Charlottesville Court and City records

An Act of the Assembly of Albemarle County created Charlottesville, Virginia in 1762. The Commonwealth of Virginia incorporated Charlottesville as a town in 1801, and then as a city in 1888.

Before 1888, the Albemarle County courts had jurisdiction over Charlottesville and managed the town's public records. With its incorporation as a city, Charlottesville gained the authority to establish its own courts and manage public records independent of the... county.

In 1889, Charlottesville exercised its new authority by creating a "Corporation Court." The city granted it the powers of both a circuit court and a municipal court as defined by the state government. The Corporation Court had original jurisdiction over misdemeanor and felony cases involving city ordinances and state law. It also had the authority to hear civil cases.

In 1973, the Corporation Court of Charlottesville was dissolved as part of a statewide reorganization of the court system in Virginia. This reorganization led to the creation of the Charlottesville Circuit Court and the Charlottesville District Court, with the powers of the former Corporation Court being divided between these two new entities.

The Clerk's Office of the Corporation Court was responsible for preserving the court's records and other public records as mandated by law. When the Commonwealth of Virginia dissolved the Corporation Court, these responsibilities were transferred to the Clerk's Office of the Charlottesville Circuit Court.