Kentucky Court Records
Kentucky Court Records
Many Kentucky residents' names are found in district and county court records. Civil court actions include estate settlements and property disputes. Criminal court actions include confrontations, destruction of property, or thefts. These records may give a person’s age, residence, occupation, or family relationships. Friends and neighbors may have given depositions as witnesses. Court records include dockets, minutes, case files, and orders. Land, tax, and probate matters may be included.
Major Kentucky courts that kept records of genealogical value were as follows:1780-present County courts initially had countywide jurisdiction over all records of civil and criminal cases. Later these courts recorded deeds, bonds, probates, and juvenile matters. After 1852 most criminal cases were handled by circuit or quarterly courts.
Other courts include the court of oyer and terminer, court of appeals, examining court, general court and the justice’s court.
1787-1802 Courts of quarter sessions heard suits involving large amounts of money.
1802-present Circuit courts have countywide jurisdiction over major civil and criminal cases, divorces, and appeals from inferior courts.
1852-present Quarterly courts have countywide jurisdiction over minor criminal cases.
Original court records are kept either in the county courthouse or at the state archives. Many transcribed records are available at the University of Kentucky Library, the Kentucky Historical Society, and the Filson Club Library. Some records have been transcribed and published in books or periodicals. The great majority, however, are still in boxes, cabinets, and folders and have not been copied.
Check out the following website to read about and share experiences from courthouse research.
http://www.bcpl.net/%7Edmg/courthouse.htm#Kentucky
"The Goodman Clearinghouse:
Experiences In Researching in Court Houses"
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