someone. Some offer payment plans or reduced rates.

For court procedure questions, call the New London courthouse at (860) 443-5363 for civil matters or (860) 443-8343 for criminal matters. Staff can explain filing rules but cannot give legal advice about your Groton case.

More Groton Resources

The Connecticut Judicial Branch website has self-help guides at https://www.jud.ct.gov/selfhelp.htm. These guides explain court processes in simple terms for common case types like small claims and family matters.

Free court forms are available at https://www.jud.ct.gov/webforms/. Download what you need and fill them out carefully. The clerk can tell you which forms to use but cannot help complete them.

The Groton Town Clerk maintains land records and vital statistics at (860) 441-6640. Those are separate from court records. For birth, death, or marriage certificates, contact the Town Clerk. For property records and deeds, the Town Clerk can help you search.

Court Records in Nearby Cities

Other cities in southeastern Connecticut also file cases at the New London County court system.