Welcome
Congress established the Superior Court of the District
of Columbia Court as the trial court of general jurisdiction
for the District of Columbia in 1970. The court consists of
a chief judge and 61 associate judges. The court is assisted
by the service of 24 magistrate judges as well as retired
judges who have been recommended and approved as senior judges.
The Superior Court handles all local trial matters, including
civil, criminal, family court, probate, tax, landlord-tenant,
small claims, and traffic. The Superior Court is here to serve
the community, and several initiatives and collaborative projects
are underway to improve service to the public in our Nation's
Capital.
Statisical Summary, all Superior Court divisions - 2007
NOTE: FUNCTIONS IN COURT BUILDINGS A AND B TO MOVE TEMPORARILY For approximately two weeks, commencing June 23, 2008, Court Building B will be closed to allow for cleaning and lead paint abatement. The Landlord-Tenant and Small Claims clerks offices will be accepting filings in JM-170 in the Moultrie Courthouse. Scheduled Small Claims case hearings will take place in courtroom 114. If you arrive for a scheduled Landlord-Tenant case hearing before 10:30, it will take place in courtroom C-10; if you arrive after 10:30, please go to courtroom 111 (both in the Moultrie Courthouse). For more detailed information, click here.
For approximately two weeks, commencing June 30, 2008, Court Building A will be closed to allow for cleaning and lead paint abatement. Judges who sit in courtrooms in Building A will be using courtrooms in the Moultrie Courthouse, please check the board inside the lobby of Moultrie or go to the Daily Courtroom Assignment List page of the Courts' website. The Crime Victims Compensation Program will be accepting applications at the Domestic Violence Clerk's Office, Room 4242 of the Moultrie Courthouse. The Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Division, the Judicial Nominations Commission and the Judicial Tenure and Disabilities Commission have all relocated to the Courts' Gallery Place offices at 616 H Street, N.W. - 6th floor. The Probate Division Clerk's Office has relocated to the Jurors Dining Room on the C level of the Moultrie Courthouse. The Superior Court's Supervised Visitation Center has relocated to the Child Care Center on the C level of the Moultrie Courthouse. These changes are all temporary. Before visiting court offices or courtrooms that are located in Court Buildings A or B, we suggest you check back on-line or call the Courts' information desk at 202/879-1010.
The D.C. Courts are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for their employees, parties with cases before the court, and other members of the public. While these short-term building closures will cause some inconvenience, they enable the Courts to ensure that the buildings are healthy and safe.
Note: Jury staff of the D.C. Superior Court do not telephone past or prospective jurors for personal information such as Social Security numbers, credit card numbers or bank account information. Please do not provide this information to anyone who might telephone you and claim to be associated with the Superior Court. If you have ANY questions or concerns about a call supposedly from this Court's jury office, we strongly suggest that you hang up and call the jury office directly at 202/879-4604 to check on your jury service status, or go on-line at www.dccourts.gov/jurorservices. Please see this FBI link regarding identity thieves who pose as court employees.
Civil Division
The Civil Division is divided into four branches: the Civil
Actions Branch, the Quality Review Branch, the Landlord and
Tenant Branch and the Small Claims Branch. find
out more >
Criminal Division
The Criminal Division hears all local criminal matters including
felony, misdemeanor, and serious traffic cases. Currently
26 judges hear criminal matters. find
out more >
Family Court Operations
The Family Court is divided into six branches: the Domestic
Relations Branch, the Juvenile and Neglect Branch, the Paternity
and Child Support Branch, the Marriage Bureau Branch, the
Mental Health and Mental Retardation Branch, and the Counsel
for Child Abuse and Neglect Branch.
find out more >
Domestic Violence
Unit
The Domestic Violence Unit hears cases in which parties request
protection orders against persons related by blood, legal
custody, marriage, having a child in common, sharing of the
same residence (currently or in the past), or having a romantic
dating relationship (currently or in the past). find
out more >
Probate
Division
The Probate Division has jurisdiction over estates of those
who have passed away, trusts, guardianships of minors, and
guardianships and conservatorships of incapacitated adults.
Guardians are responsible for the physical well-being of an
incapacitated adult; conservators are responsible for ensuring
the best use of their finances. find
out more >
Going to Small Claims Court
The Small Claims and Conciliation Branch oversees the processing and adjudication
of cases where the amount in controversy is $5,000 or less.
find out more > |
