Genesee County Circuit Court Case Search

The Genesee County Circuit Court maintains a wide variety of records, including case files maintained by the Clerk of Court's Legal Division. Records may also consist of documents and materials filed or issued in a civil or criminal proceeding.

The content of these documents varies depending on the case type. It typically includes exhibits, pleadings, motions, court orders, judgments, affidavits, witness statements, summons and subpoenas, jury instructions, sentencing documents, and other documents filed in a court case and archived for public access.

What Kinds of cases have been heard in Genesee Circuit Court?

The Circuit Court handles fact-finding in most civil and criminal cases. Criminal actions generally involve allegations of crime—the District Attorney alleges that an individual’s actions violate the State’s penal code and seeks to have the Court impose the statutory penalty for the crime. Criminal actions range from felonies like rape, and murder, to misdemeanors or less serious offenses like impaired driving, petty theft, and disorderly conduct.

Civil cases involve private individuals, typically two factions, where one party claims damages for injuries or seeks protection of rights against the other. They include domestic disputes such as divorce, support, paternity, custody, visitation, breach of contract, probate and wills, right to gender and name changes, protection orders, and juvenile-related matters.

Genesee County Circuit Court

The Genesee County Circuit Court is a court of general jurisdiction, deriving authority from the Michigan State Constitution. While the Court's jurisdiction covers most civil and criminal cases, it typically handles cases that are beyond the jurisdiction of other courts.

For instance, in civil cases where a party claims damages, the Civil-Criminal Division of the Court will assume jurisdiction only if the amount in controversy is worth more than $25,000. In addition to its original jurisdiction, the Civil-Criminal Division exercises appellate jurisdiction over cases originating from the district court, probate court, or other administrative agencies. Conversely, orders from the Circuit Court are generally appealed to the Court of Appeals.

While the Court's jurisdiction is not final, given that they are subject to appeal, the court serves as a central pillar for justice in the County, managing disputes and balancing the rights of the individual against those of the public.

Genesee County Circuit Court
900 S. Saginaw Street, 2nd floor
Flint, MI 48502
Phone: (810) 424-4355
Fax: (810) 239-9280
Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

Genesee County Case Lookup

Accessing the Circuit Court records can be crucial for certain individuals, including attorneys and legal academics, as well as employers wishing to conduct a background check on potential employees. As such, except specific documents are restricted by statute or court order, Case files maintained by the Circuit Court clerk can be accessed by anyone.

Individuals can look up Civil, Traffic, Criminal, Domestic, and Probate cases through MiCourt Case Search, an online portal accessible via the 7th Circuit Court website. To begin:

• Visit the website homepage.
• Click the three dashes at the upper-right-hand corner to open the menu.
• Navigate to "Court Services" and click "Case Record Search".
• Read and agree to the "Terms of Service".
• The user will be prompted with an electronic form
• Click "Select Another Court" at the top of the form—upper right
• Proceed to the second page and click Genesee County Circuit Court
• At the top of the form, choose between searching by Name or case number.
• Complete the form by entering the appropriate details into the text boxes
• Click "Search" to facilitate a database query.

Note: Certain case types will not be displayed, including Adoption, Juvenile and Child Protective Proceedings, Juvenile Guardianship, Mental Illness, Name Changes, Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Young Adult Voluntary Foster Care, and Wills. Those who prefer to access court records in person can visit the Circuit Court Clerk at:

900 S. Saginaw Street,
Flint, MI 48502

Due to limited storage facilities, some records are maintained offsite. These include:

• Domestic case files from 1999 to present
• Criminal case files from 2001 to present
• Civil case files from 2007 to present

Record Seekers are required to order these records three days before coming to the office. Files can be ordered by calling (810) 257-3220 to speak with the Legal Division Clerk.
Researchers can view indexes and register of action using the Search Circuit Court Case Index.

Genesee Circuit Court Case Search by Name

When a case is filed, it is assigned a case number or name, serving as the official label of that case file from filing through judgment. After judgment, the court clerk enters the case file into the record repository or uploads them on the web in a numerical or alphabetical sequence using the case number or file name. This is typically done to facilitate easy access and identification. Individuals seeking specific case files are expected to know the case number or file name, usually the name of a party, and provide them with the name in order to assist the court clerk with the case search.

Individuals who do not know the name or case number of the case they wish to view can search alphabetically at this link: Search Circuit Court Case Index. Alternatively, MiCourt Case Search users can initiate an advanced search by clicking "Show" below the electronic form. This feature allows them to conduct a search using other search criteria, such as case status, case type, and file date range.

Genesee Circuit Court Docket Search

The Genesee County Circuit Court docket is a collection of each judge of the Court's schedule, detailing upcoming proceedings to be handled by the judge within a timeline. On each proceeding, it provides the following information:

• The parties’ names and case number
• The date, time, day, and designated location for the proceeding
• The presiding judge

Litigants and attorneys typically depend on the court’s docket for insight into when their case will be called up and to prepare for its hearing.

Interested individuals wishing to access the Circuit Court docket can do so using the 7th Circuit Court website:

• Visit the website homepage
• Open the menu by clicking the three dashes at the upper-right
• Click navigate to and click "Court Schedule".
• Select the name of the judge handling the case

Lookup Genesee County Circuit Court Online

Those who prefer to look at court records online can refer to MiCourt Case Search Portal, an internet-based platform that provides remote access to civil, criminal, traffic, probate, and domestic case files. For added convenience, record seekers may refer to third-party sites like Michigancourtrecords.us. These websites typically provide a user interface that is friendly to use and easy to navigate compared to official channels, as well as generally reliable information. However, such sites do not guarantee the accuracy or reliability of any information provided. As such, users are encouraged to assess the information and compare it with official resources or any notice that they might be privy to.

Supreme Court vs. Circuit Court

The 7th Circuit Court is a trial court whose primary function involves fact-finding in civil, criminal, and domestic law cases. It weighs evidence, provides jury trials, assesses the balance of probability in civil cases, and determines who bears the onus in criminal cases and whether this onus has been discharged beyond reasonable doubt. Its decisions are not final and subject to appeal.

In contrast, the Supreme Court of the State of Michigan is the highest appellate court in the state. Consequently, its decisions are final on all state law matters, serving as a precedent for lower courts to follow, including the Circuit Court. Unlike the Circuit Court, the Supreme Court is not a fact-finding court. As such, new evidence cannot be introduced in matters brought to it on appeal. The Court is concerned primarily with the accurate interpretation of key constitutional and statutory provisions and the maintenance of consistency in legal application.

While Circuit Courts typically operate at the county level, the Supreme Court functions at the state level. The U.S. Supreme Court serves as its equivalent at the federal level, presiding over matters of national judicial concerns.