Missouri Court Case Lookup

A court case is a conflict between opposing parties brought before a Missouri judge or jury for resolution. The court will decide how the Missouri law should be applied to the dispute's circumstances and determine whether the accusations of guilt, innocence, culpability, or lack of fault are true. The goal of a Missouri court case lookup is to provide members of the public access to court case information per the state Public Information Act.

Missouri Courts are divided into three tiers:

The Supreme Court: This is the highest court in Missouri.
Missouri Courts of Appeal: This is the intermediate appellate court that handles appeals from circuit courts.
Trial Courts: This is where most cases begin. Trial Courts have several divisions like family, juvenile, associate circuit, municipal, civil and criminal, and probate.

Are Court Cases Public Record in Missouri?

Yes. Court cases are public records pursuant to Court Operating Rule 2 (COR 2). As a result, anyone may seek copies of court documents from Missouri courts. Nevertheless, a court order or legislation may prohibit the public from viewing specific cases which involve alcohol, drug, juvenile court documents, confidential business information, and mental health assessments or documents that a judge has sealed.

How to Conduct a Missouri Court Case Lookup

Anyone who needs to lookup a Missouri court case can do so via the Case.net tool. With this tool, requesters can conduct a:

Litigant name search
Filing date search
Case number search
Scheduled hearing search
Judgment index

Another way for people to lookup a Missouri court case is to go to the courtroom where the case was filed. The inquirer must provide basic information about the case like case party’s name or case number. A search fee may be required before processing the case document.

Can I Get Missouri Court Case Documents Online?

Yes, the Missouri State Judiciary has a statewide online database where individuals can get court case documents for free. A search can be conducted by litigant name, filing date, case number, scheduled hearing, and judgment index. Search results typically reveal the following information:

Case number, circuit, county, case style
Case header (name of judge/commissioner assigned, location, disposition, financial information, date filed, case type, and disposition date)
Parties & attorneys (plaintiff's full name and address, defendant’s full name and address, name for attorney for defendant and address)
Docket entries (filing, judgment entered, date, summons issued, and return service)
Charges, judgment & sentences (description, date, code, and arresting agency)
Service information (name of the person the service was issued to, type of document issued, document ID, date issued, due date, service type, agent, and text, service/attempt date)
Filings due
Scheduled hearings & trials (date, name of judge/commissioner, time, day, setting, event, address, and location)
Civil judgments (date, description, judgment amount, date of satisfaction, and name of the person the judgment was against)
Garnishments/execution (number and issued date)

How to Conduct a Missouri Court Case Search by Name

Individuals seeking to conduct a Missouri court case search by name can do so via the Missouri Courts Name Search tool. Here is how to conduct a court case search by name:

Go to the Missouri Courts Judicial Branch website.
Scroll down and click on the “Case.net” link at the bottom bar.
Click on the “Litigant Name Search” menu at the top bar.
Proceed to conduct a search by the case party’s last name or business name.

Provide the case party’s first and middle name, case filing year, then select case type to speed up the search. After providing the necessary information in the appropriate search box, click on the "find" icon to get the court case being sought.

Alternatively, a record search can visit the court with jurisdiction over the case to conduct a search by name. The requester must visit the court during business hours and must be ready to pay search fees.

What is a Court Case Number?

A court case number is a special number assigned to a case by the court. It makes it easy to refer to, track, or retrieve civil and criminal cases filed with the court. Case numbers help to indicate the case's filing year, office, and the judicial officer(s) to whom it has been assigned. Each document presented to the court must reference the relevant case number. This will aid in ensuring effective document transmission inside the court.

How to Conduct a Case Number Search in Missouri

An individual can conduct a case number search via the Missouri Courts Case Number Search tool. The record seeker is expected to choose the specific court where the case was held and input a case number. Another way an individual may conduct a case number search is by filing a request in person at the court clerk's office where the case was handled.

How to Remove Court Cases From Public Record in Missouri

In accordance with §610.140 RSMo, any individual seeking to have a criminal record expunged may do so by writing a petition which must be submitted to the county court where the offense was charged or convicted. An expungement petition must be filed along with a $250 fee. If the petitioner is poor and cannot cover the expense, the judge may waive the charge.

How to Check a Court Case Status in Missouri

The easiest approach to determine the status of a court case is to use the Missouri Courts online tool. Conduct a search by name, filing date, case number, or hearing date. Provide the appropriate information in the search boxes and click "Find" to access the case information. The inquirer will be able to view the status of the case alongside other relevant information. Also, an individual can visit the court where the case was handled to ask about the status of a case. The inquirer must be able to provide basic information about the case to facilitate the search.

What Percentage of Court Cases Go to Trial in Missouri?

Missouri courts get a large number of cases each year. But the general consensus is that only around 5% of criminal cases ever proceed to trial, While 95% of cases are either dismissed outright or result in a compromise plea bargain between the prosecutor, the defense attorney, and the defendant. For instance, about 423,586 criminal court cases were filed in Missouri in 2021. About 387,994 cases were deposed, while 171,740 were pending.

How Long Does a Court Case Last in Missouri?

The length of court cases in Missouri varies and generally depends on various contingencies. Factors like the county where the court case is held, the type of court case, and even the willingness and agreement between case parties all determine how long a court case lasts in Missouri. However, there are general time frames that individuals can expect during a court case. For instance, below is the average length of a court case per COR 17. 23:

Circuit civil court cases last between 12 months and 30 months
Domestic relations cases last between 4 months and 14 months
Associate civil cases last between 4 months and 12 months
Circuit felony cases last between 4 months and 14 months
Associate criminal cases last between 3 months and 8 months

How to File a Case in Court in Missouri

Individuals seeking to file a case in court in Missouri may choose to hire the services of an attorney or file pro se. Attorneys in Missouri are required to file cases in Missouri through the Missouri eFiling System. To electronically file cases and documents using this System, an attroney must create an account and login with their username and password. With this system, attorneys can minimize the time and effort spent handling case files. The system aims to improve the productivity of filers and court clerks while also saving time, money, and resources. Filing cases electronically is for the use of attorneys and approved non-attorney filers.

Individuals filing pro se may visit the county court clerk's office where they reside to file the case in person. Some district courts also provide guides for pro se filers to follow online. For instance, the US Western District of Missouri Court presents pro se guidelines to individuals seeking to file for a case themselves.

What Does It Mean if a Court Case Was Resolved Before the Trial Date?

It indicates that the attorneys engaged in extensive pretrial negotiation and reached a settlement that resolved the dispute outside of court. In a criminal case, it denotes that the matter was concluded through a plea agreement, in which the defendant consented to admit guilt in exchange for a lesser charge or a specific punishment.