Ford County
Located in the western region of Kansas, Ford County was formed from Marion County in 1873, and its county seat is Dodge City. With about 34,287 residents, the county covers 1,098.3 square miles of land, making it the 8th largest county in the state.
Ford County's judicial system, as grouped under Kansas' 16th Judicial District, consists of a District Court and four Municipal Courts. The District Court exercises authority over all civil and criminal cases properly brought before it. Its jurisdiction also covers domestic relations and juvenile cases such as divorce, legal separation, paternity, domestic violence, child custody, juvenile delinquencies, child support, and adoption. In addition, all probate cases, such as administration of decedents' estates, guardianships, and conservatorships, fall under Ford County District Court's jurisdiction. The four Municipal Courts in Kansas conduct non-jury trials of various municipal code and traffic law violations within the county. Their rulings may, however, be appealed to the District Court.
In Ford County, it is mandatory for courts to keep detailed records of legal information and materials gathered during case filings and court proceedings. These legal documents constitute official court records and are typically maintained by the clerks of various courts in the county. Court records in Ford County are publicly accessible. However, juvenile, sealed, expunged, and other confidential records are exempted from public disclosure.
Some common public court records in Ford County are:
- Criminal Records
- Civil Records
- Probate Records
- Family Law Records
Interested individuals may search limited Ford County District Court records online through the Kansas District Court Public Access portal. More detailed searches may be performed on the public terminals installed at the courthouse. Alternatively, case records may be requested by mail from the record custodian through the request form. Record seekers may also obtain copies of case information by visiting, in person, the local courts maintaining their records of interest.
