How to Search Alcorn County Court Records
Court records in Alcorn County are split by court level and by record type. There is no single county portal that pulls every case into one search. Instead, each request goes to the office that keeps the file. The Circuit Clerk holds circuit criminal and civil cases. The Chancery Clerk holds divorce, estate, and land matters. The Justice Court and the Corinth Municipal Court keep their own lower-court files. Marriage records run through a separate online index.
Before you start, gather a few details. A full name helps. A case number helps more. A filing year narrows the search fast. For electronic files, the state runs Mississippi Electronic Courts, with public viewing through PAMEC after you register. The county itself posts office contacts and service links on its main site.
The county homepage is a useful first stop for routing. It points to the right clerk and the right phone line. The route below covers the most common paths.
The county's main site is documented at the official Alcorn County government homepage.
From that homepage, the Courts and Services menus link out to the Circuit Clerk, the Chancery Clerk, and the Justice Court pages where each office lists its records duties.
- Pick the court. Felony or major civil goes to the Circuit Clerk. Divorce, estates, or land goes to the Chancery Clerk. Traffic and misdemeanor often start in Justice or Municipal Court.
- Gather your search terms. Have a party name, a case number, or a filing year ready.
- For electronic files, register with PAMEC and log in to view filed documents and dockets where the case is available online.
- For marriage records, open the Circuit Clerk online index. Remember it is unofficial; the courthouse index is the official record.
- If a file is old, sealed, or not online, call or visit the proper clerk and request a certified copy in person.
Note: Public viewing through Mississippi Electronic Courts requires a registered PAMEC account, and some documents stay limited to attorneys of record.
The Alcorn County Judicial System
Mississippi runs a split trial-court system, and Alcorn County follows it. The Circuit Court is the main court of law. It hears felony cases, large civil lawsuits, jury trials, and appeals from the lower courts. Alcorn County sits in the First Circuit Court District. The Chancery Court is a separate equity court. It handles divorce, custody, adoption, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and property disputes. Alcorn County sits in the First Chancery Court District.
Below those two are the lower courts. The Justice Court takes county misdemeanors, traffic, evictions, small civil claims, and early criminal steps. The Corinth Municipal Court handles city ordinance and state-law violations inside Corinth, including traffic and misdemeanors. Above the trial courts, the Court of Appeals and then the Supreme Court review decisions on appeal.
The Justice Court and several other offices share the South Harper Road justice area in Corinth, while the trial courts cluster downtown.
The Justice Court clerk, judges, and contacts are listed on the official Alcorn County Courts page.
That same page names Justice Court Judges Jeremy Blaylock and Jimmy McGee, who hear the county-level matters that often move up to Circuit Court on appeal.
Case flow: Justice or Municipal Court › Circuit Court › Court of Appeals › Supreme Court
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court (First Circuit District) | Primary court of law | Felonies, major civil suits, jury trials, lower-court appeals, judgments |
| Chancery Court (First Chancery District) | Equity court | Divorce, custody, adoption, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, land disputes |
| Justice Court | County lower court | Traffic, misdemeanors, evictions, small civil claims, preliminary criminal matters |
| Corinth Municipal Court | City court | City ordinance and state-law violations inside Corinth; traffic; misdemeanors |
| Sheriff and jail docket | County custody | Jail, warrants, and the jail docket of arrests and confinements |
Where Alcorn County Courts Are Located
The county courts are spread across Corinth in two clusters. The Circuit Court and the clerks sit downtown near Waldron and Foote streets. The Justice Court, Sheriff, and correctional facility sit on South Harper Road. The Alcorn County Courthouse is the home of the Circuit Court. It was built in 1918 and is a Mississippi Landmark inside the Downtown Corinth Historic District.
The Chancery Court works from a separate Chancery Building a short distance away. Knowing the right building saves a wasted trip, since a divorce file and a felony file are not kept in the same office.
The First Circuit District lists each county courthouse, including Alcorn's, on its location page.
Courthouse address and clerk details appear on the First Circuit courthouse-locations page.
That page confirms the Alcorn County Courthouse address and names Circuit Clerk Crystal Starling as the contact for circuit case records.
Alcorn County Courthouse (Circuit Court)
600 Waldron Street
Corinth, MS 38834
662-286-7740
Chancery Clerk (Keith Settlemires)
501 Waldron Street
Corinth, MS 38834
662-286-7700
Circuit Clerk and Chancery Clerk Roles
Alcorn County has a split clerk system, and the two clerks do different jobs. Crystal Starling is the Circuit Clerk. Her office files all circuit criminal and civil cases, issues process such as summons and subpoenas, draws juries, receives appeals from the lower courts, records judgments, and collects fines and restitution. The office also issues and records marriage licenses. Keith Settlemires is the Chancery Clerk. His office is clerk of the Chancery Court and the county's public recorder for deeds, mortgages, liens, and military discharges. He also keeps Board of Supervisors minutes.
The practical rule is simple. For a felony, a circuit lawsuit, a judgment, or a marriage license, start with the Circuit Clerk. For a divorce, an estate, a guardianship, or a land record, start with the Chancery Clerk. Choosing the wrong office is the most common reason a record search stalls.
The Circuit Clerk lists her staff, duties, and the marriage portal link on the county site.
Circuit Clerk duties and contacts are posted on the official Circuit Clerk page.
That page also links the online marriage license system, which is one of the few records services the county offers directly over the web.
| Question | Circuit Clerk | Chancery Clerk |
|---|---|---|
| Court served | Circuit Court | Chancery Court |
| Case types | Felonies, civil suits, appeals | Divorce, estates, custody, land |
| Recording role | Judgments, marriage licenses | Deeds, mortgages, liens, Board minutes |
| Phone | 662-286-7740 | 662-286-7700 |
Types of Court Records Available in Alcorn County
Alcorn County court records cover a wide range of cases. The court that hears the case is the court that keeps the file. Criminal and civil circuit files live with the Circuit Clerk. Family and equity files live with the Chancery Clerk. Traffic and minor matters often stay with the Justice Court or the Corinth Municipal Court. The list below shows the main record groups and where each one is held.
Lower-court records matter more than people expect. A city traffic ticket or a county misdemeanor may never reach Circuit Court at all.
- Criminal records - Felony case files with the Circuit Clerk; misdemeanor and preliminary matters in the lower courts.
- Civil records - Complaints, answers, motions, orders, and judgments filed in Circuit Court.
- Family and divorce records - Divorce, custody, and adoption handled by the Chancery Court.
- Probate records - Estates, guardianships, and conservatorships handled by the Chancery Court.
- Traffic records - Citations heard in Justice Court or the Corinth Municipal Court.
Corinth City Court keeps records of traffic violations, misdemeanors, and preliminary hearings, and it meets every Monday in the county Justice Center.
The city court's role and schedule are described on the official Corinth Municipal Court page.
Because city court sits inside the county Justice Center, a Corinth ticket can take a person to the same South Harper Road complex as a county case.
What Alcorn County Court Records Show
Alcorn County official pages do not post a full sample case file without a login, so exact fields are confirmed through the clerk or the MEC docket. Even so, the core fields are consistent across courts. A record names the parties, the court, the filing date, and the case type. The docket then lists each filing, hearing, and order in date order. Criminal files add charges, pleas, disposition, and any sentence.
Status flags also appear on electronic dockets. The First Chancery District publishes flag definitions such as CLOSED, SEALED, STAYED, and Trial Pending. Other flags track bench warrants, capias entries, guardian ad litem appointments, and cost-bill payments. Those flags help a reader understand where a case stands at a glance.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The court's unique identifier for the file; confirmed by the clerk or MEC. |
| Court | Circuit, Chancery, Justice, or Municipal Court. |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant in civil cases; petitioner and respondent in Chancery; State and defendant in criminal cases. |
| Filing Date | When the case opened, shown on the docket or case summary. |
| Docket Entries | Motions, orders, notices, hearings, warrants, and payments in date order. |
| Disposition | The current resolution or final outcome of a charge or case. |
| Judgment or Sentence | The court's decision, fine, restitution, or punishment after conviction. |
For a deeper look at the criminal case file, the stages of a case appear on the Alcorn County criminal court records page.
Public Access Laws for Alcorn County Court Records
Most Alcorn County court records are open to the public, but court rules and privacy laws set limits. The practical route is to ask the office that keeps the record. Circuit files go to the Circuit Clerk. Chancery files go to the Chancery Clerk. Lower-court files go to the Justice or Municipal Court clerk. The Mississippi Public Records Act supports inspection of public-body records, while sealed cases, juvenile files, and adoption matters stay restricted.
The statutes below set the framework in plain terms. They are worth knowing before you file a records request.
Key Statutes:
Miss. Code Ann. § 25-61-1 et seq. - The Mississippi Public Records Act opens public records for inspection unless a statute exempts them.
Miss. Code Ann. § 25-61-2 - Electronic recordkeeping must not erode reasonable public access to records kept on computers.
Miss. Code Ann. § 9-1-38 - Certain work product developed among judges and their aides is exempt from disclosure.
Miss. Code Title 19, Chapter 25 - County sheriff duties include charge of the courthouse, the jail, and the jail docket of warrants and confinements.
For online files, use Mississippi Electronic Courts through PAMEC where the case is available, and remember that account rules and viewing fees may apply.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Not every court file is open. Some records stay closed to protect children, victims, and privacy. Juvenile and Youth Court files are restricted. Sealed cases require a court order before anyone outside the case can view them. Adoption records are not ordinary public lookups and usually need statutory eligibility or a judge's order. Mental health, guardianship, and conservatorship matters may hold sensitive details that are redacted.
Domestic protection orders carry safety limits as well. Public copies of open records also redact personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and the names of minor children.
To view a sealed record, a person normally must petition the court that sealed it and show legal grounds. Clearing or restricting a criminal record follows a separate expunction process.
The steps to clear a charge are covered further on the Alcorn County arrest records and charges page.
Court Dockets and Calendar Limits
A docket is the running list of everything that happens in a case. It shows filings, hearings, and orders by date. In Alcorn County, the First Circuit District keeps a court calendar, but it is not fully open to the public. The calendar requires a registered username and password, and the official page warns that it may not show every court setting.
That limit matters. A reader should never treat the online calendar as a complete list of hearing dates. Confirm any court date with the clerk before relying on it.
For electronic dockets, Mississippi Electronic Courts and PAMEC carry the filed documents where a case is available online. Lower-court dockets in Justice and Municipal Court are usually checked by phone or in person.
The login requirement and accuracy warning are stated on the First Circuit court-calendar page.
Because the calendar is login-only and incomplete, the safest path to a verified setting is a direct call to the Court Administrator or the Circuit Clerk.
Specialty Courts in Alcorn County
Alcorn County takes part in a problem-solving court for eligible felony defendants. The First Judicial District Adult Felony Intervention Court serves all seven First Circuit counties, including Alcorn. It is a drug and felony intervention program tied to criminal cases, not a record-search tool. The program uses treatment, random drug testing, court appearances, home visits, support meetings, and work requirements.
The structure is demanding. The official page lists a minimum 36-month commitment across five phases, and participants pay treatment costs and a monthly supervision fee. An intervention-court case still has a Circuit Court file behind it, so the record path runs through the Circuit Clerk.
No official Alcorn County veterans court, mental health court, or DWI court page was located, so the felony intervention court is the confirmed specialty program for the county. Its case files connect to the broader Alcorn County criminal court records.
Alcorn County Sheriff and Jail
Sheriff Ben Caldwell runs county law enforcement and the jail. State law makes the sheriff the county jailor and gives the office charge of the courthouse. The sheriff also keeps the jail docket. That docket records each warrant, the reason a person is held, the nature of the writ or warrant and who issued it, the date and time of arrest, the crime, and the authority for confinement. Those fields drive much of the county's arrest and warrant content.
The Alcorn County Correctional Facility, also called the Alcorn County Jail, holds detainees and offers programs in education, substance abuse, and job skills. The county jail website does not post a live local roster. Instead, it links to state lookups for sentenced inmates and registered offenders.
The facility describes its site, programs, and lookup links on its official page.
The jail's programs and state lookup links are listed on the official Alcorn County Correctional Facility site.
For the full roster path, phone fallback, and custody steps, see the Alcorn County inmate records page, and check active warrants through the warrant records page.
Marriage and Divorce Records in Alcorn County
Marriage records run through the Circuit Clerk. The office issues and records marriage licenses, and it offers an online index through the DuProcess portal. The portal carries one important warning. The online index is not the official record. The official Marriage Records Index is the one kept inside the Alcorn County Courthouse. Online credit-card copy purchases are final, and the service fee is non-refundable.
To complete a license, both applicants must appear in person with valid government ID showing date of birth and pay the license fee. Applicants under 21 need parental consent and should call the Circuit Clerk before applying. Divorce is different. A divorce is a Chancery Court matter, so divorce case files come from the Chancery Clerk or through MEC where available.
The marriage index search and license application buttons sit on the county portal.
Both tools open from the Alcorn County online marriage records portal.
Fuller fee, ID, and certified-copy details appear on the Alcorn County marriage and divorce records page.
Probate and Chancery Records in Alcorn County
Probate in Mississippi runs through the Chancery Court, and Alcorn County is no different. The Chancery Clerk's office handles estates, guardianships, conservatorships, trusts, and the orders that appoint executors and administrators. Files may include wills admitted to probate, inventories, creditor notices, and final accountings. Older files may not be online and must be pulled at the counter.
The county publishes a Chancery Court filing-fee schedule. The fees below are the Chancery Court filing fees effective January 1, 2020. They cover the most common probate and family filings handled by the office.
| Probate or Chancery Filing | Fee |
|---|---|
| Accounting Probate | $154.50 |
| Divorce, uncontested or joint | $144.50 |
| Divorce, contested or fault | $154.50 |
| Estate, muniment of title only | $144.50 |
| Estate, testate or intestate | $154.50 |
| Conservatorship | $154.50 |
| Guardianship | $154.50 |
| Heirship | $154.50 |
| Minor's settlement under $10,000 | $144.50 |
| Minor's settlement over $10,000 | $154.50 |
A few legal terms come up often in these files. The short list below defines the words readers ask about most.
- Testator
- The person who makes a will.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to carry out the estate.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will, so state law decides who inherits.
- Guardianship
- A Chancery matter that appoints someone to care for a minor or an incapacitated adult.
- Conservatorship
- A Chancery matter that manages the finances or property of a protected person.
The full fee schedule and forms link from the official Chancery Clerk page.
For the step-by-step probate process and certified-copy channels, see the Alcorn County probate records page.
Warrant Checks in Alcorn County
There is no official online active-warrant search for Alcorn County. The county Sheriff page, court pages, and jail pages do not publish a public warrant list. That does not mean a check is impossible. It means the path runs through phone calls and the issuing court instead of a database.
Start with the Sheriff for jail and custody status. Then check the court that issued the warrant. Justice Court and the Corinth Municipal Court often issue failure-to-appear and failure-to-pay warrants. Circuit Court handles felony arrest warrants and capias entries. The Chancery Court can issue bench warrants in its own matters.
If a warrant exists, the safest move is to call the issuing court and ask about appearance, bond, or a payment plan. Do not rely on an unofficial database, and do not attempt self-help.
The fallback chain, jail-docket fields, and resolution steps are laid out on the Alcorn County warrant records page.
Federal Court Records for Alcorn County
Some cases never touch the county courts. Federal matters from Alcorn County go to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, in the Aberdeen Division. Federal records are searched through PACER, not the Circuit or Chancery Clerk. Bankruptcy is also a federal record, handled by the federal bankruptcy court rather than Chancery probate.
The split is easy to remember. A state felony, divorce, probate, or traffic ticket starts with the county clerk or lower court. A federal indictment, a federal civil suit, or a bankruptcy starts with PACER or the federal clerk. Mixing the two is a common dead end for first-time searchers.
History of Alcorn County Courts
Alcorn County is named for James Lusk Alcorn, Mississippi's 28th governor. Its courts have always sat in Corinth, a Civil War and railroad crossroads known as a gateway city. The Alcorn County Courthouse was built in 1918 by architect N.W. Overstreet of Jackson. It became a Mississippi Landmark in 1992 and stands in the Downtown Corinth Historic District.
The court system has modernized in steps. Chancery Court joined Mississippi Electronic Courts in Alcorn County in 2016. Circuit Court followed in 2021. In 2025, the state completed electronic filing across all Mississippi trial courts, so every county's circuit and chancery courts now run on the same e-filing backbone, with public viewing through PAMEC where available.
Accuracy and Record Limitations
Online court information can lag behind the counter. Dockets update on the court's schedule, and the First Circuit calendar is login-only and may miss settings. Marriage data online is an unofficial index, not the official courthouse record. Treat any web result as a lead, then confirm the detail with the office that holds the file.
Note: Always confirm a case number, hearing date, or disposition with the originating clerk before relying on it for any legal, financial, or personal decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search Alcorn County court records online?
There is no single county portal. For electronic files, register with PAMEC and log in to Mississippi Electronic Courts to view dockets where a case is available. For marriage records, use the Circuit Clerk online index, but remember it is unofficial. For older or sealed files, contact the clerk of the court that holds the record.
Which court hears felony cases in Alcorn County?
The Circuit Court hears felonies, large civil suits, and appeals from the lower courts. Alcorn County sits in the First Circuit Court District. Felony case files are kept by Circuit Clerk Crystal Starling. Misdemeanor and preliminary matters often start in Justice Court or the Corinth Municipal Court.
Where do I get a divorce or estate record?
Divorce and estate matters are heard by the Chancery Court, so those files come from Chancery Clerk Keith Settlemires. You can also check Mississippi Electronic Courts through PAMEC if the case is available online. Older Chancery files may need to be pulled in person at the Chancery Building in Corinth.
Is there an online warrant search for Alcorn County?
No official online active-warrant list was located for the county. Call the Sheriff for custody status, then check the court that issued the warrant. Justice Court and the Corinth Municipal Court handle many failure-to-appear warrants, while Circuit Court handles felony warrants and capias entries.
How do I apply for a marriage license?
Start at the Circuit Clerk online portal and choose Apply For Marriage License. Both applicants must then appear in person with valid government ID showing date of birth and pay the license fee. Applicants under 21 need parental consent and should call the Circuit Clerk before applying.
Are Alcorn County court records public?
Most are open under the Mississippi Public Records Act. Some are not. Juvenile, adoption, and sealed cases are restricted, and public copies redact personal identifiers. To view a sealed file, you usually must petition the court that sealed it and show legal grounds.
How do I look up an inmate in the Alcorn County jail?
The county jail does not post a live local roster. It links to the state inmate and parolee searches for sentenced offenders. For someone recently booked, call the Sheriff or the correctional facility directly. The inmate records page lays out each channel, including phone fallback and custody steps.