Jefferson County Circuit Superior Overview
Indiana's trial courts include circuit courts, superior courts, and local city or town courts where created by statute. Jefferson County's official court structure is a two-court trial system: Jefferson Circuit Court and Jefferson Superior Court. Both are in the Jefferson County Courthouse at 300 E Main Street in Madison. The Clerk is the unified record office for both courts and administers official trial-court records, filing fees, court costs, judgments, fines, and child support transactions.
The county's local court page gives the key allocation rule. Circuit Court handles murder and Level 1 through Level 4 felony criminal matters, CHINS, juvenile, mental health, probate, paternity, and IV-D child support appearances by the Prosecuting Attorney. Superior Court handles misdemeanors, Level 5 and Level 6 felonies, small claims, evictions with damages alleged at $10,000 or less, traffic and other infractions, and Drug Court cases. Other case types may be filed in either court unless local rules direct them elsewhere.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is separate from Jefferson County Circuit and Superior Courts.
That distinction matters because county cases are searched in MyCase, while federal cases use federal court systems and different courthouse offices.
Jefferson County Court Offices
Jefferson County does not have a list of numbered district courts. The local trial-court table is built around the Circuit Court Office, Superior Court Office, Clerk, Prosecutor, and Public Defender. These offices work together in a case, but they do not hold the same records. The courts create case entries and orders, the Clerk maintains the official record, the Prosecutor files and pursues state charges, and the Public Defender handles appointed defense services for eligible defendants.
| Court or office | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Circuit Court Office | Trial court office | 300 E Main Street, Room 300, Madison, IN 47250 | 812-265-8930 |
| Jefferson Superior Court Office | Trial court office | 300 E Main Street, Room 205, Madison, IN 47250 | 812-265-8914 |
| Jefferson County Clerk | Official court records and fees | 300 E Main Street, Room 203, Madison, IN 47250 | 812-265-8922 |
| Prosecutor's Office | State criminal, traffic, infraction, juvenile, and child-support enforcement | 315 1/2 E Second Street, Madison, IN 47250 | 812-265-8932 |
| Public Defender's Office | Appointed defense counsel office | 307 Jefferson Street, Madison, IN 47250 | 812-801-2090 |
Jefferson County Case Allocation
The Circuit and Superior Courts have overlapping trial-court authority, but Jefferson County's local allocation gives users a practical search map. Serious criminal cases such as murder and Level 1 through Level 4 felonies route to Circuit Court. Lower-level criminal cases, including misdemeanors and Level 5 through Level 6 felonies, route to Superior Court. That split helps a searcher choose the right court office when MyCase, a summons, or a warrant shows only part of the case information.
Probate, paternity, juvenile, CHINS, mental health, and IV-D support appearances are Circuit Court matters. Traffic, other infractions, small claims, evictions up to the $10,000 damages threshold, and Drug Court are Superior Court matters. Drug Court is overseen by Superior Court Judge Blaine S. Goode and operated through Court Services. Circuit Court Judge Donald J. Mote is named in the county JRAC roster as Circuit Court Judge.
| Record or case type | Local court assignment | Search or request path |
|---|---|---|
| Murder and Level 1-4 felonies | Circuit Court | MyCase first, then Clerk or Circuit Court |
| Misdemeanors and Level 5-6 felonies | Superior Court | MyCase first, then Clerk or Superior Court |
| Traffic and other infractions | Superior Court | MyCase, traffic payment link, Clerk verification |
| Probate and guardianship | Circuit Court | MyCase, Clerk copies, Circuit Court, archive request when older |
| Small claims and evictions | Superior Court | MyCase, Clerk, Superior Court Room 205 |
| Juvenile, CHINS, mental health | Circuit Court | Restricted access, Clerk or court inquiry when legally permitted |
Circuit Superior and Lower Courts
The research did not locate a separate Jefferson County city or town court in official sources. That makes the Circuit Court and Superior Court the local trial-court focus for Jefferson County records. Indiana appellate courts are above the trial courts, and federal courts are separate. A user should not send a Jefferson County traffic infraction, probate filing, or misdemeanor court-record request to the federal district court unless the case was filed federally.
| Feature | Circuit Court | Superior Court | Federal District Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main local role | Serious felonies, probate, juvenile, CHINS, mental health, paternity, IV-D support appearances | Misdemeanors, Level 5-6 felonies, small claims, evictions, traffic, infractions, Drug Court | Federal civil and criminal cases under federal jurisdiction |
| Record search | Indiana MyCase and Jefferson County Clerk | Indiana MyCase and Jefferson County Clerk | PACER and federal Clerk's Office |
| Local address | 300 E Main Street, Room 300 | 300 E Main Street, Room 205 | Nearest located federal courthouse is New Albany |
| Certified copies | Jefferson County Clerk for county trial-court records | Jefferson County Clerk for county trial-court records | Federal Clerk or PACER procedures |
How Jefferson County Cases Move
A Jefferson County criminal matter may begin with an arrest, citation, warrant, or law-enforcement referral. The Prosecutor reviews and files charges for state criminal, traffic, infraction, juvenile, and related matters. The court assignment then depends on the charge level and case type. A jail booking may show arrest and custody information before the MyCase file shows every court event. The court file controls the official charge history and disposition.
Criminal flow: arrest or citation › prosecutor charging review › Circuit or Superior Court filing › initial hearing or arraignment › pretrial events › plea or trial › disposition › sentence › appeal when filed.
Civil flow: complaint or petition filed with the Clerk › service › answer or default › hearing or motions › judgment or order › payment, enforcement, appeal, or closure.
Search Jefferson County Trial Records
Indiana MyCase is the main public search channel for Jefferson County trial-court records. Search by cause number when available. For name searches, use a filing year, case category, or county filter to narrow results. Public case summaries commonly show case number, court, case type, status, filing date, parties, attorneys, chronological events, charges, bonds, related cases, and some financial fields. Public documents vary by case type.
The Trial Court Calendar is a separate hearing-schedule search. The calendar API confirms Jefferson County key 39 and returned Jefferson Circuit Court for the county response. That does not guarantee every hearing appears online. If a hearing is missing, call Circuit Court, Superior Court, or the Clerk before relying on the calendar. For certified copies and documents not linked online, the Clerk is the official record channel.
PACER CM/ECF for the Southern District of Indiana is used for federal records, not Jefferson County Circuit or Superior Court records.
PACER belongs in the federal path only; Jefferson County trial-court users should stay with MyCase and the Clerk for county records.
Judicial District 22
The Indiana Judicial Branch places Jefferson County in Judicial District 22 with Dearborn, Jefferson, Ohio, Ripley, and Switzerland Counties. The state Jefferson County court page links to district governance and local rules. Local rules approved by the Indiana Supreme Court cover areas such as special judge selection, court reporter services, caseload allocation plans, and service as an acting judge in another court, county, or district.
Judicial District 22 is not the same as a federal district court. It is a state-court administrative district for Indiana trial courts. Appeals from Jefferson County trial courts go to Indiana appellate courts based on the case and appellate rules, usually the Court of Appeals of Indiana before any further review by the Indiana Supreme Court.
Federal Cases Near Jefferson County
Jefferson County is served federally by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. The nearest Southern District courthouse page located in the research is the New Albany location at the Lee H. Hamilton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 121 West Spring Street, New Albany, IN 47150, phone 812-542-4510. Federal case search uses PACER and federal Clerk procedures, not the Jefferson County Clerk.
The Southern District New Albany courthouse page gives the nearest federal courthouse address for southeast Indiana.
Federal courthouse information is helpful when a case is federal, but it does not replace Jefferson County Circuit or Superior Court records in Madison.
Restricted Jefferson County Trial Records
Not every trial-court record can be viewed online or in person by the general public. Indiana Access to Court Records Rule 5 excludes confidential cases, sealed cases, mental health cases, certain investigative requests, and required redactions. Juvenile CHINS, delinquency, status, termination, and some paternity records have special limits. Adoption records are confidential. Protection-order cases are not found on MyCase because protected-person identifying information is excluded from online public access.
Sex and violent offender registry information is a separate state and local law-enforcement resource, not a substitute for the Jefferson County criminal court file. The court record shows the case and disposition; registry records show registry status where applicable.
Indiana's sex and violent offender registry page is one official state resource outside the county trial-court file.
Use registry resources for registry status and MyCase or the Clerk for the underlying court case where public access is allowed.
Local Rules and Court Limits
Jefferson County links to local rules and specific court resources for small claims, evictions, jury service, traffic ticket payment, protection orders, and Drug Court. The courts page also warns that court staff cannot give legal advice. Staff can usually point a person to the right office, fee, form, or official record, but they cannot tell a party what to file, whether to plead, or how to handle a legal strategy.
For copies, payments, and older records, the Clerk is the practical local office. The Clerk page warns users to verify cause number and payment amount before processing a payment. Clerk archives include will records, marriage licenses, and most other courthouse-filed documents dating to 1811. Digital archive copies may be emailed free, while paper archive copies are $1 per page.