How to Search Yalobusha County Court Records
There is no single county website that searches every Yalobusha County case. The county does not host its own case portal. Instead, the real search path joins three channels. The statewide electronic court system holds many Circuit and Chancery files. The two local clerk offices hold the rest. Lower courts and county agencies hold traffic, jail, and warrant details by phone.
Start by naming the record you want. A felony, a civil suit, or an appeal points to Circuit Court. A divorce, an estate, or a land matter points to Chancery Court. A traffic ticket or a first appearance points to Justice Court. Once you know the court, you also need to know the district. Coffeeville is the first district. Water Valley is the second.
The official Yalobusha County homepage lists the elected offices and contact blocks that anchor every search.
That homepage is the safest launch point because it routes you to the clerk, sheriff, and court pages that actually keep the records.
- Identify the court and judicial district that holds your case.
- For Circuit and Chancery files, open Mississippi Electronic Courts and register for public access.
- Log in to PAMEC and choose the 17th Circuit or 3rd Chancery district.
- Search by party name or case number, then review the docket entries and flags.
- If the file is older or restricted, call the clerk in the correct district and request a certified copy.
Note: Many Yalobusha records predate the online system or sit in lower courts, so a clerk phone call is often part of the actual search, not a backup.
The Yalobusha County Judicial System
Mississippi runs a tiered court system. Appellate review sits at the top. Trial courts sit in the middle. Lower courts handle the first and smallest steps. Yalobusha County belongs to the 17th Circuit Court District and the 3rd Chancery Court District. The Mississippi Bar explains how these levels fit together for the public.
The official Mississippi court structure guide breaks down which court hears which type of case.
That chart helps a reader see why a single Yalobusha case can touch two or three courts before it ends.
Circuit Court is the main law court. It hears felony crimes, larger civil suits, and appeals from the lower courts. Most Circuit cases can be heard by a jury. Chancery Court is the equity and family court. It handles divorce, custody, adoption, estates, guardianships, and land title. Justice Court is the busy lower court. It resolves county traffic tickets, DUIs, ordinance cases, and small civil claims. Every felony also begins in Justice Court for an initial appearance and affidavit. Youth Court hears delinquency and abuse cases, and those records stay confidential.
Case flow: Justice Court › Circuit Court or Chancery Court › Mississippi Court of Appeals › Supreme Court of Mississippi
The county lists its judges by court. The Circuit bench includes Hon. Celeste Wilson, Hon. Smith Murphey, Hon. Jimmy McClure, and Hon. Gerald Chatham. The Chancery bench includes Hon. Percy Lynchard, Jr., Hon. Mitchell M. Lundy, Jr., and Hon. Vicki B. Daniels. The official Yalobusha County courts directory names each court and its district contacts.
That directory is the source of truth for the court names, judges, and addresses used across these record pages.
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| 17th Circuit Court | Trial court of general law jurisdiction | Felonies, larger civil suits, jury trials, appeals from lower courts |
| 3rd Chancery Court | Equity, family, and probate jurisdiction | Divorce, custody, adoption, estates, guardianships, land title |
| Justice Court | Limited lower-court jurisdiction | County traffic, DUI, ordinances, small civil, felony first appearances |
| Youth Court | Juvenile jurisdiction | Delinquency, supervision, neglect and abuse (records confidential) |
| Municipal Court | City limits jurisdiction | City ordinance and municipal traffic or misdemeanor cases |
Two Districts and Split Clerks in Yalobusha County
This is the detail that trips up most record seekers. Yalobusha County has two county seats and two judicial districts. It also has two separate clerks. A person cannot assume that "the courthouse" means one counter. The wrong office or the wrong district can send a request back unanswered.
The Circuit Clerk is Daryl Burney. This office is clerk for the Circuit and County Courts. It receives lawsuits, indictments, and motions, issues summonses and subpoenas, draws jurors, keeps judgment records, and issues marriage licenses. The Chancery Clerk is Donald Gray. This office is clerk for Chancery Court and also serves as recorder, board clerk, and county treasurer. It keeps divorce, probate, guardianship, land, and equity records. The official Circuit Clerk page lists both district contacts and the duties of the office.
The Circuit Clerk holds criminal, civil, judgment, and marriage records, so it is the right first call for most case copies.
Before you request anything, learn the filing district. The first district runs through Coffeeville on Main Street. The second district runs through Water Valley on Blackmur Drive. If you do not know where a case was filed, ask the clerk to check both. You can reach the Circuit Clerk for criminal and civil files, and you can reach the Yalobusha County Chancery Clerk for divorce, probate, and land records. Each clerk keeps its own indexes by district.
Yalobusha County Courthouses
Court business happens in two towns. Water Valley hosts the second district courthouse and the main county office at 201 Blackmur Drive. Coffeeville hosts the first district courthouse and clerk contacts on Main Street. The contact cards below give the verified district numbers from the county courts directory. Call ahead, since a case filed in one district is not retrieved from the other.
Circuit Clerk, First District
14400 Main Street, Suite 1
Coffeeville, MS 38922
662-675-8187
Chancery Clerk, Second District
201 Blackmur Drive, PO Box 664
Water Valley, MS 38965
662-473-2091
The City of Water Valley sits next door to the county complex, and its addresses look similar. The official Water Valley departments page lists City Hall at 101 Blackmur Drive, one number off from the county courthouse at 201 Blackmur Drive.
That near-match address is worth checking, since city police and city clerk records are not the same as county court records.
Searching Yalobusha Court Records Through MEC
Mississippi Electronic Courts is the official statewide case system. Public users reach it through PAMEC, which stands for Public Access to Mississippi Electronic Courts. Yalobusha Circuit Court, first and second districts, went live on the system on September 28, 2020. Attorneys file through MEC, and the public views through a separate PAMEC login. Both require a registered account.
The 17th Circuit covers Panola, Tallahatchie, Tate, and Yalobusha. Public viewing may carry per-page charges, and not every document is open to the public. The official Mississippi Electronic Courts page links the login and registration pages, and the PAMEC registration page is where non-filers create an access account. The table below lists the access fields and notices a public user meets.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAMEC login | text | Yes for public viewing | Used by non-filers who need case or document access |
| Password | password | Yes | Required for every login |
| Court selection | list | Yes | Choose the 17th Circuit or the correct district |
| Case search fields | behind login | Unknown | Search fields are not visible without an account |
| Notices | text | Yes | Restricted-site notice; access attempts are logged |
The MEC court-information page also defines case flags such as Bench Warrant Issued, Capias Pending, Sealed, Expunged, Plea Pending, and Trial Pending. A flag is a status, not a full record. When the system shows a flag but not the file, the clerk counter remains the next step. The MEC/PAMEC helpdesk answers login problems at 601-576-4650 or helpdesk@mec.ms.gov.
Types of Court Records Available in Yalobusha County
Yalobusha County court records fall into a few broad groups. Each group lives with a specific court and clerk. Criminal and civil files run through the Circuit Clerk. Family, probate, and land files run through the Chancery Clerk. Traffic and first-appearance files start in Justice Court. Knowing the group points you to the right office on the first try.
- Criminal records - felony indictments, pleas, verdicts, and sentences from Circuit Court.
- Civil records - complaints, answers, judgments, and executions in Circuit Court.
- Family records - divorce, custody, alimony, and adoption files in Chancery Court.
- Probate records - estates, wills, guardianships, and conservatorships in Chancery Court.
- Traffic records - county tickets, DUIs, and ordinance cases in Justice Court.
Land and recording documents form another large group. The Chancery Clerk records deeds, mortgages, liens, lis pendens, and military discharges, and keeps the public indexes. Charge records after an arrest are narrower than a full criminal file, and they may show only the charge, the bond, and the court date. The fuller story sits in the Yalobusha County criminal court records once a case opens.
What Yalobusha County Court Records Show
A court record is built from fields and docket entries. The exact case-number format is not visible without a PAMEC login, so do not assume a layout. Still, most files share the same core fields. The table maps the common fields to what each one tells a reader.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The court's index code; format varies by court and district |
| Court and District | Circuit, Chancery, or Justice, in Coffeeville or Water Valley |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, or petitioner and respondent |
| Filing Date and Status | Open, closed, sealed, expunged, stayed, or inactive |
| Docket Entries | Motions, orders, indictments, judgments, and notices of appeal |
| Disposition and Sentence | The outcome of a charge and any penalty or judgment |
Financial fields also appear. These include court costs, fines, bonds, and restitution. Some content is always redacted from a public copy. Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, minor identities, and sealed material do not show in the public view. The copy a party or attorney sees can be wider than the copy the public sees.
Public Access Laws for Yalobusha County Court Records
Mississippi law starts from open access. Public records are open for inspection unless a law says otherwise. Court files add a second layer, since sealing, expunction, and youth confidentiality can close a file the public-records act would otherwise open. The statutes below set the main rules a Yalobusha reader meets.
Key Statutes:
Miss. Code Ann. § 25-61-1 - Mississippi policy is that public records are open for inspection unless another law restricts them. A second reference sits at Justia.
Miss. Code Ann. § 99-19-71 - Certain eligible charges, dismissals, and convictions can be expunged from public access by petition.
Miss. Code Ann. § 43-21-251 - Youth Court records are confidential except as allowed by the disclosure statute.
Miss. Code Ann. § 43-21-261 - Records involving children are not disclosed except to named participants or by court order.
The practical takeaway is simple. Ask which office holds the record first. The Public Records Act, kept by the Mississippi Ethics Commission, supports inspection of agency records, while court rules and sealing statutes govern court files. When a record is closed, the clerk or court explains the route to ask for it.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Not every Yalobusha case is open. Youth Court files are confidential by statute. Adoption files are treated as confidential family matters. Mental-commitment files often hold medical detail and stay restricted. Sealed and expunged cases may show no entry, a limited docket line, or a restricted-access notice. Do not expect a public youth-case lookup.
Expunction follows a set path. Start by naming the court that handled the arrest or conviction. For a Circuit case, begin with the Circuit Clerk. For a Justice or municipal matter, contact the lower court. The expunction statute lets eligible dismissed, dropped, not-guilty, or no-disposition cases be cleared by petition. The petitioner files, pays the fee unless waived, gives notice, and obtains a signed order if the judge grants relief. After the order is entered, the clerk and agencies process it so public access is removed.
Yalobusha County Sheriff and Jail
Sheriff Jerimaine Gooch leads the county law-enforcement office. The Sheriff's Office and the County Jail share one address at 11803 Hwy 32 in Water Valley, but they use different phone lines. The sheriff serves as county jailor and keeps a jail docket. The official Yalobusha County Sheriff page lists the office and jail contacts.
That page is the official source for the sheriff and jail phone numbers, since the county does not post an online roster.
There is no official Yalobusha online jail roster or warrant list. For current custody, call the jail at 662-473-2722. For sheriff records, call the office at 662-473-3602. For sentenced state prisoners, use the state corrections search instead. Booking, bond, and charge detail are confirmed by phone or by a records request, and the fuller booking picture lives in the Yalobusha County inmate records, while open cases route through warrant records when a bench warrant or capias is involved.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
These three record types split across the two clerks. The Circuit Clerk issues marriage licenses and keeps marriage records. The Chancery Clerk keeps divorce decrees and all probate files, since divorce and estates are Chancery matters in Mississippi. A reader who needs a divorce decree or a will should start with the Chancery Clerk, not the Circuit Clerk. Marriage copies start with the Circuit Clerk.
For a license, both applicants usually appear with identification, though the county does not publish the exact rule. Call the Circuit Clerk first. Detailed steps live in the marriage and divorce records guide, and estate filings are covered in the Yalobusha County probate records section. The short glossary defines the most common probate terms.
- Testator
- A person who makes a will and names how an estate is divided.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to carry out its terms and settle the estate.
- Conservator
- A person the court appoints to manage the property of someone unable to do so.
Yalobusha County Court Records Fees
Yalobusha County does not publish its court copy and certification fees online. The honest answer is to call the clerk for the current amount before you mail money or travel. The one set of documented fees comes from the state driver-record system, which is separate from a court traffic file. The county forms page lists county forms, but not a court-record request form.
The official Yalobusha County forms page shows which downloadable forms exist and which do not.
Because no court-copy form is posted there, the real request process is a direct call or visit to the correct clerk.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plain court copy per page | Call the Circuit or Chancery Clerk |
| Certified court copy | Call the clerk; fee not published |
| Chancery filing (divorce, probate) | Call the Chancery Clerk |
| Marriage license | Call the Circuit Clerk |
| Certified driver record online (state DPS) | $14.31 |
| Certified driver record by mail or in person (state DPS) | $11.00 |
The state driver-record fees come from the official Mississippi DPS Driver Records page. A driver record is not a court case file, so use it only when you want license history, not a Justice Court ticket record.
How to Interpret Yalobusha County Court Records
Court files use shorthand that confuses new readers. A charge is not a conviction. A flag is not a full record. Reading the entries in order is the key to the real status. The comparison below sorts terms that people often mix up.
| Term | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Charge vs Conviction | A charge is an accusation; a conviction is a court finding of guilt |
| Nolle prosequi | The prosecutor chose not to proceed on a charge |
| Capias vs Bench Warrant | Both order an arrest; a bench warrant usually follows a missed court date |
| Sealed vs Expunged | Sealed limits public access; expunged removes the record from public view |
| Bound over | The case moved up from a lower court to a higher one |
Disposition is the field that tells the outcome. It may read dismissed, pled, or sentenced. When an entry is unclear, call the clerk in the filing district. A staff member can confirm whether a flag reflects a closed matter or a pending one.
History of Yalobusha County Courts
Yalobusha County was created in the 1830s from land ceded by the Choctaw and Chickasaw. The county grew with two seats. Coffeeville served as an early county-seat community. Water Valley grew as a railroad town. That dual-seat past is the reason the county still runs two judicial districts today, and it explains why old records may be tied to one courthouse and one clerk.
Archives material notes that a Yalobusha County courthouse burned in 1912 and was rebuilt in 1913. That fact matters for older files, since some records may need in-person retrieval rather than an online search. The county's own demographics page frames the community scale that shapes how the offices work.
The county reported a 2010 population of 12,678, a median age of 42, and 5,166 households, numbers that explain its small-office, call-ahead culture.
For current figures, the official Census QuickFacts profile is the better source.
Those current numbers confirm a rural county where phone confirmation is part of the records process, not a courtesy.
The modern milestone is technology. Yalobusha Circuit Court joined Mississippi Electronic Courts in 2020, and the state announced statewide electronic filing completion in 2025. The county also began a Safety Action Plan to cut roadway crashes across Oakland, Coffeeville, and Water Valley.
The official Yalobusha County Safety Action Plan page describes that 2025 roadway-safety effort.
That plan is a roadway-safety initiative, not a ticket lookup, but it shows how the county frames its traffic and public-safety work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there one website to search all Yalobusha County court records?
No. The county does not host a single case portal. Circuit and Chancery cases run through the statewide Mississippi Electronic Courts system, which the public reaches through a PAMEC account. Lower-court, jail, and warrant details are confirmed by phone with the clerk, sheriff, or court that holds them.
Which district holds my case, Coffeeville or Water Valley?
It depends on where the case was filed. The first district runs through Coffeeville on Main Street. The second district runs through Water Valley on Blackmur Drive. If you are not sure, ask the clerk to check both indexes. A case filed in one district is not pulled from the other office.
Do I want the Circuit Clerk or the Chancery Clerk?
The Circuit Clerk keeps criminal, civil, judgment, and marriage records, and issues marriage licenses. The Chancery Clerk keeps divorce, probate, guardianship, land, and recording records. Match the record type to the office before you call. A divorce decree comes from the Chancery Clerk, not the Circuit Clerk.
How much does a certified copy cost?
Yalobusha County does not publish its court copy or certification fees online. Call the correct clerk for the current amount and accepted payment method before you mail money. The only documented related fees are state driver-record charges, which are separate from a court case file.
Can I look up a Yalobusha warrant or jail roster online?
No official online warrant list or jail roster exists for the county. Call the jail at 662-473-2722 for current custody, or the sheriff at 662-473-3602 for records. For sentenced state prisoners, use the state corrections inmate search instead. Avoid unofficial roster-lookalike sites.
Are youth and adoption records open to the public?
No. Youth Court records are confidential by statute, and adoption files are handled as confidential family matters. Sealed and expunged cases may show only a limited entry or a restricted notice. Eligible parties can ask the Chancery Clerk or the court about the proper access route.