Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Essex County, New York, has about 37,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Essex County Supreme and County Courts and the city, town and village courts, and the file of each case, kept by the County Clerk, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Essex County public records, Essex County arrest records, Essex County warrants, Essex County inmate search, Essex County criminal records, New York arrest records and New York inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Essex County
Court cases from Essex County are filed in the Essex County Supreme and County Courts, which hear divorces and major civil cases in the Supreme Court, felonies in the County Court.
Below it, the city, town and village courts take misdemeanors, traffic cases and small claims.
Divorces go to the Supreme Court, and the file stays with the County Clerk.
The County Clerk keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Freedom of Information Law.
Looking Up a Case from Essex County
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/CaseSearch (page title: NYSCEF Case Search | NY iApps | Unified Court System), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
Statewide, eCourts is the Unified Court System's free online case search (WebCivil, WebCrims and WebFamily).
What Reaches the Court from Essex County
Together, the three agencies in Essex County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 724 arrests to the FBI that year; the District Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Essex County Supreme and County Courts or the city, town and village courts.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Essex County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Essex County criminal records, Essex County divorce records, Essex County traffic tickets, Essex County DUI and Essex County property records.
Cities in Essex County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Essex County Supreme and County Courts or the city, town and village courts.
The one city in the county is Lake Placid.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Essex County?
Through eCourts, the Unified Court System's free online case search (WebCivil, WebCrims and WebFamily).
Which court hears felonies in Essex County?
The Essex County Supreme and County Courts, which hear divorces and major civil cases in the Supreme Court, felonies in the County Court. The city, town and village courts take misdemeanors, traffic cases and small claims.
Who keeps the court records in Essex County?
The County Clerk. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in New York?
Yes: eCourts, the Unified Court System's free online case search (WebCivil, WebCrims and WebFamily).
Is this the official Essex County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.