Search Perry County Circuit Court

Perry County Circuit Court Overview

Kentucky's court hierarchy runs from the Supreme Court of Kentucky to the Kentucky Court of Appeals, then to Circuit Court and District Court at the trial level. Circuit Court is the highest trial court and a court of general jurisdiction. It can hear all types of cases unless the General Assembly has assigned exclusive jurisdiction to another court, such as District Court.

Perry County is in the 33rd Judicial Circuit and the 33rd Judicial District. The Kentucky Court of Justice county page lists Judge Alison C. Wells as Chief Circuit Judge for the 33rd Judicial Circuit and Judge Cody Goehring as District Judge for the 33rd Judicial District. The Circuit Court Clerk is Charles Patterson, with Circuit and District phone lines at the Hall of Justice in Hazard.

Perry County Circuit Court Contacts

The assigned research does not list multiple numbered Circuit Court divisions for Perry County. It identifies one local Circuit Court entry, one District Court entry, the Circuit Court Clerk, and appellate routes. This table uses only the offices and court roles located in the Perry County research.

Perry County Circuit Court Jurisdiction

The Kentucky Circuit Court overview states that Circuit Court is Kentucky's court of general jurisdiction. For Perry County, the research identifies felony criminal cases, civil matters above the District Court limit, land title disputes, contested probate, appeals from District Court, and Family Court matters where applicable.

Family Court is a division of Circuit Court where established. KCOJ describes Family Court jurisdiction as including dissolution of marriage, spousal support, equitable distribution, child support, visitation, paternity, adoption, domestic violence, dependency, neglect and abuse, termination of parental rights, runaways, and truancy. Appeals from Family Court go to the Kentucky Court of Appeals.

• Felony criminal cases and related Circuit Court proceedings.
• Civil matters not assigned to District Court by amount or subject matter.
• Land title disputes and general civil matters.
• Contested probate issues after routine probate of wills begins in District Court.
• Appeals from Perry District Court.

Circuit Court vs District Court

Perry County does not have a separate county court or justice court layer for these court records. The lower courts listed in the state map are District Court and city ordinance or municipal enforcement through District Court. District Court is the limited-jurisdiction court, while Circuit Court is the general-jurisdiction court.

Perry County Case Flow

Case movement depends on the type of case. A felony often begins in District Court with citation, arrest, arraignment, bond, and probable-cause proceedings. If indicted or waived onward, the felony moves to Circuit Court. Misdemeanors, violations, and traffic cases generally remain in District Court. Civil cases within District Court's amount limits stay there, while higher-value civil disputes and title disputes belong in Circuit Court.

Felony flow: Citation or arrest › District Court first proceedings › probable-cause stage › indictment or waiver › Circuit Court arraignment › pretrial › plea or trial › disposition and sentence.

Civil flow: Complaint or petition › service › answer › motions or hearings › trial or judgment › appeal if allowed.

Probate flow: District Court probate of will › clerk case access › contested or title-related issue › possible Circuit Court matter.

Perry County Circuit Court Records

Perry County Circuit Court records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk. Public case information may be available through KYeCourts guest access, and court dates may be checked through the Kentucky Court of Justice docket search. KCOJ states that the Administrative Office of the Courts is not the source of case files. Requests for copies and review of court case records start with the clerk of the court that heard the case.

The Circuit Court Clerk office provides all Circuit and District case information, a public terminal for checking cases, jury information, and copies at the researched per-page rate. If a file has moved to a records facility, the local clerk can identify the facility and provide the case and file locator numbers needed before contacting the State Records Center.

Perry County District Court Role

The Kentucky District Court overview describes District Court as the limited-jurisdiction trial court. Perry District Court handles misdemeanors, violations, traffic offenses, city and county ordinances, probate of wills, felony probable-cause hearings, arraignments, small claims, civil cases within its limit, mental commitments, juvenile matters, and domestic violence and abuse cases.

This lower-court role affects Circuit Court records because appeals from District Court go to Circuit Court. It also affects criminal records, because felony cases may begin in District Court before moving to Circuit Court. Probate research can also touch both levels when a will is probated in District Court but the dispute becomes contested or title-related.

Perry County Court Facility

The Perry County Hall of Justice is listed at 545 Main Street, P.O. Box 7433, Hazard, KY 41702. KCOJ and the county page list Monday through Friday hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday closed. The local clerk page notes a closure on Thursday and Friday during the third week in September for the Black Gold Festival.