Robeson County Superior Court District 20
Robeson County is assigned to Prosecutorial District 20, Superior Court District 20, and District Court District 20. North Carolina has one statewide General Court of Justice rather than county-run trial courts, so local court records are state court records maintained through the Clerk of Superior Court.
The North Carolina Superior Court page explains the statewide role of Superior Court.
Superior Court is the primary trial court for felony cases, larger civil cases, and District Court appeals.
Robeson County Court Structure
The state court hierarchy starts with the Supreme Court of North Carolina and the North Carolina Court of Appeals, then the Superior Court Division and District Court Division. Most Robeson County trial work occurs in Superior Court or District Court, with magistrates serving within the District Court ecosystem.
The Judicial Branch court structure page gives the statewide framework.
That structure explains why Robeson County court records use state systems and state court terminology.
| Court Level | Robeson County Role | Common Records |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Court | Felony, civil cases of $25,000 or more, appeals from District Court | Criminal files, civil judgments, appeals |
| District Court | Misdemeanors, infractions, traffic, juvenile, domestic, lower-value civil, small claims appeals | Traffic, misdemeanor, family, juvenile, small claims appeal records |
| Magistrates | Initial process, bond, small claims, summary ejectments, marriage ceremonies depending on rules | Initial criminal process, bond, small claims records |
Robeson County Court Contacts
The courthouse is the main location for adult civil, criminal, traffic, estates, and divorce court records. The Juvenile Court Facility is separate and should not be treated as the general courthouse for ordinary adult case files.
| Office or Function | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Robeson County Courthouse | 500 North Elm Street, Room 101, Lumberton, NC 28359 | (910) 272-5900 |
| Clerk of Superior Court | Robeson County Courthouse | (910) 272-5900 |
| Superior Court Judges | Robeson County Courthouse | (910) 272-5916 |
| District Court Judges | Robeson County Courthouse | (910) 272-5912 |
| District Attorney | Robeson County Courthouse | (910) 272-5910 |
| Magistrates | Robeson County Courthouse | (910) 272-5919 |
| Juvenile Court Facility | 120 Glen Cowan Road, Lumberton, NC 28360 | (910) 671-6290 |
The Robeson Juvenile Court Facility page gives the separate juvenile facility address and hours.
Juvenile records are restricted differently from adult public court records.
Superior Court vs District Court
Superior Court and District Court are both trial divisions of the same North Carolina court system. The key difference is jurisdiction. Superior Court handles felony and higher civil matters, while District Court handles the lower-level and high-volume matters most people encounter first.
| Topic | Superior Court | District Court and Magistrates |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal | Felony cases and some appeals | Misdemeanors, infractions, initial process, bond |
| Civil | Civil cases involving $25,000 or more | Many lower-value civil disputes and small claims paths |
| Family and juvenile | Limited by case type and appeal posture | Domestic, juvenile, and related matters |
| Records access | Portal, public terminals, paper files through clerk | Same clerk and Portal channels, with juvenile restrictions |
The Types of Courts page summarizes the roles of Superior Court and District Court.
The court-type distinction is the best way to understand why one Robeson case appears as felony, civil, traffic, family, or juvenile.
Robeson County District Court
District Court is the venue for many Robeson County misdemeanors, infractions, traffic cases, domestic matters, juvenile matters, and lower-value civil disputes. Magistrates are part of this lower-court structure and may handle initial criminal process, bond, small claims, summary ejectments, and other matters under state rules.
The North Carolina District Court page describes the statewide District Court Division.
For Robeson residents, District Court is often the first court tied to traffic citations, misdemeanors, domestic cases, and small claims paths.
Robeson County Case Flow
Criminal and civil cases can move between court levels depending on charge severity, claim amount, appeal rights, and procedural posture. Records follow the case through Portal, clerk terminals, and paper files.
Criminal flow: Arrest or summons › magistrate or first appearance › District Court setting or Superior Court felony path › plea or trial › judgment › appeal where allowed.
Civil flow: Complaint or petition filed › answer or response › mediation or arbitration where ordered › hearing or trial › judgment › appeal where allowed.
Robeson County Court Programs
The contact directory lists Family Drug Treatment Court, Child Custody Mediation, Guardian ad Litem, and court-ordered arbitration contacts. These are local court services that affect some family, child-related, and civil matters, even though the research did not locate a separate local veterans, DWI, adult drug treatment, or mental health court page.
- Family Drug Treatment Court: (910) 272-5105.
- Child Custody Mediation: (910) 272-5914.
- Guardian ad Litem: (910) 272-6093.
- Court-Ordered Arbitration for Superior Court: (910) 272-5927.
- Court-Ordered Arbitration for District Court: (910) 272-5940.
Robeson County Court Record Access
Superior Court and District Court records use the same access framework. Public case information can be searched in eCourts Portal, hearing dates can be searched through Search Hearings, and public terminals in clerk offices can show criminal, civil, special proceeding, and estate case information. Paper files are viewed through the clerk office in the county where the case is located.
Certified copies, divorce judgments, estate files, criminal case files, civil judgments, and special proceeding files route through the Robeson County Clerk of Superior Court when the case is located in Robeson County. Restricted juvenile, sealed, expunged, adoption, mental-health, and protected personal-identifier material may not be visible through public tools.
Robeson County Local Context
Robeson County is large by North Carolina land area and sits near the South Carolina line. That geography can confuse record searches because jail custody, state prison custody, federal cases, South Carolina records, NCDMV driver records, and Robeson County court records are different systems. The court page for Robeson County should be used for state trial court matters in Lumberton.
The courthouse on North Elm Street is the public-record core for court files. The Sheriff's Office and Detention Center are on Legend Road. The Register of Deeds is on North Chestnut Street. Keeping those three locations separate prevents many wrong-office requests for court records, jail records, and marriage or vital records. The Juvenile Court Facility on Glen Cowan Road is another separate site for juvenile matters.
Robeson County Appeals
Superior Court also matters because it hears appeals from District Court. A lower-court traffic, misdemeanor, small claims, or civil matter may create a different record trail if it is appealed. The clerk file and Portal entries should be checked for the case number, division, appeal event, judgment, and current hearing setting.
Appeal posture can affect what a reader sees. A District Court judgment, notice of appeal, Superior Court setting, and later disposition may all exist under related case activity. When the online record is unclear, the Clerk of Superior Court is the local office for checking the paper file and confirming which division currently controls the case.