Pike County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Pike County was established on December 19, 1821, and named after explorer Zebulon Pike. It sits in Kentucky's eastern coalfields and is also known as the state's third-largest banking center. The county had a recorded population of 58,196 in 2022. The county seat, Pikeville, was officially designated in 1893. All court-related matters are filed either with the Circuit Court or the District Court. These two courts make up the Pike County court system.

The Pike County Circuit Court, situated in Pikeville, is a trial court with general jurisdiction over property disputes, felonies, capital offenses, and civil lawsuits involving sums over $5,000. This court's Family Division focuses on cases relating to adoption, marriage dissolution, child custody, juvenile dependency, and juvenile status offenses. The Circuit Court may also hear appellate cases from the District Court and issue injunctions or writs of mandamus. On the other hand, the District Court has limited jurisdiction and holds hearings for small claims involving $2,500, city ordinance violations, voluntary mental health commitments, juvenile matters, misdemeanors, domestic violence, and civil lawsuits involving $5,000 or less.

The Pike County court system handles a significant number of cases annually. The District Court, specifically, administers more cases than the Circuit Court. The District Court handles more than 6,000 criminal and 2,000 civil cases each year. Conversely, the Circuit Court handles approximately 900 civil and 700 criminal cases each year. Furthermore, court records are considered open records and are usually available for public inspection. However, certain records, such as mental health and juvenile court records, may not be accessible to the public for confidential reasons. Despite these limitations, there are a few ways to access publicly available court records in Pike County, such as:

• Visiting the office of the Circuit Court Clerk
• Using the KYeCourts platform for remote access
• Submitting a request form to the State Records Center (for records between 15 to 35 years old)
• Requesting records from the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (for records older than 36 years)

The Pike County court system efficiently manages its diverse caseloads through two main courts, namely: the Circuit Court and District Court. While the Circuit Court handles major cases relating to felonies, family law matters, and civil actions involving larger amounts of money, the District Court deals with minor cases such as city ordinance violations, misdemeanors, and small claims. Lastly, the court system promotes transparency by allowing the public to access court records both electronically and in person.