Newton County Circuit Clerk Office

About the Newton County Circuit Clerk

The Newton County Circuit Clerk is an elected county officer who serves as clerk to the Circuit Court. That role belongs to Michael L. Butler. His official site says he is a lifelong Newton County resident and has served as Circuit Clerk since 2012. The office sits on the first floor of the Newton County Courthouse in Decatur. Voters of Newton County choose the Circuit Clerk, and the term runs four years. Penny Ford serves as Chief Deputy Clerk and helps run the Newton County records desk and the front counter.

Newton County uses a split clerk system, so two offices share the court-records load. The Newton County Circuit Clerk handles Circuit Court files. The Chancery Clerk handles a separate set of records. Felony cases, civil suits, judgments, and lower-court appeals stay with the Circuit Clerk. Divorce, probate, guardianship, and land records belong to the Newton County Chancery Clerk instead. Knowing the Newton County split saves a trip to the wrong window.

Decatur has served as the county seat since Newton County was organized in 1836. The Circuit Clerk's office maintains a public site with local detail about the county and its towns. The clerk's local city and town descriptions profile Decatur, Newton, Union, Chunky, Hickory, and Lake. That page lists Decatur on Highway 15 and Newton on Interstate 20 as the county's largest city. The notes help first-time visitors place the courthouse and plan a drive into Newton County.

Decatur is a government and educational center, and the Newton County courthouse anchors the town. The Newton County Circuit Clerk's office stays open every Newton County business day for filings, copies, and public help.

What the Newton County Circuit Clerk Does

The core job is to keep the Newton County Circuit Court running on paper and on file. The Newton County Circuit Clerk receives and files lawsuits, indictments, motions, and related papers in civil and criminal cases. The office issues subpoenas and other process. It keeps a record of judgments and executions. It also keeps a general court docket that lists names and parties, pleas, indictments, and lower-court records on appeal. Court orders are referenced in minute books, and the Newton County clerk enters a full record of proceedings.

The work reaches well past the courtroom. The Circuit Clerk also handles elections, voter rolls, jury pools, and marriage licenses for Newton County. These duties make the Newton County office a regular stop for many residents who never file a lawsuit.

• File lawsuits, indictments, and motions in Newton County Circuit Court cases
• Issue subpoenas and court process
• Keep judgments, executions, and the general court docket
• Maintain minute books and the full record of proceedings
• Coordinate the Newton County jury pool and jury-duty information
• Conduct voter registration and assist the elections commission
• Issue Newton County marriage licenses and certified copies

Note: In Newton County, criminal court and circuit civil records start with the Circuit Clerk, while divorce, probate, and land records start with the Chancery Clerk.

Jury and Voter Services in Newton County

The Circuit Clerk runs the jury pool for Newton County trials. Newton County jurors are called for civil and criminal cases. Civil cases are disputes over money, injury damages, or property. Criminal cases are brought by the State of Mississippi on grand-jury indictments. The Newton County Circuit Clerk answers basic jury-duty questions and processes excuse requests under the rules the law allows.

Prospective Newton County jurors must meet a short list of rules. The clerk's jury qualifications and excuses page spells them out. A juror must be at least 21. A juror must be a registered voter of the county or a resident freeholder for more than one year. A juror must be able to read and write. A juror must not have been convicted of an infamous crime within five years and must not be a common gambler or habitual drunkard.

That same page lists common reasons the Newton County court may excuse a juror. Approved excuses include illness, personal hardship, an emergency, jury service within the last two years, an age-over-65 exemption claim, and disability. Voter registration also runs through the Newton County Circuit Clerk. The office helps the elections commission with Newton County election information, and it keeps the county voter rolls current.

Marriage Licenses From the Circuit Clerk

Marriage licenses in Newton County come from the Circuit Clerk, not the Chancery Clerk. Both parties must appear together at the Newton County office to apply. The Newton County license fee is $37. Both parties must be at least 21, and minors must apply with a parent or legal guardian present and photo IDs in hand. Each applicant must show proof of age, such as a driver's license, birth certificate, state ID, passport, or military ID. If either applicant divorced within six months of the Newton County application, a divorce decree is required.

Certified marriage copies also come from the Newton County Circuit Clerk. The first copy costs $17, and an extra copy ordered at the same time costs $6. In person, you can pay by cash, money order, certified check, personal check, or credit card, and a credit card adds a $1 service charge. By mail, pay by money order, certified check, or personal check. A mail request to the Newton County office should give the names used at the time of the license, the issue date if known, a phone number, and a return address. More detail on these Newton County files lives on the Newton County marriage and divorce records page.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and proves the document is a true court record. Courts, agencies, and many businesses accept only certified copies, not plain prints. The Newton County Circuit Clerk applies the official seal and tracks the fee per document. Many legal matters require a certified Newton County copy. The steps below cover a typical Newton County request.

1. Identify the case. Note the case number if you have it, plus the party names and the type of Newton County document you need.
2. Confirm the office. Circuit Court files go through the Newton County Circuit Clerk, so make sure your record is not a Chancery matter.
3. Contact the office. Visit the first-floor counter, call 601-635-3368, mail the request to P.O. Box 447, or email the Newton County clerk.
4. Pay the fee. Plan for $0.50 per staff copy page plus $1.00 to apply the official seal to each document.
5. Receive the copy. Pick it up in person when service is rendered, or wait for the Newton County clerk to return it by mail.

Newton County Records Request Fields

A clear request helps the Newton County Circuit Clerk find the right file fast. There is no single statewide form for every record, so the Newton County office works from the details you supply. The table below shows the fields that move a court-record request along. Give as many as you can, even the ones marked optional.

Newton County Circuit Clerk Fees

The Newton County Circuit Clerk publishes a full fee schedule for county court services. Filing fees, copy fees, and search fees are set in advance, so there are no surprises at the Newton County counter. The figures below come from the clerk's official fee page. Confirm current amounts before you mail payment, since fees can change.

A Newton County criminal records search runs $10, and broader research runs $20 per hour with a one-hour minimum. For the full set of fees and forms, see the Newton County clerk's published fee page.

Ways to Reach the Newton County Circuit Clerk

The Newton County Circuit Clerk offers several ways to ask for records, and the best one depends on the file. Walk-in service is fastest for same-day certified copies. Mail works well for requests that do not need a same-day result. Phone and email handle quick questions and case status. The clerk's contact page lists the address, phone, fax, and email for the office.

The contact page also confirms the Newton County office hours and the first-floor location. Pick the channel that fits the job. The list below maps each method to what it does best for a Newton County records request.

• In person: Newton County Circuit Clerk, first-floor office at 92 West Broad Street, Decatur, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Phone: Call the Newton County Circuit Clerk at 601-635-3368 for status and quick questions
• Email: mbutler@newtoncountyms.net or pford@newtoncountyms.net
• Mail: Send written requests and payment to P.O. Box 447, Decatur, MS 39327
• Fax: 601-635-1234 for short Newton County documents

Note: Confirm parking, building screening, and accessibility with the Newton County Circuit Clerk before you travel for a hearing, records search, or certified-copy request.

Online Filing Through MEC

Mississippi Electronic Courts is the statewide online filing and case-management system. Many Newton County Circuit and Chancery records route through MEC and its public side, Public Access to Mississippi Electronic Courts. Online use requires registration and an annual user fee, and payment by card or electronic check usually allows same-day access. User types include Attorney, Non-Attorney, and Firm Administrator. The attorney and non-attorney annual registration fee is $10. Newton County users still rely on the local clerk for help when the system asks for more.

The online portal is not always available, and the public search page can return a system error. When MEC is down or asks for more access than you have, the Newton County Circuit Clerk remains the practical custodian for Circuit Court files. The Newton County clerk also holds older and non-digitized records that may never appear online. For a written public-records request, the Mississippi Public Records Act lets you ask the Newton County office that keeps the record to inspect or copy it.