Los Angeles Area Court Records

Plaintiff-Defendant Database

To find a case file, researchers should use the plaintiff-defendant database available through the Huntington Digital Library (HDL). This database only includes case files that are physically located at The Huntington. A significant number of case files have not survived and are not in the database. Database entries do not include images for case files, but provide plaintiff and defendant names, dates and jurisdiction. Researchers should note that case files may be incomplete.

How-to search the database:

• Database users should note that spelling is often idiosyncratic and at times appears to be phonetic, so try all possible spellings of a name when searching.
• When searching by case file number, enter a five-digit number in the search box. Add a zero(s) to the beginning of an entry if the case file number is less than five-digits (ex. 04747).
• Search terms can be truncated by using an asterisk (*) in place of other characters.

Finding Aid

The finding aid contains information not available in the plaintiff-defendant database, specifically notation on The Huntington's holdings for Plaintiff/Defendant Indices, Registers of Actions, Judgment Books, Dockets, Minutes Books, Order Books and Clerk's Office volumes. The finding aid also includes an appendix detailing the "Items Removed" series, which consists of material that has been removed from case files and rehoused. A listing of missing case files, created from index volumes, is also included under the corresponding jurisdiction. Researchers will also find additional information on gaps in our holdings for each series.