Harrison County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Harrison County is located on the Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi with a population over 208,700 people. It was established in February 1841 from sections of Jackson, Hancock, and Perry Counties. The county seats are Biloxi and Gulfport. In order to effectively administer justice via its judicial operation, the county's court structure adopts multiple court types in accordance with the Mississippi's Court system. The County's court system comprises Circuit Courts, Chancery Courts, County Courts, Youth Court, Justice Courts, and Municipal Courts.

The Municipal Courts are the lowest courts. They have limited jurisdiction over some types of criminal cases. Criminal cases, such as misdemeanor criminal cases and violations of municipal ordinances are handled in the Municipal Court. Justice Courts share criminal jurisdiction with Circuit and County Courts in certain matters. Most general civil claims where the amount in dispute is less than $3,500 are heard in the justice courts. Bond and preliminary hearings in felony cases can be conducted in Justice Courts.

Cases involving juvenile offenses, a child in need of supervision, abuse, or dependency are handled in Youth Courts. County courts handle most general civil claims where the amount in controversy is lower than $200,000, cases involving eminent domain, and some actions of unlawful entry and detainer. Chancery Courts in the county share some jurisdiction over certain types of cases with the Circuit Court. Matters including legal separation, child support, alimony, divorce, probate of wills, and alimony are heard in the Chancery Courts.

The Circuit Court is at the tip of the trial courts in Harrison County. They handle appeals from the lower courts, and all civil claims where the amount in controversy is more than $200,000. The court has general jurisdiction over most civil and criminal cases in the county.

Harrison County's crime rate is higher than the average county in the United States. The county sees an average annual crime rate of 54 incidents per 1,000 residents. Although not all arrests made in the county lead to court cases, the courts in the county still handle between 3,000 and 5,000 cases annually. Records of court proceedings can be obtained by making a request in person to the courthouse where the case was heard. Alternatively, you can perform name-based or case number searches online via the Mississippi Electronic Courts system to get case data information for cases heard in the Chancery, Circuit, and County Courts. Note that not all records are open to the public. Sealed records, such as juvenile records and other adoption records will be unavailable to the public.

Summarily, Harrison County Courts help the county government in its commitment to provide justice to residents through its effective handling of diverse legal issues. The Trial Courts (Circuit, Chancery, County, Youth) handle most cases. Circuit Courts deal with felonies and major civil suits. Chancery Courts tackle domestic issues, wills, and guardianships. The Youth Courts handle matters related to persons who are yet to reach the age of 18, such as abuse and child in need of supervision cases. The MEC system provides online access to the case information of the trial courts in the county.