Calloway County
Calloway County was formed in 1822 and named in honor of Colonel Richard Callaway. The county spans across 385.03 square miles and is home to over 30,000 people. Its county seat and largest city is Murray.
The Calloway County trial court system consists of a Circuit Court and a District Court. The Circuit Court has broad authority to handle both criminal and civil cases, including matters beyond the jurisdiction of the district court. It hears cases such as felonies, capital offenses, title-to-land disputes, contested probate actions, and general civil claims in which the amount of money in dispute is more than $5,000. It also has the authority to issue injunctions and prerogative writs, as well as the power to hear appeals from certain administrative agencies. The Circuit Court also has a family court division that specializes in cases involving divorces, child custody, maintenance and support, adoptions, child abuse, child neglect, and paternity.
Calloway County District Court handles less serious criminal cases such as misdemeanors, traffic offenses, city ordinance violations, and preliminary hearings for felonies or capital offenses. It also has jurisdiction over civil matters, including probate cases, juvenile matters, domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, involuntary mental commitments, and general civil claims involving $5,000 or less. Additionally, the district court has a small claims division that handles civil cases in which the amount in dispute is below $2,500.
Public court records refer to official records generated from legal proceedings of the circuit and district courts. These records include case files, dockets, minutes, calendars, pleadings, judgments, and orders. The Circuit Court Clerk is responsible for storing and maintaining various types of Calloway County court records, including the following:
- Civil records
- Probate records
- Criminal records
- Traffic records
- Family Law records
- Small claims records
- Juvenile records
Calloway County court records are available for public viewing online via the Kentucky Court of Justice case search. Here, interested residents may search for case documents by using case number, citation, or party/business. For older court records (15-35 years old), record seekers may request records from the State Records Center by calling (502) 564-3617 or by submitting a records request form to state.records@ky.gov. However, to obtain court records of 36+ years old, requesters may email an appropriate request to the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives or call (502) 564-1787.
