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| Mississippi Court Records- Listed below is contact information and/or links to websites containing resources to help in a search for Mississippi court records. | |||
| Mississippi Courts Online Access to County and State Judiciary Records | |||
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Mississippi’s courts are a combination of local and state judiciary branches serving the diverse needs for prosecution and litigation within the state. Mississippi Supreme Court The nine justices of the Mississippi Supreme Court form the state’s highest appellate court. The chief justice of the court is James W. Smith Jr., the only justice of the nine to have apparently ordered his biography excised from the state’s Web site. The court convenes in the state capital of Jackson. There are also two presiding justices” among the nine – currently William L. Waller Jr. and Oliver E. Diaz Jr. Their roles, and the post of chief justice, all are determined by seniority on the court. Mississippi’s legislature first created the court – then known as the “High Court of Errors and Appeals” – with the state’s first constitution, upon its admission to the Union in 1817. The court’s jurisdiction, mandated by statute, includes exclusive jurisdiction over review capital punishment sentences. All cases submitted for appellate review in Mississippi are filed in the Supreme Court, which then directs the appropriate cases to the state’s Court of Appeals, while retaining the cases – such as capital crimes – over which the high court has exclusive jurisdiction. Once the Court of Appeals has reached a decision, appeals of those findings can be sought from the Supreme Court via a writ of certiorari. The court’s general docket, docket calendar and decisions are accessible online. Mississippi Court of Appeals The Mississippi Court of Appeals was created by the state Supreme Court in the latter years of the 20th century to assist the higher court in managing a large appellate caseload. The Court of Appeals generally handles criminal cases and family law issues. Its cases are received from the Supreme Court after petitioners have sought redress from a decision they believed was unfair in the trial courts; if the Supreme Court does not have exclusive jurisdiction over the case (such as capital offenses) then it will assign the Court of Appeals to hear it first. The Court of Appeals is composed of ten judges, a chief (presently Leslie D. King), two presiding judges, and seven associates. The appellate court’s general docket, docket calendar and decisions are accessible online in the same fashion as the Supreme Court’s information; the courts and their sites are entwined. Mississippi Circuit Court Mississippi’s Circuit Court system is composed of 22 districts with 49 judges presiding therein. Districts are created by the legislature and/or federal courts, and can vary considerably in size, population and configuration. The Circuit Court is a trial court of record for felony criminal cases and misdemeanors on appeal. The court’s jurisdiction also includes civil actions involving disputes valued at $2,500 or more. Appeals from the Circuit Court are made to the Mississippi Supreme Court, although the high court will assign most of them (except capital cases or other issues on which the Supreme Court has exclusive jurisdiction) to first be heard by the Mississippi Court of Appeals. Juries are widely employed in circuit court, with a unanimous vote of 12 required for a criminal conviction, but a 75 percent majority (nine out of 12) in order to render a civil decision. A list of circuit court clerks is also available online. Mississippi Chancery Court Mississippi’s Chancery Court venues are a separate “court of equity,” rather than courts of law. The distinction is that these courts serve more as arbiters of disputes rather than decision-making courts ruling on guilt and innocence or points of law. A judge, or “chancellor,” presides over the court and generally hears cases without a jury, though an advisory jury can be requested by one or both parties. That advising jury’s opinions, however, are not binding upon the chancellor. Chancery Court has jurisdiction over domestic and family matters such as divorce, child custody and support, division of property, adoptions and other related issues. They also handle the dispensation of wills and estates (with or without a last will and testament) and preside over all issues involving minors. The court’s broad jurisdiction also spreads to matters involving title to land, contract disputes, injunctions and commitments for treatment of persons impaired through mental disability or substance abuse. In the 63 Mississippi counties having no family or county court, the Chancery Court either hears all youth court proceedings or appoints a “youth court referee” (a judge) to do so. The Chancery Court is a court of record, and its appeals are made the Mississippi Supreme Court. Mississippi Drug Court Mississippi Drug Courts are designed to address the substance abuse problems that so often drive people to commit crimes. They attempt to curb criminal behavior through treatment of these substance abuse issues rather than incarceration of the offender. The management of drug courts can vary between jurisdictions, but all of them focus on comprehensive supervision, drug-testing and treatment of the offenders, combined with immediate sanctions for violations of the drug court’s orders and incentives to follow them. Drug court participants undergo long-term treatment and counseling, and make frequent court appearances to review their progress. Graduating participants, it is hoped, have gained the necessary discipline and tools to rebuild their lives. |
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| Mississippi's Online Access to County and State Courts Web Sites | |||
| Mississippi
Supreme Court
United States District Court - Southern District of Mississippi United States District - Northern District of Mississippi US Bankruptcy Court - Northern District of Mississippi US Bankruptcy Court - Southern District of Mississippi Mississippi General Docket Search - Search Supreme Court General Dockets by attorney first and last name as well as part first and last name or case year or number. Mississippi Docket Calendar - Search Supreme Court Docket Calendars as well as listen to live broadcasts. Mississippi Supreme Court Administrative Office of Courts - Court Directory as well as Court Information. Mississippi Supreme Court Bar Roll - Attorney Search Engine by last name, first name, zip code or city. Mississippi State Law Library - Search the Catalog as well as Mississippi Codes. Mississippi Supreme Court Search Engine - Search Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Opinions as well as hand down lists. |
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| Mississippi County Courthouses Phone Numbers and Addresses | |||
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