Robertson County Circuit Court Overview
Robertson County is in Kentucky's 18th Judicial Circuit and 18th Judicial District with Harrison, Nicholas, and Pendleton counties. KRS 23A.020 identifies that regional circuit. Circuit Court is Kentucky's court of general jurisdiction. It can hear all case types unless another court has exclusive jurisdiction, and Kentucky Court of Justice lists civil matters over $5,000, felonies, capital offenses, divorce, adoption, termination of parental rights, real property title disputes, contested probate matters, injunctions, writs, and appeals from District Court and administrative agencies.
The same local judicial center also serves Robertson County District Court and Family Court functions. Circuit Court Clerk Tabitha Tilton's office manages Circuit, Family, District, and Business Court case records for cases heard in Robertson County. That makes the clerk's office the practical court-record contact even when the reader is not sure whether a matter is Circuit, Family, or District.
The PACER bankruptcy lookup page is separate from Robertson County Circuit Court, but it is relevant when a local search turns into a federal bankruptcy-record question.
Federal bankruptcy records use PACER and the Eastern District of Kentucky bankruptcy court, not the local Circuit Court Clerk.
Robertson County Courts Table
Kentucky does not use a long list of numbered trial courts for Robertson County. Instead, the local court page identifies the Circuit, Family, and District Court judges tied to the 18th Judicial Circuit and District. The court office address and phone are shared through the Robertson County Judicial Center.
| Court or office | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robertson Circuit Court, Judge William J. Verax IV | 18th Judicial Circuit, Division 1 | Robertson County Judicial Center, 127 East Walnut Street, P.O. Box 63, Mt. Olivet, KY 41064 | 606-724-5993 via clerk |
| Robertson Family Court, Chief Circuit Judge Heather Fryman | 18th Judicial Circuit, Division 2 | Same judicial center | 606-724-5993 via clerk |
| Robertson District Court, Judge Gregory Coulson | 18th Judicial District | Same judicial center | 606-724-5993 via clerk |
| Circuit Court Clerk Tabitha Tilton | Clerk for Circuit, Family, District, and Business Court records | Same judicial center | 606-724-5993 |
Circuit District Family Court Differences
Robertson County court users often need District Court or Family Court rather than Circuit Court. Traffic and lower criminal matters do not become Circuit Court records unless the case moves into Circuit Court through indictment, appeal, or another jurisdictional path. Family Court is a Circuit Court division, so family records are still state court records managed through the Circuit Court Clerk.
| Point | Circuit Court | District Court | Family Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil jurisdiction | Civil matters over $5,000, title disputes, injunctions, writs, appeals | Civil cases $5,000 or less; small claims $2,500 or less | Family-related civil matters assigned to the division |
| Criminal jurisdiction | Felonies and capital offenses | Misdemeanors, violations, ordinances, arraignments, probable-cause hearings | Domestic violence and related family jurisdiction where applicable |
| Probate role | Contested probate, title, equity, or adversary estate disputes | Probate of wills and routine probate except contested adversary matters | Not the routine probate forum |
| Records contact | Circuit Court Clerk | Circuit Court Clerk | Circuit Court Clerk |
Robertson County Case Flow
A case moves through Robertson County's court system based on filing type and jurisdiction. A felony case may begin with arrest, citation, complaint, or warrant activity, then move through District Court for arraignment or probable cause before Circuit Court indictment, plea, trial, sentence, or appeal. A civil case is filed in the proper court based on amount and subject matter. A divorce or adoption case routes to Circuit or Family Court. A routine probate case starts in District Court, but contested probate can move to Circuit Court.
Criminal flow: arrest or citation > District Court arraignment or probable-cause stage > indictment or transfer when applicable > Circuit Court arraignment > pretrial > plea or trial > disposition > sentencing > appeal.
Civil and probate flow: filing or petition > service or notice > answer or response > hearing, motion, or settlement activity > order or judgment > appeal when allowed.
Robertson County Circuit Records
Circuit Court records can include civil complaints, answers, motions, orders, judgments, divorce pleadings, adoption filings, termination-of-parental-rights records, felony indictments, bond orders, plea agreements, trial entries, sentencing orders, probation terms, restitution, appeals, and contested probate pleadings. Public access depends on case type and legal restrictions. Adoption and many child-related records are not ordinary public files.
For public search, use KYeCourts guest access. For hearing dates, use KCOJ docket search. For payments, use ePay. For certified copies, older files, exhibits, transcripts, recordings, unavailable documents, or archive questions, use the local Circuit Court Clerk. KCOJ's request-court-records instructions state that the clerk of the court that heard the case is the starting point for local case files.
Federal Court Records Nearby
Robertson County state court records are different from federal court records. Federal district cases for the county are handled by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. PACER lists the Eastern District federal court lookup under KYEDC, with the main court address at 101 Barr Street, Lexington, KY 40507, phone 859-233-2503, and hours 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Federal civil-rights cases, federal crimes, federal agency cases, diversity cases, and other federal-question records do not come from the Robertson County Circuit Court Clerk.
Bankruptcy cases use the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky site lists federal court locations, while the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky site handles bankruptcy public information and PACER access.
Federal district court pages help users avoid asking the Robertson County clerk for a federal case file the county does not hold.
The Eastern District bankruptcy court homepage is the federal bankruptcy counterpart for Robertson County residents and businesses.
Bankruptcy records are court records, but they belong to the federal bankruptcy court and PACER system.
Robertson County Lower Courts
District Court is the most important lower court for many day-to-day records in Robertson County. It handles traffic offenses, misdemeanors, violations, local ordinances, juvenile matters, arraignments, felony probable-cause hearings, small claims, lower civil cases, mental commitments, domestic violence matters, and probate of wills. District Court decisions generally appeal to local Circuit Court.
The City of Mt. Olivet Police Department may be relevant for local ordinance or city police matters. The official county page lists Chief Charles Blackmar Jr., phone 606-842-2500, email mountolivetpolice@gmail.com, dispatch 859-428-1212, and emergency 911. Those police contacts are not a substitute for court records, but they can matter when the underlying enforcement agency is local.