How to Search Clarke County Court Records
Every search starts with one question: which court holds the file? Clarke County splits its records across more than one office. Felony, major civil, and tax-lien matters sit with the Circuit Clerk. Divorce, estates, land, and delinquent taxes sit with the Chancery Clerk. Traffic and county-ordinance tickets sit with Justice Court. City cases sit with the Quitman Municipal Court. Match the record to the office, then choose an online or in-person path.
The county's own website gives strong routing help. The official Clarke County homepage at clarkecountyms.gov links to each office and repeats the courthouse address.
That homepage is the cleanest starting point for a Clarke County court records search because it sorts visitors to the right clerk fast. For electronically filed Circuit and Chancery cases, the statewide tool is Mississippi Electronic Courts, reached through the public access system known as PAMEC. Registration is required before a user can view dockets or download filings.
Use these steps to track down a record.
- Pick the court. Felony, jury, and civil-litigation records route to the Circuit Clerk. Divorce, probate, land, and equity records route to the Chancery Clerk. Traffic and ordinance tickets route to Justice Court.
- For e-filed Circuit or Chancery cases, open PAMEC registration and select the right district. Clarke Circuit sits in the 10th Circuit; Clarke Chancery sits in the 12th Chancery.
- Enter a party name or case number, then narrow by court and date where the system allows it.
- Read the docket entries and status flags to see where the case stands.
- For older files, sealed records, or anything outside the online system, call or visit the clerk and ask for a copy or a certified copy.
The PAMEC public pages returned server errors during research, so the exact field labels could not be confirmed. The table below reflects the search paths the official pages describe.
| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Login / registration | Account | Yes for remote access | PAMEC requires a registered account. |
| Court selection | Dropdown | Likely | 10th Circuit for Clarke Circuit; 12th Chancery for Clarke Chancery. |
| Party name | Text | Unspecified | Standard name search path. |
| Case number | Text | Unspecified | Clarke format not published. |
| Date range / case type | Filter | Unspecified | Exact controls not viewable. |
The Clarke County Judicial System
Clarke County uses the standard Mississippi trial structure. The Circuit Court is the main felony, jury-trial, and major civil court, and it hears appeals from the lower courts. The Chancery Court is the equity court for divorce, custody, adoption, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, land title, and commitments. Justice Court handles traffic, county ordinance, DUI, small civil suits, and the first appearance in every felony case. Quitman Municipal Court hears city matters. Youth Court hears juvenile cases under tight confidentiality.
Clarke sits in the 10th Circuit Court District and the 12th Chancery District. The Circuit judges are Hon. Charles W. Wright, Jr. and Hon. Robert T. (Bo) Bailey. The Chancery judges are Hon. Amanda Traweek Rainey and Hon. Charles E. (Charlie) Smith. The county's courts page lists each office, its judges, and its jurisdiction notes.
That courts page is the official map of how Clarke County court records are divided among Circuit, Chancery, Justice, and Youth courts. Most cases flow upward through the system in a clear order.
Case flow: Justice Court or Municipal Court › Circuit Court › Mississippi Court of Appeals › Mississippi Supreme Court
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Circuit Court | Felony, jury trials, major civil, lower-court appeals | Indictments, civil suits, judgments, appeals |
| 12th Chancery Court | Equity and family matters | Divorce, custody, estates, guardianships, land title |
| Justice Court | Local civil and minor criminal | Traffic, DUI, ordinance, small claims, first appearances |
| Youth Court | Juvenile matters (confidential) | Delinquency, neglect, children in need of supervision |
| Quitman Municipal Court | City of Quitman cases | Municipal traffic and ordinance violations |
Types of Clarke County Court Records
Court records in Clarke County are best understood by venue. The Circuit Clerk keeps criminal history, civil litigation, tax liens, judgments, marriage licenses, and jury records. The Chancery Clerk keeps divorce, estates, guardianships, land deeds, liens, and Board of Supervisors minutes. Justice Court keeps traffic and ordinance files. Youth Court keeps confidential juvenile files. Each office produces its own kind of record.
The Circuit Clerk page spells out the wide range of records that office files and issues.
That page confirms the Circuit Clerk serves as clerk of both the Circuit and County courts and keeps the criminal and civil case files most people seek. The main record groups break down this way.
- Criminal records - felony case files in Circuit Court, with charges, pleas, and sentences.
- Civil records - lawsuits, judgments, and executions filed with the Circuit Clerk.
- Family and divorce records - divorce, custody, and support handled in Chancery Court.
- Probate records - estates, guardianships, and conservatorships in Chancery Court.
- Traffic records - tickets from state and county officers, heard in Justice Court.
What Clarke County Court Records Show
A court record is built from the documents filed during a case. The exact fields depend on the court. A Circuit criminal file shows charges, arraignment, bond, plea, and sentence. A Chancery file shows parties, petitions, orders, inventories, and accountings. Both systems use status flags such as Bench Warrant Issued, Capias Pending, Sealed Case, and Closed to mark where a case stands.
The Mississippi Electronic Courts information pages publish the full flag list for the 10th Circuit and 12th Chancery courts. Those flags reveal the real status language a researcher will meet in a Clarke County court record. The common fields are shown below.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The unique ID assigned when the case is filed. |
| Filing Date | When the case opened with the clerk. |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, or petitioner and respondent. |
| Charges / Cause | The criminal charge or the civil claim at issue. |
| Disposition | The outcome, such as a plea, verdict, or dismissal. |
| Sentence / Judgment | The penalty, award, or order that ends the case. |
Some documents stay hidden even when the case shows up. Sealed, expunged, juvenile, and confidential files may appear only as a shell with no public detail.
Circuit Court vs Chancery Court Records
The most common point of confusion in Clarke County is the split between Circuit and Chancery courts. They sit at the same level but handle different work. Circuit Court is the court of law for crimes and money disputes. Chancery Court is the court of equity for families, estates, and land. Justice Court sits below both and feeds cases upward. The table sorts the three by what they hear and which clerk holds the file.
| Feature | Circuit Court | Chancery Court | Justice Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main role | Law, crimes, civil suits | Equity and family | Local minor matters |
| Typical cases | Felonies, judgments, appeals | Divorce, estates, land | Traffic, DUI, small claims |
| Clerk | Circuit Clerk | Chancery Clerk | Justice Court office |
| District | 10th Circuit | 12th Chancery | Clarke County |
Note: A felony first appears in Justice Court for the initial appearance, then becomes a Circuit Court case once it is bound over or indicted.
Public Access Laws for Clarke County Court Records
Mississippi treats government records as open by default. The Public Records Act covers records held by county bodies, so court files are generally available unless a statute or court order restricts them. Court records still carry their own limits for sealed cases, expunged cases, juvenile files, adoptions, and personal identifiers like Social Security numbers. When no online portal exists, a written records request to the office that holds the file is the proper fallback.
The county's own how-do-i page routes record questions to the correct clerk and gives the courthouse location.
That FAQ is unusually direct about where each Clarke County court record lives, which makes it a useful first stop before any access law question. Three statutes shape what stays open and what stays closed.
Key Statutes:
Mississippi Code Title 25, Chapter 61 - the Public Records Act makes records held by government bodies open unless a law or exemption restricts them.
Mississippi Code § 99-19-71 - allows eligible dismissed, dropped, or qualifying conviction records to be expunged by petition.
Mississippi Code § 43-21-251 - keeps youth court records confidential except as youth court law allows.
Restricted and Confidential Clarke County Records
Not every Clarke County court record is open to a walk-in request. Youth Court files are confidential under state law, and access normally belongs to authorized parties, attorneys, or agencies with a court order. Sealed cases may show only a restricted shell. Expunged cases should not be treated as ordinary public records at all. Adoption files and mental-health commitments handled in Chancery Court hold sensitive personal information and stay closed in most situations.
A person seeking expunction should first identify the court that handled the arrest, charge, or conviction. The petition is filed in that court, and the clerk can confirm the procedure and fee. Section 99-19-71 covers several categories, including dismissed charges, no disposition, not-guilty outcomes, and certain misdemeanor or felony convictions under set conditions. Eligibility is not automatic, so a reader should verify it with the clerk, the court, or an attorney before filing.
Note: Clerk staff cannot disclose sealed or expunged contents without legal authority, so confirm restrictions with the court before relying on any third-party result.
Specialty Courts in Clarke County
Mississippi runs problem-solving courts inside several judicial districts. The 10th Judicial District, which includes Clarke, Lauderdale, Kemper, and Wayne counties, has had a Drug Court program introduced in Meridian. The district attorney serves on the drug court team. The official Clarke County pages do not publish eligibility rules, a coordinator, a schedule, or current participant detail, so the safest step is to ask the Circuit Court or the District Attorney whether a specific Clarke case qualifies.
The Mississippi Administrative Office of Courts maintains a statewide intervention court program from its Jackson office. These intervention courts include drug courts and other treatment-based dockets. No Clarke-specific veterans court, mental health court, or juvenile treatment court page was located in official sources, so readers should route program questions to Youth Court or the Circuit Clerk for current availability.
Clarke County Sheriff and Jail Records
The Clarke County Sheriff is Anthony Chancelor, and the office sits at 444 West Donald Street in Quitman. The sheriff is elected at large for a four-year term, keeps the peace, serves as the county jailor, and keeps a jail docket. That jail docket is an official county record, but the county website does not publish a live online jail roster. The first step for a recent arrest is a phone call to the jail.
The official Sheriff page lists the office address, phone, and jailor duties.
That page confirms the sheriff keeps the jail docket that underlies Clarke County arrest and booking records. Justice Court judges hold sessions at the jail three times each week to give every arrested person an initial appearance within three days. For the full roster details and booking process, the Clarke County inmate records page collects the available channels, and active and bench warrant routes are covered on the warrant records page. State-prison inmates are searched through the MDOC inmate tool rather than the county sheriff.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
Marriage licenses in Clarke County are issued by the Circuit Clerk, who also keeps the county marriage record. State marriage copies come from the Mississippi State Department of Health Vital Records office. Divorce and probate are Chancery Court functions, so the Chancery Clerk holds those files. The county does not run a separate probate court; estates and guardianships are handled within Chancery Court.
The Chancery Clerk page describes the office as one of the most diverse in Mississippi government.
That page confirms the Chancery Clerk handles divorce, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and land records for Clarke County. One caution applies to marriage. The county FAQ still mentions a blood-test receipt, but the state health department states that no blood test has been required since July 1, 2012. Applicants should call the Circuit Clerk before applying. A few probate terms come up often.
- Testator
- A person who makes a will.
- Executor
- The person named to carry out a will and settle the estate.
- Conservator
- A fiduciary who manages an incapacitated person's property or finances.
Clarke County Court Records Fees
Clarke County does not publish a local fee schedule for copies, certified copies, or record searches on its official website. The county forms page lists downloadable forms but no court-record request form. For copy and certification costs, the only reliable step is to call the Circuit Clerk or Chancery Clerk and confirm the current charge before sending payment.
The county forms page shows the resident and state forms the county does post online.
That forms page makes clear that no Clarke County court-record copy form is posted, which is why a phone call to the clerk is the practical route. A few fees are confirmed at the state level.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plain court copy | Not published; call the clerk |
| Certified court copy | Not published; call the clerk |
| State marriage record (MSDH) | $17 per copy |
| Certified Mississippi driving record (DPS) | $14.31 online |
| PAMEC access | Annual registration plus per-page charges |
How to Read Clarke County Court Records
Court files use short codes and legal terms that confuse first-time readers. A charge is only an accusation, not proof of guilt; a conviction is the court's final finding. A disposition is the outcome, and a sentence is the penalty. Status flags such as Plea Pending, Bound Over, Nolle Pros Pending, and Probation Violation Pending each mark a stage in the case. Knowing the basic vocabulary keeps a search from going wrong.
These terms appear across Clarke County court records most often.
- Indictment
- A grand-jury charging document for a felony.
- Arraignment
- The hearing where a defendant hears the charges and enters a plea.
- Nolle prosequi
- The prosecutor's formal choice not to pursue a charge.
- Capias
- A court order directing an arrest, often after a failure to appear.
- Disposition
- The result of a case or a single charge.
- Expungement
- A court process that removes eligible records from public access.
Federal Cases Near Clarke County
Federal cases are separate from Clarke County court files. The county falls within the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. The nearest regular federal courthouse is in Hattiesburg, and Jackson is the major district location. Federal court covers federal crimes, civil-rights suits, federal-question cases, and similar matters, while bankruptcy runs through a separate federal court.
Federal docket access works through PACER, the national electronic records system. The Southern District of Mississippi site lists court locations and phone numbers, and appeals from the district go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. None of these federal courts sit inside Clarke County, so a federal search means looking outside the county system.
History of Clarke County Courts
Clarke County was created in 1833 from former Choctaw lands and named for Joshua G. Clarke, said to be Mississippi's first chancellor. The county seat, Quitman, is named for John A. Quitman. The current courthouse is the fourth seat of county government. The first courthouse stood in Old Quitman, where Union troops burned it in 1864, after which the seat moved to Enterprise. A new Quitman courthouse went up in 1880 and served until 1912.
That history matters for records access because nineteenth-century files may have gaps or need archive handling. The county demographics page points to Census and economic data for the modern county profile.
That page rounds out the county profile that sits behind its court system today. Technology marks a clearer line. Clarke Chancery Court joined Mississippi Electronic Courts on November 1, 2015, and Clarke Circuit Court joined on August 17, 2020. Recent cases have an electronic trail, while older files may require a clerk-counter search.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I search Clarke County court records online?
Circuit and Chancery case records are accessed through Mississippi Electronic Courts using the PAMEC public access system. Registration is required. Select the 10th Circuit District for Clarke Circuit cases and the 12th Chancery District for Clarke Chancery cases. Clarke County does not run its own local case-search portal, so older or non-digitized files may require a call or visit to the clerk who holds them.
Which clerk holds the record I need?
The Circuit Clerk holds criminal history, civil litigation, tax liens, judgments, and marriage licenses. The Chancery Clerk holds divorce, estates, guardianships, land deeds, delinquent taxes, and Board of Supervisors minutes. Traffic tickets from state and county officers go to Justice Court, and City of Quitman cases go to the Quitman Municipal Court. Matching the record to the office is the fastest way to find it.
How do I find out if someone is in the Clarke County Jail?
The county does not publish an online jail roster. Call the Sheriff's Office and jail at 444 West Donald Street in Quitman to confirm whether someone is in custody. For people sentenced to state prison, use the MDOC inmate search instead. For custody and case notifications, the Mississippi VINE service offers free, confidential alerts statewide.
Are Clarke County court records public?
Most are. The Mississippi Public Records Act makes county records open unless a statute or court order restricts them. Court files still carry limits for sealed cases, expunged cases, youth court matters, adoptions, and personal identifiers. When no online portal covers a record, a written public-records request to the office that keeps the file is the correct route.
Do I still need a blood test for a marriage license?
The state health department states that no blood test has been required in Mississippi since July 1, 2012. The Clarke County FAQ still contains older blood-test language, which appears outdated. Because the local page and the state rule conflict, applicants should call the Circuit Clerk before applying to confirm the current requirements, identification, and any age-related parental signature.
How much does a copy of a Clarke County court record cost?
Clarke County does not publish a local fee schedule for copies or certifications. The reliable step is to call the Circuit Clerk or Chancery Clerk and ask for the current charge before paying. A state marriage record from the health department costs $17, and a certified Mississippi driving record from the Department of Public Safety costs $14.31 online; both are separate from county court copies.