Missouri Circuit Court Information and Rules

The State of Missouri is divided into 45 judicial circuits with a Missouri circuit court being located in any of the 114 counties of the State. The independent city of St Louis also has a circuit court situated within its boundaries. Both criminal and civil cases are heard by the circuit courts of Missouri. They are the trial courts of first instances which mean that all cases under trial are heard for the first time in the circuit courts of Missouri.

The courts can also be termed as courts of general jurisdiction as well as that of original jurisdiction of the State of Missouri. Every circuit court has several divisions within it. Each of them handles specialized cases and can be categorized into associate circuits, probate courts, small claims court, family court as well as municipal courts. Criminal and juvenile matters are also handled by the various circuit courts of Missouri.

Jurisdiction of Missouri Circuit Courts

All circuit courts are authorized to pass original jurisdiction over all civil as well as criminal cases. The courts usually sit at a specified time and place within the circuit. Adjudication of small claims procedures also come under the purview of the circuit courts of Missouri.

Each circuit court of Missouri is required to have at least one circuit judge. However, any circuit or associate circuit judge may temporarily sit in another circuit only if requested by another judge. The presiding judge is normally elected by way of secret ballot from among all the circuit and the associate circuit judges. The presiding judge has the administrative power over the courts as well as its decisions.

Obtaining Circuit Court Information

The city of St. Louis is located within the 22nd judicial circuit and the circuit court of the region has special divisions for hearing small claims as well as handling all landlord and tenant issues. Separate days of the week are set aside for hearings of separate matters and it is possible to find all related information by accessing http://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=29404 over the Internet.

Additional information can also be obtained by visiting the Circuit Clerk of the Court at 1114 Market St, St. Louis, MO 63101. You may also be able to get the required information by calling the office at (314) 622-4433. However, the St Louis municipal court matters are looked after by the administrator of the municipal division. This office is located at 1520 Market St, Ste 1120, St. Louis, MO 63103. It is possible to call the municipal court office at (314) 622-3558/4701 in order to obtain additional information, or you can do so by logging on to http://www.stlcitycourt.org.

Worth County is the least populous of all the counties in the state, having a population of only 2,039. The county is a part of the 4th judicial circuit  and any information about the court house can be obtained by writing to Worth County Courthouse, P.O. Box 350, Grant City, Missouri 64456. You can also get the required information by calling up the courthouse at (660) 564-2210. The clerk’s office is well equipped to provide you with detailed information about adult abuse orders as well as small case filings. Information about law days and traffic court hearings may also be obtained by contacting the clerk’s office at the circuit courthouse. All information pertaining to probate matters are given out by the associate division for information.

Texas County is a huge county in terms of area and is the largest county of Missouri. The county belongs to the 25th judicial circuit of the region and can be accessed over the Internet at http://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=4757. The family court of the 25th judicial circuit is particularly active and has initiated a lot of programs for helping people plagued with family court matters. Dissolution of marriage, legal solutions to marital problems as well as paternity suits can all be filed in the family court of the 25th judicial circuit of Missouri.

Particulars of legal fees can be accessed by visiting the webpage dedicated to family court rules at http://www.familycourt.us/rules/5-1-1.php . The juvenile division also comes under the family court of the 25th judicial circuit and helps in rehabilitation of troubled youth. It helps to protect the abused and neglected children belonging to Texas County. Each of these children is provided with an able guardian as well as a court attorney who is qualified to represent them in a court of law.  Alternatively you can visit the Texas County Courthouse, 210 N. Grand, Houston, MO 65483. You can also call them at (417) 967-3742 or (417) 967-4220 if you need additional information.

Online Case Information

Some of the courts of Missouri have implemented the Missouri State Courts Automated Case Management system. This has enabled the members of the general public to access all case details via the Internet. It is now possible to view details of a circuit court case by visiting https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/base/welcome.do. All information pertaining to docket entries, parties involved, as well as the charges and judgments given can be accessed directly from this website.