Williams County
Located in the Northwestern part of North Dakota, Williams County was officially established in 1891. This county is named after Erastus Appleman Williams, who served in the Dakota Territory legislature. Williams County is home to 38,109 residents covering an area of 2,148 square miles. Apparently, it is one of the fastest-growing counties in America. The primary economic mainstays are energy and agriculture.
Williams County is found within the Northwest Judicial District. In 2013, a review by the judicial planning committee and the North Dakota Supreme Court ordered the separation of the Northwest Judicial District. The Northwest Judicial District presides over the Divide, McKenzie, and Williams Counties. As a result, Williams County has one District and seven Municipal Courts. Its District Court is the county's main court of general jurisdiction. That means it hears most criminal, civil, probate, and small claims-related cases. The municipal courts, though, handle ordnance violations like traffic infractions and misdemeanors.
Court records are documentation that is produced during case proceedings. These entail pleas, decrees, orders, dockets, case minutes, witness testimonies, opening statements, judgments, and appeals. In Williams County, court case records are typically available to the public unless there are restrictions by law or order. Cases involving domestic relations, juvenile issues, and mental health are not available to all interested parties. Requesters may seek the available court records from the Clerk of the District Court. That is by visiting the Clerk's office or sending written requests by mail. Some of the information parties must provide includes case numbers, court dates, party information, and credentials. Record seekers may also incur fees if they want to make physical copies.
The Clerk of the courts provides access to the following case types
- Criminal Cases
- Civil Cases
- Traffic Cases
- Probate Cases
- Small Claims Cases
Requesters may access court records online through the Clerk of the District Court's website. They can navigate to the Public Court Records search, where one can select the county and provide party information along with dates. The North Dakota Court Records portal also redirects interested parties to this search page.
