The West Virginia state court system is divided into two groups, the Supreme Court of Appeals and the Lower Courts. Jefferson County Among all of the cases heard by the lower courts, the supreme court can choose if they wish to overturn a ruling or hold a hearing for a case if they believe that the law was not upheld. 2022 West Virginia Court System - Supreme Court of Appeals. The majority of government documents, regardless of their physical forms, are available for inspection or duplication by interested individuals or organizations. West VirginiaCourtRecords.us. A requestor who wishes to visit the courthouse can find the address of the desired courthouse in the West Virginia court directory. All Rights Reserved. However, the states federal district courts operate somewhat independentlythey exercise limited jurisdiction over selected federal crimes in the state. 380 West South Street, Suite 1200 In any case, for Post-trial Motions, an order shall be entered on post-trial motions within two months of submission. Martinsburg, WV 25401. The judicial system of West Virginia has two federal district courts, as well as a number of trial courts, some of which deal with limited jurisdiction and specific subject-matter court cases. Fax: 681-248-8330, Ben Crawley-Woods Petitioners argue that the circuit court erred by prohibiting them from presenting evidence at the bench trial. All Rights Reserved. 111 Court Street 304-357-0406, Magistrate Gary Q. Sheff Access to court records and government-related information is established under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act. 304-357-0422 Charles Town, WV 25414. 304-558-0497. We do not originate, create, or control that information, and we cannot guarantee The WV.gov price includes $2 per payment. They may also review the Family Court's decision, unless all parties agree to appeal directly to the Supreme Court of Appeals. It is not operated by, affiliate or associated with any state, county, local or federal government or agency. Members of the public who wish to obtain criminal court records from the state of West Virginia but are not able to do so either in person or via mail may also wish to utilize a third party aggregate site. This West Virginia Court Records website was designed to facilitate public access to non-confidential court records. These lower courts consist of Circuit Courts, Family Courts and Magistrate Courts, spread out across the state. Cases that are reopened or remanded by the Supreme Court are not assigned new case numbers. Unless overruled or modified by the Supreme Court of Appeals, all ICA opinions, orders, and decisions are binding precedent for all circuit courts, family courts, magistrate courts, and state administrative agencies. In General Civil Cases, the final judgment must be rendered within 18 months of the complaint being filed. Records on this site are compiled from courts and government agencies from many of West Virginias 55 counties. The Charleston clinic suspended abortions shortly after lawmakers . They may also provide by law that, in the Municipal Court judge's absence, other officials designated by ordinance or the municipal court clerk may serve in that capacity. By clicking I Agree, you consent to our Terms of Service and are authorizing Courtrecords.org to conduct a person search to identify preliminary results of the search subject you entered. State of WV Main Page The West Virginia Judicial System is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing equal access and unbiased, non-discriminatory treatment to all. What are Traffic Court Records West Virginia official details of in-court proceedings related to persons accused of violating traffic laws make up the eventual . Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday said it would convene as a full court to consider a pair of transgender rights cases from West Virginia and North Carolina. (address same as the Magistrate Clerk) Plaintiff should fill in their name and address. There is no intermediate court with the specific function of bridging cases and appeals between the circuit trial courts and the supreme court. 304-264-1952 The court also can hear cases that involve property and can hear cases that deal with probation, estate matters, and case that deal with the mental health of an individual. Court Records | West VirginiaCourtRecords.us, felony cases, selected misdemeanors or civil cases. Petitioners may be required to pay a nominal fee for court documents. In addition, the West Virginia Circuit Court has jurisdiction over all civil cases in equity, all felonies and misdemeanors, habeas corpus, quo warranto, mandamus, and all civil cases at law exceeding $7,500.00. Case numbers or names, or any other information that makes retrieval simple. West Virginia Circuit Courts have general jurisdiction over criminal cases in the state. To aid members of the public with this step, the West Virginia judiciary provides a court information directory that provides contact details for all courthouses as well as the courthouse officials in the state. (address same as Circuit Clerk) According to the West Virginia FOIA, Supreme Court Opinions are also classified as public records and are therefore made available to the public via online access. Online Services Although there are still some court documents that must be obtained by visiting us in person such as Family and Criminal Court documents, many of our public records are accessible via our online inquiries listed here. 304-264-1954 The West Virginia Court Records Search links below open in a new window and take you to third party websites that provide access to WV public records. However, these records may be accessed via a number of unofficial third-party websites. Courtrecords.org is a privately owned, independently operated resource for public records. James F. Dunlap, Probation Officer, Deputy Chief, Adult All Rights Reserved. The Supreme Court of Appeals: The Supreme Court of Appeals being the highest court in the state, is the highest appellate court in the state, and it has administrative and judicial authority over the entire state court system. Assemble all supporting documentation, such as certified copies of court documents from the clerk and copies of program or educational certificates. Currently, the West Virginia court system operates no online repository of court records. The clerk of the courthouse where the relevant case was filed may provide the case number upon request. The petitioner must then submit the petition for expungement along with the supporting documents to the court clerk in the county where they were charged. This website contains information collected from public and private resources. Magistrate Courts: The Magistrate Court has limited legal authority. Fax: 304-258-7494 (Jefferson County) A case number distinguishes one lawsuit from another and is assigned by court personnel upon the filing of a lawsuit. 304-357-0403, Magistrate Jack Pauley This option is only available during operating hours of the courthouse. The Supreme Court of Appeals also has administrative and regulatory duties that constitutionally empower it to create and enforce rules governing the state of West Virginias judicial practices and procedures. Charleston, WV 25301 Preston County Court Records are public records, documents, files, and transcripts associated with court cases and court dockets available in Preston County, West Virginia. For all courts, appeals go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. The purpose of bringing the case to court is so that the judge or jury serves justice by determining guilt or liability. 304-357-0365 Fax: 304-357-0310, Judge Maryclaire Akers 304-357-0367 (address same as Circuit Clerk) Magistrate Courts can also issue arrest and search warrants, record affidavits and complaints, set bail and make decisions concerning proposed plea agreements as well as decisions concerning the collection of cash bonds, fines, and other court costs/levies. Judge David A. Camilletti It is suggested that the petitioner create an additional copy for his or her records. Charles Town, WV 25414 Pursuant to West Virginia State Code Chapter 49 Article 5, records of juvenile proceedings are automatically sealed either one year after the juveniles eighteenth birthday or one year after the personal or juvenile jurisdiction of the court is terminated, depending on which event comes later. Box), so that the papers can be delivered to the address. Decisions of the Supreme Court are referred to as Supreme Court Opinions. The Commission handles cases such as contract disputes, construction contract disputes, property damage, personal injury, damage and injury caused by road hazards, wrongful imprisonment, claims under the Crime Victims Compensation Act, and claims for damages caused by escaped inmates from State institutions. In the interest of transparency, the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act dictates that government records are available to the general public to view and copy. 119 North George Street 304-596-2140 The clerks' office will look up information and obtain what they have on file, providing it for a cost to the interested individual. Charles Town, WV 25414 West Virginia Court Records | West Virginia civil court records document the pleadings, exhibits and testimony of different parties during a civil case. 304-264-1992, Judge Bridget Cohee There are five elected justices that sit on the court, each serving a 12-year term. Fax: 304-357-0594, Judge Joanna Tabit Fax: 304-728-3298, Probation Office This includes most court records unless protected by another legal action. Currently, the West Virginia court system does not maintain an online database of court records. http://www.courtswv.gov/supreme-court/index.html, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East 380 West South Street, Suite 2400 111 Court Street, Suite 4. If you need legal advice you should consult an attorney or call Tuesday Legal Connect at 1-800-642-3617. The lower courts, the Magistrate and Municipal Courts, tend to hear either ordinance hearings or some misdemeanor and civil cases in the city. Some of the information required may include the names of the defendant, victim and/or witness name(s), the date the original charge(s) was filed as well as the case file number of the record. If the plaintiff cannot afford the court filing fee, the plaintiff should ask the Magistrate Clerk for a . 116 East Washington Street The West Virginia judiciary is divided into thirty-one (31) circuits, with at least one courthouse located in each of the states counties. All Rights Reserved. Fax: 304-262-3139. Though it is not an appeals court specifically, it has the power to hear appeals from Magistrate courts. Fax: 304-267-3710, Sean Bryner, Probation Officer, Chief 304-357-0402, Magistrate Joseph L. Shelton Fax: 304-558-5803, Judge Lera K. VanMeter The federal district courts in West Virginia are the: Each of the two districts also has a federal bankruptcy court, which has jurisdiction over all of the bankruptcy cases within their jurisdiction. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google 304-357-0404, Magistrate Michael B. Ferrell The same two regions have specific bankruptcy courts, which deal with both individual and business bankruptcies and have no jurisdiction over other aspects of the law. In addition to this, Magistrate Courts can also issue emergency protective orders in domestic violence cases. 2. Interested parties can also access some of these records in person by utilizing the self-service terminals located at the offices of the circuit clerks across the state. Fax: 304-357-0431, Probation Office The information obtained from our searches is not to be used for any unlawful purposes. To conduct a court case search by name, requestors must, among other things, contact the courthouse in person, by mail, or by phone and provide the case information required to search for the relevant court records.