Hancock County Circuit Court Overview
Hancock County is in the 38th Judicial Circuit and 38th Judicial District. Kentucky's court structure places Circuit Court as the court of general jurisdiction. In Hancock County, Circuit Court handles civil matters over $5,000, felony criminal cases, capital offenses, divorces, adoptions, termination of parental rights, title disputes, contested probate, injunctions, writs, and appeals from District Court and administrative agencies.
The Kentucky Circuit Court jurisdiction page describes the statewide Circuit Court role that applies in Hancock County.
Family Court is a division of Circuit Court, not a separate court level. District Court is the limited-jurisdiction court for traffic, misdemeanors, probate of wills, small claims, and preliminary felony functions. The same Circuit Court Clerk office maintains the local Circuit, Family, and District Court records.
Hancock County Courts Table
The Kentucky Court of Justice Hancock County page lists the local judges, clerk, schedules, and court address. The primary building for all local trial-court business is the Hancock County Judicial Center in Hawesville.
| Court or office | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock Circuit Court | General jurisdiction, 38th Judicial Circuit, Chief Circuit Judge Timothy R. Coleman, Division 1 | 310 Hawesville School Drive, Hawesville | 270-927-8144 or 270-927-8145 |
| Hancock Family Court | Division of Circuit Court, Judge Benjamin D. McKown, Division 2 | 310 Hawesville School Drive, Hawesville | 270-927-8144 or 270-927-8145 |
| Hancock District Court | Limited jurisdiction, Judges Gregory Vincent and Daniel Boling | 310 Hawesville School Drive, Hawesville | 270-927-8144 or 270-927-8145 |
| Hancock Circuit Court Clerk | Trial-court records custodian, Michael T. Boling | 310 Hawesville School Drive, Hawesville | 270-927-8144 or 270-927-8145 |
The local KCOJ schedule lists Circuit Court motion days on the fourth Friday, with civil at 9 a.m. and criminal at 10 a.m. Family Court meets on the first and third Thursdays, and District Court meets on the first and third Tuesdays.
Circuit Family District Comparison
Many Hancock County court searches fail because the wrong court level is chosen. Circuit Court handles higher-level civil and felony work. Family Court handles domestic and family matters as a Circuit Court division. District Court handles limited civil, misdemeanor, traffic, juvenile, and probate-of-wills work.
| Topic | Circuit Court | Family Court division | District Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal | Felonies and capital offenses | Status-offense and related family matters when assigned | Misdemeanors, violations, arraignments, probable-cause hearings |
| Civil | Civil matters over $5,000, title disputes, injunctions, writs | Domestic relations orders connected to family cases | Civil cases up to $5,000 and small claims up to $2,500 |
| Family | Adoptions and termination matters through Family Court division | Divorce, custody, support, paternity, adoption, domestic violence | Emergency protective and some domestic violence or abuse matters |
| Probate | Contested probate and higher-level estate disputes | Usually not the probate venue unless tied to family jurisdiction | Probate of wills and standard estate filings |
| Appeals | Appeals from District Court and administrative agencies | Appeals follow Circuit Court paths | Appeals go to Circuit Court |
How Hancock Cases Move
A Hancock County case can move through more than one court level. A misdemeanor or traffic case usually starts and ends in District Court. A felony can begin with an arraignment or probable-cause hearing in District Court before moving to Circuit Court. A District Court judgment can be appealed to Circuit Court, and most Circuit Court appeals go to the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
Case flow: District Court filing or preliminary hearing › Circuit Court trial or appeal › Kentucky Court of Appeals › Supreme Court of Kentucky when law allows or requires it.
The Kentucky District Court page gives the lower-court jurisdiction context that affects traffic, probate, misdemeanor, juvenile, and small-claims records in Hancock County.
For the user, the main point is that one Hawesville clerk office can be the contact even when the case type belongs to a different trial-court level.
Hancock Circuit Court Records
Public case information can be searched through KYeCourts, and hearing schedules can be checked through the KCOJ docket portal. Official copies, complete files, older records, exhibits, recordings, transcripts, and certified documents are handled by the Hancock County Circuit Court Clerk. The office is at the Hancock County Judicial Center, 310 Hawesville School Drive, P.O. Box 250, Hawesville, Kentucky 42348-0250.
Hancock County Judicial Center
310 Hawesville School Drive
P.O. Box 250
Hawesville, KY 42348-0250
270-927-8144 or 270-927-8145
KCOJ lists court office hours as Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local payment options include cash, money order, certified check, personal check from a local bank, and online ePay where eligible.
Hancock Appeals and Federal Courts
Hancock County is in the 2nd Supreme Court District and 2nd Appellate District. KCOJ lists Justice Kelly Thompson for the Supreme Court district and Court of Appeals Judges Jeff S. Taylor and Kelly Mark Easton for the appellate district. Those appellate courts are state courts, separate from local trial-court filing counters.
Federal cases are separate. Hancock County belongs to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Owensboro Division. Federal civil, criminal, bankruptcy, and appeal records are not held by the Hancock County Circuit Court Clerk.
The Western District of Kentucky, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Owensboro information, and Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals are separate routes for federal records.
State and federal dockets should not be mixed when checking a party's record, filing deadline, or appeal path.
Hancock Court Schedule Details
Local schedules are useful because a docket search does not always explain the type of session a case is assigned to. KCOJ lists Circuit Court motion days on the fourth Friday, with civil matters at 9 a.m. and criminal matters at 10 a.m. Family Court meets on the first and third Thursdays, with civil and domestic matters at 8:30 a.m., child support and paternity at 9 a.m., and confidential or adoption matters at 9:30 a.m. District Court meets on the first and third Tuesdays.
| Session | Published timing | Typical records affected |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court motion day | Fourth Friday, civil 9 a.m., criminal 10 a.m. | Felony, higher civil, appeals, injunctions, contested probate |
| Family Court | First and third Thursdays, domestic 8:30 a.m., support/paternity 9 a.m., confidential/adoption 9:30 a.m. | Divorce, custody, support, paternity, adoption, dependency, domestic violence |
| District Court | First and third Tuesday, civil 9 a.m., criminal 9:30 a.m., confidential 11 a.m. | Traffic, misdemeanors, probate of wills, juvenile, small claims, limited civil |
These schedules are subject to change, and the online docket portal warns that it is not the official docket. A person using a Circuit Court record for a hearing, payment, or filing deadline should confirm the event with the Circuit Court Clerk.