Kay County
Originally designated as County “K," Kay County was formed from the Cherokee Strip and is located in Oklahoma. It is populated with 43,641 people and remains the sole county that has retained its name since Oklahoma attained statehood. Newkirk is its county seat, while its biggest municipality is Ponca City.
Kay County has a trial court structure that encompasses a district court and several municipal courts. The Kay County District Court exercises general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases, including felonies and misdemeanors, torts and contracts, personal property recovery suits, and civil claims for up to $10,000.
Kay County's Municipal Courts are limited jurisdiction courts with the authority to handle criminal misdemeanors and traffic suits that violate municipal ordinances. Two types of municipal courts exist within Kay County's court system, and they include:
- Municipal Courts of record
- Municipal Courts Not of record
In the Municipal Courts of Record, which are also known as municipal criminal Courts of Record, court clerks record oral proceedings in the event of appeals, and legal representation is mandatory. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has appellate jurisdiction over this court type. Typical cases heard in these courts include parking offenses, environmental ordinance violations, traffic infractions, and certain criminal misdemeanors.
In contrast, Municipal Courts not of Record maintain no records of proceedings, and parties can opt to appear without lawyers. Judges in these courts rely on their notes or memory to decide cases, while the Kay County District Court hears their appeals. Municipal ordinance violations are typically heard in the Municipal Courts Not of Record.
In Kay County, court records are all forms of records of various civil, criminal, and traffic court proceedings maintained by a court clerk.
Legal researchers and analysts employ court records in their various research, while county residents engage them to deepen their understanding of the judicial process. Court records in Kay County, which may be in paper or digital formats, include:
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Family Law records
- Juvenile records
The Kay County Clerk of District Court oversees the maintenance of court records in the county. According to the Oklahoma Open Records Act, all court records, excluding confidential records, are open to public disclosure. Requesters can inspect and duplicate hardcopy court records by submitting requests to the Court Clerk's Office in person during business hours. Online criminal case records search can also be done using the case search portal on the Court Clerk's website. Record seekers can further access online court records through the Oklahoma State Courts Network's (OSCN) case search portal for case summaries and docket information.
