Collier County Circuit Court Case Search

In Collier County, the trial court of general jurisdiction is called the Circuit Court. The Collier County Circuit Court records are typically case files maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller on each legal dispute that the court has resolved. These records include key details such as indictments, claims, pleadings, exhibits, injunction orders, motions, and other legal materials issued or tendered before the court. While these records are generally public, the clerk may be required by law to restrict access to certain documents or redact sensitive information in the ones made available.

What Kinds of cases have been heard in Collier Circuit Court?

The Circuit Court deals primarily with felony criminal cases and civil disputes. Felonies include drug offenses, sex-related offenses, grand theft, and armed robbery prosecuted by the State through the District Attorney. Based on evidence, the District Attorney brings an action on behalf of the state seeking the statutory penalty for the offense. Generally, an action will be considered a felony if the potential penalty exceeds an imprisonment term of more than one year.

Civil cases are disputes in which one private individual or business claims injuries or protection of a right against another private individual or business. They include malpractice, product liability, auto negligence, condominium, contract and indebtedness, negligence, foreclosure, eminent domain, negligence, discrimination, antitrust, libel or slander, insurance claim, and trade secret.
While all non-criminal cases are civil, certain civil disputes, including domestic disputes, probate matters, and juvenile cases, are categorized separately to ensure expertise in their handling.

Collier County Circuit Court

The Collier County Circuit Court is a trial court having jurisdiction over a wide range of criminal and civil disputes, with the exception of cases within the specific jurisdiction of other courts. Consequently, for the court to preside over a civil dispute involving monetary claims, the amount in controversy must exceed $50,000. To ensure expertise in the handling of its caseload and efficiency in the management of its operations, the court is divided into multiple divisions, including the Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Guardianship, Juvenile, and Appeals divisions, and departments such as the E-file, E-Notify, Traffic, Mental Health, and Self-Help.

The clerk handles functions such as case filing, record keeping, and management of court records on behalf of the court.

Collier County Circuit Court
3315 Tamiami Trail East,
Suite 102, Naples, FL 34112
Phone: (239) 252-2646

Collier County Case Lookup

Unless restricted by statute or court order, court records are generally accessible to everyone. Interested parties can search for court records through the Clerk of Court and Comptroller website.

To conduct a search:

• Visit the website homepage
• Click the "Record Search" button
• On the Record Search page, click "Search Court Records".
• Users will be prompted with a list of searchable materials considered public by statute. These include civil, criminal, probate, and traffic cases.
• Click the search button below the list
• Next, click the "Case Search" icon
• Click Case Search again
• The case search dialogue box appears
• Search using either the case number, party name, business name, and filing date
• Click the court type drop-down button and select the relevant court—the Circuit Court
• Once done, click the "Search" button to initiate a search

If the document being sought is not online, or if the individual is seeking certified copies, they can send an email request to:

For Criminal & Traffic Records – criminalhelp@collierclerk.com
For Civil, Probate, or Family Law Records – civilhelp@collierclerk.com

• Document copies —$1.00 per page.
• Certified document—$1.00 per page (plus an additional $2.00 per document.)

Collier Circuit Court Case Search by Name

In order to conduct an online search for records or have the clerk’s office staff assist with the search, a user must specify the record needed. Typically, they will need to enter either a party name, business name, case number, or citation into the case search dialogue box or include at least one of these details in their email request. The system will then retrieve documents matching the provided details. While case numbers are generally precise, providing an accurate name is crucial to avoiding retrieval of the wrong case file, which often results from similarity in name spelling.

Collier Circuit Court Docket Search

The Collier County Circuit Court docket is a court resource that highlights the timeline of a case from the time of filing through resolution. It provides a chronological list of the various events within a court case in the order of their occurrence, including hearing schedules, petitions, summons issued, notices, affidavits of witnesses, final judgment, and other procedural court events. Litigants and attorneys typically rely on court dockets to track case progress and arrange for upcoming hearings.

Like records, the Circuit Court dockets are available for review via the Clerk of Court and Comptroller website.

• Visit the website and navigate to "Case Search".
• Enter the accurate name or case number
• Click "Search" to find a record
• Each displayed case information comes with a hyperlink
• Click the hyperlink on the left
• Navigate to dockets

Lookup Collier County Circuit Court Online

The Clerk of Court and Comptroller website serves as the official platform for accessing Collier County Circuit Court records. However, third-party websites like Floridacourtrecords.us also provide a platform for accessing these records. While these websites strive to provide accurate and comprehensive information, they typically disclaim the accuracy or reliability of any information obtained. Therefore, records should be compared with official resources to verify the correctness and completeness of information before use.

Supreme Court vs. Circuit Court

The Florida Supreme Court is primarily an appellate court with limited original jurisdiction over specific matters like constitutional challenges or death penalty cases. In contrast, Circuit Courts are trial courts that handle a wide variety of cases at the first instance. The Supreme Court’s decisions are binding on all other courts in Florida, while Circuit Courts only influence lower county courts within their jurisdiction.

Both have appellate functions: the Supreme Court reviews the Court of Appeal decisions, while the Appeal Division of the Circuit Court hears appeals from legal cases that have already been heard and decided by the lower courts or administrative bodies. When exercising their appellate jurisdiction, they do not listen to new evidence; instead, they review cases and apply the law to facts. While both courts have their respective spheres of influence, their jurisdiction is limited to the State of Florida, while the United States Supreme Court jurisdiction dominates at the national level.