Washington County Criminal Court Cases
The Washington County Circuit Court, part of Oregon's Twentieth Judicial District, hears state felony and misdemeanor prosecutions. Oregon Judicial Department staff maintain those files. A citation under a city code may instead stay in Hillsboro, Beaverton, or Tigard Municipal Court. Washington County Justice Court also handles violations and authorized misdemeanors. One name may therefore need checks at more than one court.
The clerk's file is the authoritative source for the prosecution. It follows filed counts, court events, rulings, and judgment. Police reports and jail bookings remain separate agency records. The first task is to identify the filing court from a citation, case number, or booking entry, then search that court's system.
| Court | Location | Criminal role |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court | 150 N First Ave, Hillsboro | State felonies and misdemeanors |
| Justice Court | 3700 SW Murray Blvd, Beaverton | Violations and authorized misdemeanors |
| Municipal courts | Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard | City cases and assigned misdemeanors |
Search Washington County OJD Records
The free OJD Records and Calendar Search is the broad first stop for a Washington County Circuit Court case. It can show basic party, charge, event, status, and calendar information. It does not supply filed-document PDFs. Search results should be treated as an index that points to the court file.
The OJCIN OnLine service offers subscribers the Oregon eCourt Case Information register of actions and some judgment records. The official portal view is shown in the source below.
OJD provides the public Records and Calendar Search interface.
That public interface is useful for locating a case before asking the Washington County clerk for the actual judgment or filing.
Searching Washington County Case Records
Start with the most precise identifier available. A case number avoids confusion between people with similar names. When only a name is known, vary spelling and verify the court, filing date, and charge before linking a result to anyone.
- Open the OJD public search and choose a case or calendar search.
- Enter the case number, or search the party name with careful spelling.
- Compare location, filing date, case type, and party role.
- Read the register events in date order and identify the current status.
- Request the judgment or certified copies from the court that holds the file.
| Field | Type | Required | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case number | Text | No | Best exact match |
| Last and first name | Text | For name search | Party lookup |
| Location | Select | No | Narrow to Washington County |
| Case type | Select | No | Narrow to criminal matters |
| Date range | Date | No | Reduce broad results |
OJD describes OJCIN's subscriber access and scope.
OJCIN can add register and judgment detail, but the local Records Department remains the copy custodian.
When 400 Results Hide Matches
Broad OJCIN name searches may reach a 400-result ceiling. The official search guidance recommends using added criteria, wildcards, or Soundex when a spelling is uncertain. Narrow by court location, date, or case category first. Soundex can find names that sound alike, but it also brings false matches.
Do not assume a missing first result means no Washington County court record exists. Try a prior name or alternate spelling, then ask the clerk to search an older or hard-to-locate file. Confirm identity through several public case details, never through name alone.
Inside a Washington County Case File
A Washington County criminal case file centers on one prosecution. The register of actions is its chronological index. It can list the complaint or indictment, arraignment, motions, plea, trial events, judgment, sentence, and later enforcement or appellate events. Public financial data may also appear. Protected victim data, sealed material, and confidential cases are omitted.
| Case number and court | Identifies the prosecution and file custodian. |
|---|---|
| Charging document | States the counts the prosecutor filed. |
| Register entries | Dates filings, hearings, notices, and rulings. |
| Party and attorneys | Shows public roles and counsel information. |
| Disposition and judgment | Records how each count and case ended. |
| Sentence and conditions | Lists court-ordered custody, supervision, or financial terms. |
OJD explains Washington County case-file copies and fees.
The copy page helps readers move from an online index to the exact filed document needed.
Note: “Closed” means the court case ended; it does not say that every count produced a conviction.
Judgments from Washington County Room 110J
The Circuit Court Records Department is at 150 N First Avenue, Room 110J, Hillsboro, OR 97124. Call 503-846-8888 for court information. Requests may be made through the local online route, by mail, or at the records counter. The mail form asks for contact details, case type, approximate filing date, party name, case number, exact documents, quantity, and certification choice.
Paper copies cost $0.25 per page. A regular request adds $3 per case. Certification adds $5, and exemplification adds $10. An electronic document costs $3 per case; microfilm sent by email costs $0.45 per page. Payment comes before completion. A mailed request needs a stamped return envelope and a check payable to State of Oregon. When the total is unknown, the researched form allows a not-to-exceed check up to $30.
Circuit Court Records
150 N First Avenue, Room 110J
Hillsboro, OR 97124
503-846-8888
The official Records Department page lists local access routes.
The department supplies copies that the free statewide case search does not display.
How a Criminal Case Moves
After police refer an arrest or citation, the District Attorney decides what to file. A complaint may start the case, while felony charges may proceed through a grand-jury indictment. Arraignment states the charges and addresses a plea and next steps. Pretrial hearings and motions follow. Resolution comes through dismissal, plea, or trial, after which the court enters a disposition and, when there is a conviction, a sentence.
Case flow: Charges Filed › Arraignment › Pretrial › Plea or Trial › Disposition › Sentencing
Washington County specialty programs can add events to this sequence. Adult Recovery Court, Mental Health Court, DUII Diversion, Domestic Violence Deferred Sentencing, and Veterans Treatment Court have distinct requirements. Completion may lead to the outcome allowed by that program, but it does not automatically erase the register.
Read Washington County Action Registers
A register of actions is a dated list, not a narrative. “Complaint” is the initial written accusation. An “indictment” is a grand-jury charging document. “Arraignment” is the hearing where charges and a plea or next steps are addressed. “Disposition” is the outcome of a count or case. A dismissal ends the listed count without a conviction, while a judgment of conviction follows a guilty plea or verdict.
- Open
- Pending court activity remains.
- Disposed
- The court has resolved the case, though later events may follow.
- Bench warrant
- A court order for custody, often tied to nonappearance.
- Set aside
- An Oregon order under ORS 137.225 that seals a qualifying arrest, charge, or conviction.
A booking charge and filed charge may differ because the prosecutor reviews the police referral after arrest. Read the final count-level disposition, not just the first charging entry.
Tigard Court Records Changed Appeals
Tigard Municipal Court became a court of record on September 15, 2024. Its hearings are recorded and retained for at least five years. Appeals now go to the Oregon Court of Appeals for legal-error review instead of starting as a new trial in Circuit Court. That makes the municipal recording and docket especially important.
A Tigard city case still remains separate from a Washington County Circuit Court prosecution. Contact Tigard Municipal Court for its file. Search OJD for a state felony or misdemeanor case. Under Tigard Local Rule 3.1, a private recording or transmission request must be submitted in writing at least 24 hours before the proceeding, subject to the judge's decision.
Case Record Access and Restrictions
Oregon Public Records Law governs many public-body records, but judicial files also follow ORS 7.130 and OJD access rules. Juvenile, adoption, mental-health, VAWA-protected, sealed, and sensitive victim records may be withheld or absent online. Account numbers and protected addresses are redacted.
A missing online case can reflect restricted access, a lower-court filing, old paper or microfilm storage, alternate spelling, or a set-aside order. Ask the correct clerk about the file rather than treating an empty search as a definitive answer. The official court source shown below is the starting point for Washington County building and records contacts.
OJD maintains the Washington County Circuit Court overview.
That court page links readers back to the current local service and access information.