Harrison County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Founded in May 1784, Harrison County, located in northern West Virginia is home to over 65,800 people. Its largest city – Clarksburg, doubles as the county seat. The court system in the county is made up of a Circuit Court, one Magistrate Court, one Family Court, and 10 Municipal Courts. Other than the Municipal Courts, the Family, Magistrate, and Circuit Courts are located in Clarksburg.

Municipal Courts in the county generally handle enforcement of municipal ordinance violations. The Magistrate Court is where most cases in the county are heard. The court handles small claims and issues emergency protective orders in matters of domestic violence. The Magistrate Court has original jurisdiction in most civil claims where the amount in dispute is less than $300. The Family Court handles cases involving paternity, annulment, divorce, name change, grandparent visitation, child custody, and infant guardianship.

The Circuit Court in Harrison County is where most trials are held. If a matter involves a crime or huge amounts of money, it will be handled in the Circuit Court. The Circuit Court hears appeals from the lower courts and some state agencies. The judges in the Circuit Court rule in abuse and neglect cases. Civil cases handled in the court typically involve private property rights and not criminal activity. The court has jurisdiction over civil cases where the amount in dispute is more than $300.

The crime rate in Harrison County is lower than the average crime rate in the United States. In a typical year, Harrison County records a crime rate of about 23 incidents per 1,000 residents. The County's Courts handle between 3,000 and 5,000 cases annually. Court files or documents for cases handled in these courts are maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. You can make a request to the Office of the Clerk for files to obtain copies of court documents for cases heard in Harrison County. Also, the West Virginia judiciary provides access to Magistrate Court case data via its online record search tool. However, if a record has been sealed under state or federal law, it will not be available in a public search.

Overall, the Harrison County Court system is a fundamental segment of its governance operations as it helps the county government provide justice in legal matters. The Magistrate Court handles most cases, including small claims matters. The Family Courts are where paternity, child custody, and divorce matters are heard. The Circuit Court handles matters beyond the scope of the other courts and also appeals from the lower courts. Access to Magistrate Court records is available online via the Magistrate record search system, while requests for physical court records can be made to the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court.