Clay County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Clay County, formerly known as Breckinridge County, is a significant center for commerce, higher learning, and industry in west central Minnesota. This makes it one of the best counties to live in Minnesota. Clay County has a unified trial system that is well-equipped to manage legal issues when they arise in the county. Therefore, all 65,307 residents of Clay County are served by the Clay County District Court. The Minnesota Tax Court is also a part of Clay County's court system as it handles specific legal issues.

The Clay County District Court is a part of the Seventh Judicial District. Situated in Moorhead, it is responsible for handling all civil and criminal cases in the county. To encourage efficiency, the District Court is organized into different court Divisions based on the type of cases they handle. These Divisions include the Civil Division, Criminal Division, Family Division, Juvenile Division, Probate Division, Housing, Division Misdemeanors, Conciliation (Small Claims) Division, and Traffic Division. From their names, you can easily determine the role of each Division in the District Court. Notably, some Divisions may share jurisdiction over some types of cases. The Minnesota Tax Court handles all appeals of orders issued by the Commissioner of Revenue. It also handles appeals of local property tax valuations and exemptions. Although the Tax Court is situated in the city of St. Paul, the judges travel to different counties to conduct trials.

For every 100,000 residents of Clay County, there are over 135 violent crime reports. This accounts for the active nature of the District's Criminal Division, which handles up to 300 cases per year. All Clay County court records, except those termed confidential by the District Court, can be reviewed by members of the public. Therefore, one can easily approach the District Court Clerk to request them. You can also utilize the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) webpage to conduct a record search. Confidential or sealed records typically encompass all matters having to do with juvenile, custodial, adoption, medical, and mental health matters. Notably, records provided by MCRO may not be complete as they are not reviewed by the Judicial Branch before they are released.

The Clay County District Court is an integral part of its governance. While it aims to ensure that justice is delivered across a variety of legal matters, it is partially responsible for the maintenance of peace and order within Clay County.