Jefferson County
Jefferson County is Missouri's sixth most populous county, having a population of 226,984 residents. Established in 1818, the county was named to honor the 3rd United States President, Thomas Jefferson. The City of Hillsboro serves as the county seat, while the largest city is Arnold.
The Circuit Court and Municipal Courts make up Jefferson County's judicial system. Being the county's general jurisdiction court, the Circuit Court hears all civil and criminal cases outside the purview of other courts. It is also known as the 23rd Judicial Circuit in Missouri, which has Associate Circuit, Probate, Juvenile, and Traffic Divisions. Associate Circuit judges in Jefferson County hear misdemeanors and civil claims where the amount in controversy is up to $25,000. They also resolve landlord-tenant issues and other minor criminal cases. The Juvenile Division oversees legal matters involving minors, while the Probate Division typically settles contested wills, appointments of estate executors, and guardianship issues. Traffic crimes are heard at the Circuit Court's Traffic Division. Jefferson County has several Municipal Courts tasked with handling ordinance violations and other civil violations.
According to the Missouri Sunshine Laws, Jefferson County public court records are documents showing details of legal proceedings in the Circuit Court. Examples of information on these records are case filings, parties' names, warrants, court judges and attorneys, fines, and court judgments. Access to court records in Jefferson County promotes public trust and transparency in the county's judicial system. These records are used for academic/journalism research, verification of court judgments, and historical record-keeping. The Jefferson County Circuit Clerk keeps and distributes the following public court records filed in the Circuit Court.
- Criminal court records
- Traffic records
- Probate records
- Civil records
- Family law records
The Circuit Clerk typically restricts access to confidential court records containing sensitive and personal identifying information. Juvenile, drug treatment, mental health, adoption, and sealed records are also confidential under state law. These records are accessible only to record owners and other authorized persons. To obtain confidential records, requesters must visit the Clerk's Office with valid IDs:
Jefferson County Circuit Clerk
300 Main Street
Hillsboro, MO 63050
Phone: (636) 797-5443
Email: 23Circuit@courts.mo.gov
Public court records in Jefferson County are generally accessible online through Missouri's Case.net. To find relevant case information online, users must provide parties' names, case numbers, or filing dates.
