Scott County
Scott County, established in 1821 and located in southeast Missouri, is the 104th largest county in the state by land area. With about 38,059 residents, Scott County has 420 square miles of land area, and its seat of government is Benton City.
Scott County's judicial system comprises a Circuit Court unified with the state's 33rd Judicial Branch. The 33rd Judicial Circuit Court is structured into several specialized Divisions that handle specific matters. All major criminal matters, family law cases, and juvenile cases are handled by the Circuit Court Division 3. The 33rd Judicial Circuit Juvenile Office decides cases involving minors, such as delinquencies, truancies, abuse, neglect, and adoptions. There is also a Drug Court under Division 3, which offers legal services to adults and children convicted of drug addiction.
Scott County judiciary also offers legal services through Divisions 4 and 5 of the 33rd Judicial Circuit Court. The Associate Circuit Judges oversee proceedings handled by these divisions. Probate proceedings like the administration of decedents' estates and wills are presided over by Circuit Court's Division 4. The Division 5 oversees civil cases with claims up to $15,000. It also hears appeals from Municipal Divisions and handles small claims cases as well as preliminary hearings for felonies. All municipal ordinance violation cases and less serious criminal cases like misdemeanors are decided by the Municipal Divisions of Scott County Circuit Court.
In Scott County, documents and information gathered during court processes constitute common court records. They include summons, petitions, pleadings, motions, judgments, and court orders, which are typically managed by the clerk of the appropriate divisions. Court records generated by Divisions 3, 4, and 5 of Scott County Circuit Court are maintained by the Circuit Clerk. Most Scott County court records, except juvenile, confidential, expunged, and sealed records, are publicly accessible.
Some of the public court records in Scott County are:
- Civil Records
- Criminal Records
- Family Law Records
- Probate Records
Interested persons may view case records and dockets of Scott County Circuit Court online through the Case.net portal. Only cases filed from July 1, 2023, to date may be accessed, and the litigant's name or case number is required for a case search. Information of court cases filed before July 1, 2023, may be accessed through the public access terminal located at the local courthouse. Similarly, court records not available online in Scott County may be obtained in person at the Circuit Court's Divisions where the cases were heard.
