Lee County Circuit Court Records

Lee County Circuit Court

Lee County is part of Kentucky's 23rd Judicial Circuit. The Kentucky Court of Justice court-structure page identifies Circuit Court as the general-jurisdiction trial court. In Lee County, that means Circuit Court handles felonies, capital offenses, civil matters over the District Court limit, divorce, adoption, termination of parental rights, title disputes, contested probate, injunctions, writs, and appeals from District Court or administrative agencies.

The KCOJ Lee County page lists Michael Dean as Chief Circuit Judge. It also lists the Lee County Courthouse as the local court location and identifies Tyler Phillips as Circuit Court Clerk. The clerk's office serves as the local record custodian for both Circuit Court and District Court case records, so the same office is central for felony files, divorce records, civil cases, docket access, payments, and copy requests.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky is a separate federal court system, not the Lee County Circuit Court.

This distinction helps keep state trial-court records separate from federal civil, criminal, and bankruptcy records.

Lee County Circuit Court List

Research did not identify separate numbered Circuit Court divisions in Lee County. The practical court list is the local Circuit Court, the local District Court that handles lower trial matters, and the Circuit Court Clerk's office that maintains the case files. All are tied to the Lee County Courthouse in Beattyville for local access, hearings, and record questions.

Circuit Court vs District Court

Circuit Court and District Court both operate in Lee County, but they do different work. Circuit Court is the general trial court and handles the higher-stakes or higher-value matters. District Court handles the high-volume limited-jurisdiction cases, including traffic, misdemeanors, small claims, probate of wills, and preliminary felony steps. City ordinance or municipal matters in Lee County route through District Court where filed.

Lee County Case Flow

Lee County case flow depends on the case type. A felony may begin in District Court for an initial appearance, arraignment, or probable-cause step before moving to Circuit Court after indictment. A misdemeanor or traffic citation may stay in District Court from start to finish. A divorce starts in Circuit Court. A routine probate matter may start in District Court, while a contested estate dispute belongs in Circuit Court.

Felony flow: Arrest or citation › District Court first steps › indictment or felony filing › Circuit Court arraignment › pretrial motions › plea or trial › disposition › sentencing › appeal.

Civil flow: Complaint or petition › service › answer › motions › hearings or discovery › settlement, trial, or judgment › post-judgment collection or appeal.

Probate flow: Will or estate filing › District Court probate step › fiduciary appointment › inventory or settlement filings › Circuit Court only if the matter becomes contested.

Lee County Circuit Records

Lee County Circuit Court records can include civil pleadings, felony indictments, motions, orders, judgments, divorce decrees, adoption filings, termination of parental-rights records, title-dispute records, contested probate orders, and appellate materials from District Court. Some of those records are public, some are partly redacted, and some are confidential by statute or court order.

For search access, use KYeCourts guest access for public case information and ePay when fines, costs, fees, or citation-related balances are involved. For copies, certified records, older files, and questions about restricted access, contact the Lee County Circuit Court Clerk. A Circuit Court docket entry can help identify a filing, but the full file may require a clerk request.

Pleading

A written filing that states a claim, defense, request, or response.

Motion

A request asking the judge to take action.

Order

A judge's written direction or decision.

Judgment

The court's final decision on a claim or case.

Disposition

The current or final outcome of a charge or case.

Lee County Judicial Circuit

Lee County sits in Kentucky's 23rd Judicial Circuit and 23rd Judicial District. KCOJ lists Michael Dean as Chief Circuit Judge and William "Bo" Leach as District Judge. The Circuit Court Clerk, Tyler Phillips, is listed on the KCOJ Lee County page and on the official county elected-officials directory. This court structure means one clerk office supports both local trial-court levels for case-record access.

Appeals move through the Kentucky hierarchy. Appeals from District Court go to Circuit Court. Most appeals from Circuit Court go to the Kentucky Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court of Kentucky is the court of last resort and handles direct appeals for the most severe criminal sentences, including death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment of 20 years or more. Lee County is in the 7th Supreme Court District and the 7th Appellate District.

Federal location details are listed separately on the Eastern District of Kentucky court locations page.

Lee County Circuit Court users should not send local case-file requests to those federal offices.

Lee County Circuit Clerk

The Office of Circuit Court Clerk is on the second floor of the Lee County Courthouse. KCOJ lists the address as 256 Main St., P.O. Box E, Beattyville, KY 41311, with phone 606-464-8400 and fax 606-464-0144. Public hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. KCOJ lists courthouse payment options as cash, check, money order, and credit or debit cards with a fee, and it states that no personal checks are accepted for fines.

Use the clerk for case-file copies, certified copies, docket confirmation, fine questions, and old-file routing. If the clerk says an older record is stored at the State Records Center, ask for the case and file locator numbers. State Records Center requests can then be made through the state.records@ky.gov address or by calling 502-564-3617, as described in KCOJ guidance.

Lee County Lower Courts

District Court is not just a minor branch in Lee County. It is the court for traffic, misdemeanors, violations, small claims, lower civil matters, felony preliminary hearings, arraignments, probate of wills, juvenile matters, mental-health proceedings, and domestic-violence matters. Many records that users associate with the courthouse may be District Court records rather than Circuit Court records.

This distinction is important for court-record searches. A felony case may have early District Court docket entries and later Circuit Court entries. A traffic ticket may never reach Circuit Court. A will may be filed in District Court unless a dispute turns the estate matter into contested probate. When the court level is unclear, the Circuit Court Clerk can help identify the Lee County court and case number.