New Castle County Court of Common Pleas Overview
The Court of Common Pleas is an intermediate state trial court. It is busy, broad, and a common first stop for many criminal defendants and a common civil court for mid-range claims. In New Castle County, the Court of Common Pleas (often called CCP) sits at the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in downtown Wilmington, sharing the building with Superior Court, Court of Chancery, and Family Court. CCP exists statewide. It hears misdemeanor crimes, runs preliminary hearings for many felony charges before they move up to Superior Court, and handles certain civil cases within statutory limits.
CCP is not the same as Justice of the Peace Court. JP Court is the lower-level court for small claims, landlord-tenant, and low-level criminal matters. CCP takes a step up: misdemeanor trials, certain civil cases, and appeals from JP Court. The court does not hear felony trials. Felony cases route to Superior Court after CCP completes the preliminary hearing stage. Domestic and juvenile matters go to Family Court, not CCP.
For New Castle County residents, CCP often handles cases like simple assault, theft below the felony threshold, certain DUI matters, criminal mischief, harassment, and a long list of regulatory and administrative offenses. Civil docket entries here can show debt cases, replevin, and other civil filings within the court's jurisdictional dollar limit. The court also reviews certain appeals from the Justice of the Peace Court and from some administrative agencies, depending on the statute.
What the Court of Common Pleas Handles
CCP's docket is a mix of criminal, civil, and appellate work. The court is high-volume because misdemeanors and preliminary hearings make up a large slice of state criminal-justice activity. Many residents will pass through CCP without ever seeing the Superior Court, since a misdemeanor case can begin and end here.
- Misdemeanor criminal trials, bench and limited jury.
- Preliminary hearings for felony charges before they go to Superior Court.
- Civil cases within the court's statutory dollar limit.
- Appeals from Justice of the Peace Court rulings, depending on case type.
- Certain administrative appeals where statute routes them to CCP.
- Plea hearings, sentencing, and probation review for CCP-level cases.
The court is not the right place for felony trials, divorce, custody, juvenile delinquency, large civil damages, or probate. Those go to other Delaware courts. People who get a court notice should look at the court name on the notice first; the name tells you the right docket to track.
Court of Common Pleas vs. JP Court vs. Superior Court
The three adjacent New Castle County trial courts split work by case type and dollar value. CCP is the middle court. JP Court is the lower court. Superior Court is the major trial court. The split matters when you read a case docket or look up a citation.
| JP Court | Court of Common Pleas | Superior Court | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal | Lower-level criminal, traffic | Misdemeanors, preliminary hearings | Felonies and felony jury trials |
| Civil | Small claims, landlord-tenant, debt, replevin | Civil cases within statutory limits | Major civil and complex civil |
| Jury trials | Limited | Limited; mostly bench trials | Civil and criminal jury trials |
| Appeal goes to | Court of Common Pleas or Superior Court by statute | Superior Court | Delaware Supreme Court |
| Sample case type | JP landlord-tenant, JP debt | Misdemeanor theft, simple assault | Felony defamation case N21C-08-063 |
Note: Statutory appeal routes are not always one level up. Delaware statute sets the appeal path for each court and case type, so a quick check of Title 10 of the Delaware Code is worth the time.
How a Case Moves Through CCP in New Castle County
A criminal case in CCP usually starts with a citation or an arrest. The defendant gets a court date. The court holds an arraignment, the defense and prosecution may negotiate a plea, and the case moves to trial or sentencing. Civil cases follow a separate civil track. Appeals from JP Court follow yet another track and may include de novo review depending on the statute.
Misdemeanor flow: Citation or arrest › Arraignment in CCP › Discovery and pretrial › Plea or bench trial › Sentencing › Appeal to Superior Court if available.
Felony preliminary hearing flow: Arrest › CCP preliminary hearing › Bound over to Superior Court › Indictment or information › Superior Court arraignment.
Civil flow: Complaint filed › Answer › Discovery › Bench trial › Judgment › Appeal to Superior Court.
Note: A CCP docket entry may show a continuance, a bond change, or a plea even on a routine case; tracking the docket is the easy way to follow what happens between hearings.
Searching New Castle County CCP Cases
Public civil docket searches for CCP run through Delaware CourtConnect. The same "Judicial Case Database" that covers Superior Court civil dockets also covers many Court of Common Pleas civil case types. The case-type dropdown shows specific CCP civil categories. The disclaimer applies: the docket data is "as is," and certified copies still come from the clerk.
- Open the CourtConnect search home and accept the disclaimer.
- Pick the person/business/case-type search path.
- Type the last name. Add first name or filing dates to narrow results.
- Pick a CCP case type from the dropdown if the case type is known.
- Open the case page to see parties, filing date, and status.
- For exact case lookups, use the docket-report search and type the case ID.
- For criminal CCP records and dispositions, contact the court directly when needed.
For broader records help across criminal cases, see New Castle County criminal records. For docket-only help across multiple courts, see court dockets. For the umbrella records page, see court records.
What a CCP Record Shows
Records in CCP follow the same general structure as other Delaware court records. The level of detail visible on a public docket depends on case type, sealing, and whether documents have been uploaded to the public view. Personal identifiers, victim information, and sealed filings are not public.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | CCP-coded case ID with year and sequence elements |
| Caption | State of Delaware v. defendant in criminal; plaintiff v. defendant in civil |
| Filing Date | Date the case was filed with the court |
| Case Type | Code plus text, such as a misdemeanor charge code or civil category |
| Status | Open, closed, disposed, transferred, or other code |
| Parties / Attorneys | Plaintiff/defendant, prosecutor, defense counsel, bar IDs |
| Docket Entries | Filings, motions, orders, hearings, continuances, dispositions |
| Financial | Fines, costs, restitution, bond, judgment amount where applicable |
Public Access and Restricted CCP Filings
Delaware's 29 Del. C. Chapter 100 Freedom of Information Act covers public agency records but not all court files. Court records use court rules, statutes, and judge orders to decide access. Many CCP cases are public, especially routine misdemeanor and civil dockets. Some filings are not public, including sealed records, juvenile-linked materials, certain victim information, and protective-order content.
Criminal-history dissemination follows 11 Del. C. § 8513. Expungement of qualifying records follows 11 Del. C. §§ 4372-4374. After expungement, the underlying case may no longer appear in public records the way it did before. That matters for CCP, because many low-level misdemeanors that show up in CCP are exactly the kind of cases that may later qualify for mandatory or discretionary expungement.
Note: A CourtConnect docket is a research tool, not an official court file; certified copies and stamped documents still come from the court clerk.
Appeals From and Into CCP
Appeals from Justice of the Peace Court may route into CCP under specific statutes. Appeals from CCP normally route to Superior Court. The exact appeal path depends on case type, statute, and procedural posture, so the case docket and a careful read of the statute matter. A defendant who lost a JP Court civil case may take that appeal to CCP and start over on the record. A defendant who lost in CCP can usually appeal to Superior Court. Further review can go to the Delaware Supreme Court when allowed.
Note: Missing an appeal deadline is final; do not assume there is a second chance after the statutory window closes.
Court of Common Pleas Location
For in-person filings, hearings, and clerk help, use the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center. Expect security screening at the entry. Bring photo ID, the case number, and the hearing notice.
Court of Common Pleas, New Castle County
Leonard L. Williams Justice Center
500 North King Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
Shared building with Superior Court and Family Court