Crittenden County Circuit Court Role
Circuit Court is Kentucky's general-jurisdiction trial court. KCOJ states that Circuit Court hears civil matters over $5,000, capital offenses and felonies, divorces, adoptions, termination of parental rights, title disputes, contested probate matters, injunctions, writs, and appeals from District Court and administrative agencies. KRS 23A.010 also identifies Circuit Court as a court of record.
| Local court | Listed role | Record access |
|---|---|---|
| Crittenden Circuit Court | Felonies, civil over $5,000, divorce, adoption, contested probate, title disputes, appeals. | Circuit Court Clerk and KYeCourts. |
| Crittenden Family Court | Family division in the 5th Judicial Circuit. | Circuit Court Clerk, with confidential limits. |
| Crittenden District Court | Misdemeanors, traffic, small claims, probate of wills, preliminary felony hearings. | Circuit Court Clerk and public docket portal. |
Crittenden County Judges
KCOJ lists Crittenden County in the 5th Judicial Circuit and 5th Judicial District. Daniel M. Heady is listed as Chief Circuit Judge for the 5th Judicial Circuit, Division 1. Brandi H. Rogers is listed as Family Court judge for the 5th Judicial Circuit, Division 2. Ben Leonard is listed as District Court judge for the 5th Judicial District. Melissa Guill is the Circuit Court Clerk.
| Court or officer | Local listing | Address or location | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court | Daniel M. Heady, Chief Circuit Judge | Proceedings at Marion City Hall Council Chamber; clerk at 208 S. Main St. | 270-965-4200 |
| Family Court | Brandi H. Rogers, 5th Judicial Circuit, Division 2 | Same county court and clerk framework. | 270-965-4200 |
| District Court | Ben Leonard, 5th Judicial District | Same county court and clerk framework. | 270-965-4200 |
| Circuit Court Clerk | Melissa Guill | 208 S. Main St., Marion, KY 42064 | 270-965-4200 / 270-965-4046 |
Circuit Court Versus District Court
District Court is the lower limited-jurisdiction court. It handles traffic, misdemeanors, violations, city and county ordinances, juvenile matters, small claims of $2,500 or less, civil cases of $5,000 or less, probate of wills, arraignments, felony probable-cause hearings, domestic violence matters, and mental commitments. Circuit Court takes felony disposition, higher civil matters, contested probate, divorce, adoption, title disputes, and appeals from District Court.
Kentucky's statewide specialty court overview appears in this image from the Kentucky Court of Justice Specialty Courts page.
Specialty court review events can appear in docket history, but treatment and program materials can have separate access limits.
| Issue | Circuit Court | District Court |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal | Felony and capital case disposition. | Misdemeanors, violations, ordinances, felony preliminaries. |
| Civil | Civil matters over $5,000 and title disputes. | Civil matters of $5,000 or less and small claims. |
| Probate | Contested probate disputes. | Probate of wills. |
| Appeals | Appeals from District Court and agencies. | Appeals go to Circuit Court. |
Crittenden County Case Movement
A criminal case can start in District Court with an arrest, citation, arraignment, bond issue, or felony probable-cause hearing. If the matter is a felony and proceeds after indictment or other proper filing, the final felony case moves through Circuit Court. Civil cases move based on value and subject. Family cases in the Family Court division remain part of the Circuit Court structure.
Typical case flow: law-enforcement event or filing > District Court first stage when applicable > Circuit Court for felony, divorce, high-value civil, contested probate, or appeal > Kentucky Court of Appeals if appealed.
Kentucky Drug Court appears in this image from the KCOJ Drug Court page.
KCOJ says Drug Court serves all 120 Kentucky counties, which makes it relevant to Crittenden County criminal-case dispositions and review hearings.
Crittenden County Circuit Dockets
The Kentucky trial court docket portal is the public date tool for Crittenden County Circuit and District matters. It requires county, division, date, courtroom, and subdivision controls. Results are not official and are subject to change, so hearing dates should be verified with the Circuit Court Clerk before travel or filing deadlines.
- Select Crittenden County in the docket portal.
- Choose Circuit for Circuit Court matters or District for lower-court matters.
- Enter the date shown on the notice, citation, or clerk instruction.
- Review the returned docket, then confirm with the clerk if the hearing is important or weather could affect court.
Note: Weather closures are determined locally by chief judges and the circuit clerk, even when statewide notices are posted.
Federal Courts for Crittenden County
Federal cases are separate from Crittenden County Circuit Court. Crittenden County is in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Bankruptcy matters route to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Federal appeals go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and federal case access uses PACER or CM/ECF instead of KYeCourts.
The Western District federal court homepage appears in this image from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.
Federal criminal, civil, and prisoner records are not Crittenden County Circuit Court records, even when the person lives in the county.
The bankruptcy court appears in this image from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Kentucky.
Bankruptcy files are searched through federal bankruptcy systems, not through the Crittenden County clerk counter.
The Sixth Circuit appears in this image from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
The Sixth Circuit hears federal appeals, while Kentucky state appeals from Circuit or Family Court go through the Kentucky appellate courts.
The U.S. Attorney page appears in this image from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky.
Federal prosecutions are distinct from Commonwealth or county prosecution in Kentucky state courts.
Crittenden County Circuit Records
Circuit Court records can include complaints, petitions, indictments, informations, motions, orders, hearing entries, judgments, divorce decrees, adoption-related filings, sentencing, probation, restitution, and appeals from District Court. Restricted material may be redacted or withheld, especially juvenile, adoption, mental-health, sealed, expunged, and victim-sensitive information.
Use KYeCourts when case access is available, the docket portal for hearing dates, and the Circuit Court Clerk for copies and official records. For older files, ask the clerk whether the record is local, off site, at the State Records Center, or indexed through KDLA.