Silver Bow County
Silver Bow County, named after Silver Bow Creek, was founded in Montana in 1881. It encompasses 718 square miles of land and has about 35,000 residents. The City of Butte, which serves as the county seat, and Silver Bow County consolidated their governments in 1977 to form the City and County of Butte-Silver Bow.
Silver Bow County's judicial system comprises the District, Justice, and City Courts. The District Court is the county's court of general jurisdiction. It has jurisdiction over all felony criminal cases, probate matters, most civil matters, and certain actions involving claims against the state. Additionally, the District Court has limited appellate jurisdiction over cases from the courts of limited jurisdiction. The Justice Court in Silver Bow County has Criminal, Civil, and Small Claims Divisions. The Criminal Division manages cases involving misdemeanors, traffic offenses, and minor criminal violations and conducts preliminary hearings for felony charges. The Civil Division resolves non-criminal disputes of up to $15,000 that involve personal or property damage, contract disputes, landlord/tenant issues, and protection orders. The small claims division had jurisdiction over cases where the plaintiff seeks claims of $7,000 or less and counterclaims not exceeding $6,500. Lastly, Silver Bow County's City Court adjudicates city ordinance violations and lawsuits against the city/town it serves.
In Silver Bow County, public court records refer to case filings and other documents or information generated during court hearings handled by the county's court system. These records, including motions, case transcripts, court orders, and petitions, are stored at the courthouse or electronically and maintained by custodians such as the Clerk of the District Court.
The Clerk maintains the following types of public court records in Silver Bow County:
- Civil Court Records
- Criminal Court Records
- Small Claims Court Records
- Juvenile Court Records
- Domestic Relations Court Records
- Probate Court Records
Most court records and docket information in Silver Bow County are public and available to anyone at the Butte-Silver Bow County Courthouse. Interested individuals can visit the custodian's office to request copies of the records they maintain. There is a $10 fee for record searches per name. Additionally, the cost for copies is $1 for the first ten pages and $0.50 for each page after that. Requesters can complete and submit the City Court or Justice Court records request forms to inspect or obtain court records.
