About the Calhoun County Circuit Clerk
The Calhoun County Circuit Clerk keeps the records of the county's Circuit Court. Carlton Baker holds this office and works from the courthouse in Pittsboro. The clerk's office files new cases, maintains the docket, issues court process, manages juries, and collects court fees and fines. It is the counter where the public asks for certified copies of Circuit Court orders and judgments. The office also issues marriage licenses for the county. Mail reaches the clerk at a Pittsboro post office box, while in-person visits use the West Main Street courthouse address. Standard weekday business hours apply.
Circuit Court is the county's main trial court for felony crimes, larger civil lawsuits, and appeals that rise from Justice Court and Municipal Court. The Circuit Clerk is the local custodian for those files. Calhoun County sits in the Third Circuit Court District, which also covers Benton, Chickasaw, Lafayette, Marshall, Tippah, and Union counties. The clerk links local filings to the statewide electronic court system and works with the district's circuit judges. For case-flow detail and the judges who hear these matters, the Calhoun County Circuit Court page lays out the structure.
Calhoun County Circuit Clerk
Clerk: Carlton Baker
103 West Main Street #192
Pittsboro, MS 38951
Mailing: P.O. Box 25, Pittsboro, MS 38951
662-412-3101
Fax: 662-412-3103
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
What the Circuit Clerk Handles
The Circuit Clerk's duties run across criminal, civil, and administrative work. The office opens and tracks each Circuit Court case, time-stamps filings, and keeps the record that a judge and the parties rely on. It issues subpoenas, summonses, and writs, and it records the orders that come out of court. The clerk also draws the jury pool and handles marriage-license applications for the county. These tasks sit with the Circuit Clerk and not with the Chancery Clerk.
- Felony criminal case files, including indictments, plea petitions, and sentencing orders
- Circuit civil lawsuits such as contract, tort, and damages claims
- Appeals brought up from Justice Court and Municipal Court
- Marriage-license applications and issuance
- Jury administration and summons questions
- Certified copies of Circuit Court records and judgments
The office is also the local contact for the Third Circuit electronic court system. Filings made on or after the county's 2023 go-live date are more likely to live in that digital system, while older paper files stay in the clerk's vault. A reader who cannot find a case online should call the clerk rather than assume the record does not exist.
Circuit Clerk or Chancery Clerk
Calhoun County uses two clerks, and each holds a different set of records. The Circuit Clerk handles Circuit Court, where felonies, major civil suits, and lower-court appeals are heard, plus marriage licenses and juries. The Chancery Clerk handles Chancery Court, which covers divorce, child custody, guardianships, conservatorships, wills, estates, and land titles. Sending a request to the wrong office only slows things down. The table below shows how the duties divide so a request reaches the correct counter the first time.
| Record or service | Circuit Clerk | Chancery Clerk |
|---|---|---|
| Felony criminal cases | Yes | No |
| Major civil lawsuits | Yes | No |
| Appeals from lower courts | Yes | No |
| Marriage licenses | Yes | No |
| Jury administration | Yes | No |
| Divorce and custody | No | Yes |
| Wills, estates, probate | No | Yes |
| Land and deed records | No | Yes |
Divorce, probate, guardianship, and land matters all belong with the other office. Those requests should go to the Calhoun County Chancery Clerk, Kathy Poynor, who keeps the county's equity and land records. This page covers only the Circuit Clerk side.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy is a court-stamped document the clerk confirms as a true copy of the original. Courts, lawyers, lenders, and government agencies often require one, since a plain printout or screen image is not accepted as proof. Circuit Court orders, judgments, and case papers can be certified by the Circuit Clerk. The steps below outline the usual path.
- Find the case number or the full names of the parties and the year the case was filed. The clerk can search by name, but a case number speeds the work.
- Contact the Circuit Clerk's office to confirm the document exists, whether it is in the electronic system or in paper, and the current copy and certification charge.
- Submit the request in person at the courthouse, by mail to P.O. Box 25, or by phone follow-up. State that you need a certified copy, not a plain copy.
- Pay the copy, certification, and mailing charges the clerk quotes. Ask which payment methods the office accepts before you send anything.
- Pick up the certified copy at the counter or wait for it to arrive by mail. Confirm the turnaround time when you place the request.
A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and is valid for legal use; a plain copy or an online image is not accepted in court or for most official filings.
Records Request Form Fields
No countywide online request form was found in official Calhoun County sources, so most requests are written letters or counter forms the clerk provides. A clear request still needs the same core details. Including all of them up front cuts back-and-forth and helps the office locate the file. The table lists the fields a Circuit Clerk records request usually needs.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case Number | No | Strongly helpful; speeds the search when known. |
| Party Names | Yes | Full legal names of the people or businesses in the case. |
| Document Type | Yes | Order, judgment, indictment, full file, or other paper. |
| Number of Copies | Yes | State plain or certified for each copy. |
| Filing Year | No | Approximate year narrows pre-2023 paper records. |
| Requester Contact | Yes | Name, mailing address, and phone for return and fee questions. |
Ways to Request Circuit Clerk Records
The office can be reached through several channels, and the best one depends on the record. Recent Circuit Court filings may sit in the Third Circuit electronic system, but that system is login-gated and does not offer a free anonymous public search. When the online path does not work, the clerk's counter, mail, and phone are the reliable routes. A public-records request is the formal fallback when a copy is not available any other way.
- Online: the Third Circuit MEC portal for credentialed filers and registered PAMEC users.
- In person: the courthouse counter at 103 West Main Street, Pittsboro, during business hours.
- Mail: written request to the Circuit Clerk, P.O. Box 25, Pittsboro, MS 38951.
- Phone: 662-412-3101 for case questions, fee quotes, and copy arrangements.
- Public-records request: a written request to the clerk under the Mississippi Public Records Act.
The Mississippi Public Records Act treats most government records as open for inspection unless an exemption, court rule, or sealing order applies. It does not override sealed cases, juvenile confidentiality, or the privacy redactions built into the electronic court system. A request still goes to the office that holds the record, which for Circuit Court files is the Circuit Clerk.
Calhoun County Circuit Clerk Fees
Calhoun County does not publish a Circuit Clerk copy or certification price list in official online sources. Because of that, the honest answer for most charges is to call the office for the current amount. The Mississippi Public Records Act does allow a public body to charge reasonable fees tied to searching, reviewing, copying, and mailing records, so expect a charge even when the exact figure is not posted. The table reflects what is and is not confirmed.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plain copy per page | Not posted online; ask the Circuit Clerk |
| Certified copy per page | Not posted online; ask the Circuit Clerk |
| Certification fee | Not posted online; ask the Circuit Clerk |
| Search or mailing fee | Reasonable fees allowed under the Public Records Act |
| Marriage license fee | Not posted online; ask the Circuit Clerk |
Confirm accepted payment methods at the same time. Cash, check, and card policies vary by office, and a mail request that arrives without the right payment can stall. Asking for a fee quote before you travel or mail is the safest move.
Note: Always confirm the current copy, certification, and marriage-license charges directly with the Circuit Clerk, because no posted Calhoun County fee schedule was located in official online sources.
Marriage Licenses and Jury Duty
The Circuit Clerk is the county's marriage-license office. Couples apply through this office, and the clerk issues the license that lets a Mississippi marriage be solemnized. Calhoun-specific fee, identification, waiting-period, and prior-divorce rules were not found in official online sources, so applicants should call the Circuit Clerk before traveling. Both applicants usually need to appear and show proof of age at a Mississippi circuit clerk's office, though that should be confirmed with this office rather than assumed.
For statewide records, the Mississippi State Department of Health keeps marriage and divorce vital-event data and can order copies. Its marriage records service can search for the county where a license was issued. Marriage licenses come from the Circuit Clerk, while a completed divorce file sits with the Chancery Court on the Chancery Clerk side.
The Circuit Clerk also runs jury administration for Circuit Court. The office draws the jury pool, sends summonses, and answers questions about reporting dates and service. A resident who receives a Calhoun County jury summons should contact the Circuit Clerk with questions about the date, a hardship, or an excusal request.
Electronic Court Records and the MEC System
Calhoun County Circuit Court joined Mississippi Electronic Courts on March 20, 2023. Voluntary attorney e-filing began on March 27, 2023, and mandatory e-filing followed on April 3, 2023. Since then, new Circuit Court filings route through the Mississippi Electronic Courts system, known as MEC, with public viewing through the registered PAMEC service. The login page is restricted to court business, every access attempt is logged, and some documents are limited to attorneys of record.
The system is login-gated, and no free anonymous public case search was visible from the public-facing pages. Registered users sign in with a login and password, and certain filings remain sealed or redacted. The system warns that Social Security numbers, dates of birth, names of minor children, financial account numbers, and home addresses should not appear except as the rules allow. The MEC and PAMEC helpdesk is reached at 601-576-4650 or helpdesk@mec.ms.gov.
For older paper files, sealed matters, or records that predate the 2023 go-live, the electronic system will not show the document. Those requests go straight to the Circuit Clerk, who can pull the paper file and certify a copy. This is common for pre-2023 criminal and civil cases.
Related Court and Defense Contacts
Some Circuit Court questions belong with offices other than the clerk. Felony prosecutions in Calhoun County are handled by the Third Circuit District Attorney, while defendants who cannot afford a lawyer may be assigned a public defender. These offices do not give out certified copies, but they often come up when a reader is tracking a criminal case. The Third Circuit District Attorney serves Calhoun and six neighboring counties.
The Mississippi Office of State Public Defender publishes a directory of felony-level defenders by county. The lead-in link goes to the Mississippi public-defender directory maintained by that office.
That directory helps a defendant or family member confirm who handles appointed criminal defense for Calhoun County, a question the Circuit Clerk cannot answer because appointed counsel is set by the court. For the case file itself, the indictment, pleas, and sentence stay with the Circuit Clerk and the Circuit Court docket.