Chase County District Court
Chase County is in the 5th Judicial District with Lyon County. Kansas district courts are constitutional trial courts of general original jurisdiction, and the Chase County District Court sits at the Chase County Courthouse in Cottonwood Falls. The court is the central state venue for civil cases, criminal cases, domestic relations, divorce, probate, guardianship, conservatorship, juvenile matters, small claims, limited action, traffic cases filed at the district court level, and court payments or dockets that must be confirmed locally.
The official local court contact is Chase County District Court, 300 Pearl, P.O. Box 529, Cottonwood Falls, Kansas 66845. The phone number is 620-273-6319, fax is 620-273-6890, and the listed hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Jenna Gibb is listed as Clerk of the District Court. The county courthouse homepage also lists the main courthouse phone as 620-273-6423 and notes a drop box at the southeast corner of the courthouse.
The local District Court source is shown in this image from the official Chase County District Court page.
That county page is the local source for the court contact block, court personnel, payment link, docket link, and marriage application link.
Chase County District Court Officials
Chase County does not have a long list of separate numbered district courts. Official sources identify one Chase County District Court location and several district personnel connected to the 5th Judicial District. Chief Judge Jeffry J. Larson and District Judge Division One are listed at 430 Commercial, Emporia, Kansas 66801, phone 620-341-3292. District Magistrate Judge Douglas P. Jones is listed at the Chase County courthouse address and phone. Ruth Wheeler is listed as District Court Administrator, and court services are tied to the Emporia/Lyon County district offices.
| Court / Office | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase County District Court | District Court | 300 Pearl, P.O. Box 529, Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845 | 620-273-6319 |
| District Magistrate Judge Douglas P. Jones | Local district magistrate judge | 300 Pearl, P.O. Box 529, Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845 | 620-273-6319 |
| Chief Judge Jeffry J. Larson / District Judge Division One | 5th Judicial District chief judge | 430 Commercial, Emporia, KS 66801 | 620-341-3292 |
| 5th Judicial District Court Administrator Ruth Wheeler | District administration | 430 Commercial, Emporia, KS 66801 | 620-340-8295 |
| Court Services Officer Amy Finnerty | Court services | 430 Commercial, Emporia, KS 66801 | 620-341-3381 |
| Municipal courts / city ordinance venues | Lower courts | Specific official court addresses not located | Verify with issuing city or court |
Chase County District Court Jurisdiction
Kansas district courts have broad trial jurisdiction. In Chase County, that means the District Court handles lawsuits, small claims, limited actions, criminal prosecutions, traffic matters filed as district court cases, domestic relations, divorce, protection cases, probate, guardianship, conservatorship, juvenile matters, and post-judgment entries. A district court record may show pleadings, summons, service, motions, orders, hearings, judgments, bond entries, pleas, sentences, probation terms, revocation motions, docket events, or payment information.
Municipal courts are different. Kansas municipal courts handle city ordinance violations within city limits, commonly traffic and minor municipal offenses. Strong City and Cottonwood Falls public pages point law-enforcement calls to the Chase County Sheriff's Department, but a city ordinance citation may still require checking the issuing city or municipal court. Federal court is also separate. The U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas and U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas do not hold ordinary Chase County state court case files.
| Record Path | Handles | Not the Same As |
|---|---|---|
| Chase County District Court | State civil, criminal, domestic, probate, small claims, juvenile, and district traffic cases | Municipal ordinance court or federal court |
| Municipal Court | City ordinance violations within city limits, often traffic or minor local cases | Countywide district court case file |
| Kansas Court of Appeals | Many appeals from district court judgments | Trial court filing office |
| U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas | Federal criminal, federal civil, diversity, and federal-question cases | Chase County state case records |
Search Chase County District Court
The main public online path for Chase County district court records is Kansas CaseSearch. Kansas Judicial Branch guidance states that district court case records are available statewide through online search and courthouse terminals. Chase County does not publish a separate county-built case search. If a case or document is not visible online, use the courthouse terminal or contact the Clerk of the District Court for copies and access questions.
The 5th Judicial District docket page is a separate tool for hearing dates. It says Chase County dockets are updated daily, span one month, are subject to change, and should be confirmed with the District Court of Chase County at 620-273-6319. The docket page also gives search instructions: open the docket in Adobe Reader and use Shift+Ctrl+F or Ctrl+F. A docket is a schedule, not proof of final disposition or sentence.
- Search CaseSearch for public district court case information.
- Check the 5th Judicial District Chase County dockets for upcoming hearing dates.
- Use the courthouse terminal for public records not exposed through online search.
- Call the Clerk of the District Court for older files, certified copies, sealed-file questions, or docket confirmation.
- Use municipal channels for city ordinance citations that are not district court cases.
The 5th Judicial District Chase County court source is shown in this image from the official 5th Judicial District Chase County page.
That district page is the regional source for judges, court administration, clerk information, and district court contact data.
Chase County Case Flow
A district court case changes as filings, hearings, and orders are added. A criminal case may begin with arrest or citation, then move through charging by the County Attorney, first appearance, bond, plea settings, preliminary hearing in felony matters, trial settings, disposition, sentencing, probation, and post-judgment entries. A civil case usually begins with a petition or complaint, then summons and service, answer, motions, hearing, judgment, collection, satisfaction, or appeal.
Criminal flow: Arrest or citation › County Attorney charge › First appearance › Bond or release terms › Plea or preliminary hearing › Trial or plea › Disposition › Sentencing › Appeal or post-judgment action.
Civil flow: Petition filed › Summons and service › Answer › Motions or hearing › Judgment › Collection or satisfaction › Appeal.
Probate flow: Petition or will filed › Notice to interested persons › Appointment order or letters › Inventory and claims › Accounting or distribution › Final settlement or continuing reports.
Chase County Small Claims
Small claims is a practical part of Chase County District Court civil work. The 5th Judicial District small claims page says small claims is for claims under $10,000 and is informal. Attorneys are generally not allowed unless an attorney is personally a party and the opposing party is notified of the right to have counsel. The plaintiff files in the proper county, completes a petition, pays the filing fee, and receives a hearing date.
The official research found several Chase County small claims fees. Filing costs are $47.50 for claims up to and including $500 and $67.50 for claims from $500.01 to $10,000. Sheriff service is $15 per address served and must be paid by a separate check or money order to the appropriate sheriff's department. A witness subpoena has a $10 witness fee plus mileage and may also require sheriff service. A small claims appeal filing fee is $195.
After judgment, the creditor receives a Journal Entry of Judgment and Judgment Debtor's Statement of Assets. If unpaid after 15 days, the creditor mails the documents to the debtor, gets a certificate of mailing, and files it with the court. The debtor then has 30 days from mailing to pay or complete the asset form. Appeals must be filed in writing within 14 days.
Criminal and Traffic Cases
Chase County criminal court records can include complaints, probable-cause affidavits if public, bond orders, first appearance entries, plea documents, diversion entries, trial settings, sentencing orders, journal entries, probation terms, revocation motions, and disposition information. The County Attorney page names Brian Henderson as County Attorney and Rebekah Green as diversion clerk. Diversion paperwork goes to the prosecutor contact, not to the district clerk as a records request.
Traffic records split between district court traffic files, municipal ordinance citations, and Kansas Department of Revenue driver records. The Kansas Courts Central Payment Center can search and accept payment in eligible traffic, criminal, juvenile offender, and fish-and-game cases. Search paths include citation or case number with date of birth, driver license number and state, Social Security number and date of birth, license plate and state, name and date of birth, or business name. Payment lookup is not the full court case file.
Probate and Domestic Cases
Probate is a District Court function in Chase County, not a separate probate court. Estate records may include wills, petitions, letters, inventories, creditor notices, claims, accountings, receipts, waivers, final settlement, real estate sale petitions, guardianship reports, and conservatorship accountings. The Register of Deeds is separate and should be checked for estate-related deeds or other real property instruments.
Domestic cases include divorce and related family court matters. A divorce case file remains with the district court, while certified marriage and divorce certificates come through KDHE Office of Vital Statistics. Domestic records may contain restricted child information, protected addresses, sealed attachments, or personal identifiers. Chase County's County Clerk page directs domestic and child-support questions to the Office of the District Court Clerk at 620-273-6319.
Chase County Court Services
The 5th Judicial District lists court services and community corrections as district resources. The county District Court page lists Court Services Officer Amy Finnerty at 430 Commercial, Emporia, Kansas 66801, phone 620-341-3381. The 5th Judicial District page lists Julie Whitney as Chief CSO for Adult Supervision. Court services can connect to probation, supervision, compliance, and post-disposition work after a case reaches that stage.
The 5th Judicial District Community Corrections page describes a state and local partnership that promotes public safety by providing structured community supervision to felony offenders, holding offenders accountable, and improving the ability to live productively and lawfully. The public pages reviewed also link drug court forms, but no Chase-only drug court eligibility page, participant count, graduation rate, or presiding specialty-court judge was located.
The district community corrections source is shown in this image from the 5th Judicial District community corrections page.
Eligibility for diversion, treatment court, drug court forms, or community corrections should be checked with counsel, the County Attorney, Court Services, or the district clerk.
Chase County Appeals
The Chase County Courthouse is also part of the local court story. Official history sources identify Chase County as a Kansas territorial-period county, created in 1859, with Cottonwood Falls as the county seat. National Register material identifies the courthouse as one of the only surviving Kansas county courthouses from the early settlement period, built from native limestone. Modern CaseSearch and electronic payments sit on top of that older local courthouse footprint.
Appeals from district court generally move to the Kansas Court of Appeals, with the Kansas Supreme Court serving as the highest state court and taking selected matters or direct-review categories. An appeal does not move the original trial court file out of Chase County for ordinary copy purposes. The district court docket and clerk records remain important for trial-level orders, notices of appeal, judgments, and post-judgment entries.
Federal Court Is Separate
The U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas handles federal criminal prosecutions, federal civil cases, civil rights cases, federal-question cases, diversity cases, federal habeas petitions, and other federal matters. Federal records are separate from Chase County District Court records. A person charged in Chase County state court will not find that file in PACER unless there is a separate federal case or removal process that creates a federal file.
The federal court login system is shown in this image from the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas CM/ECF login page.
Use federal CM/ECF or PACER only for federal cases. Use Kansas CaseSearch, Chase County dockets, the courthouse terminal, and the Clerk of the District Court for state district court records.