Hancock County Criminal Court Records
A criminal court record is the case file kept by the court after a charge is filed. It is not just a booking record. The file may include a citation, complaint, indictment, information, bond order, arraignment entry, motions, plea, disposition, sentencing order, probation terms, fines, costs, and scheduled events. In Hancock County, Circuit Court Clerk Michael T. Boling, also listed locally as Mike Boling, is the custodian for Circuit, Family, and District Court records at the judicial center in Hawesville.
The court level depends on the charge and stage. Hancock Circuit Court handles felonies and capital offenses. Hancock District Court handles misdemeanors, violations, traffic-related criminal matters, felony arraignments, and probable-cause hearings. District Court can start a felony path, but the felony case record moves into Circuit Court if it proceeds there. The court charge itself is discussed in more detail on the Hancock County arrest records and charges page.
Search Hancock County Criminal Records
The primary public lookup channel is KYeCourts Public Court Records. The guest login provides free public case information across Kentucky courts. For criminal case research, search by party name, case number, citation fields, or business name if applicable. A case-number search requires county of origin. A person search may work best with first name, last name, and birth date when the help materials require that combination.
- Open KYeCourts and continue into the public case information path.
- Search by defendant name, case number, or citation data, then narrow to Hancock County when the case is local.
- Review the case result for county, case type, case title, parties, scheduled events, and charge information.
- Check whether the record shows an active warrant, summons, or failure-to-appear indicator.
- Request certified copies, complete case files, transcripts, recordings, or older stored files from the Hancock County Circuit Court Clerk.
The KCOJ docket portal is a second access channel for hearing dates. It can show scheduled criminal events by county, division, and date, but it states that results are not an official docket and are subject to change. For official criminal case status, use the clerk's record.
Hancock County Criminal Case Flow
A criminal case record grows as the matter moves through court. Early entries may show an arrest, citation, complaint, warrant return, bond, and arraignment. Later entries may show discovery issues, motions, continuances, plea agreements, trial settings, verdicts, dismissal entries, sentencing orders, probation terms, restitution, and financial obligations. One case may contain several charges, and each charge can have its own status or final disposition.
Case flow: Charges Filed › Arraignment › Pretrial / Motions › Plea or Trial › Disposition › Sentencing
| Stage | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Charges Filed | A complaint, citation, information, or indictment starts the court charge record. |
| Arraignment | The defendant appears, charges are addressed, plea and bond issues may be handled, and the next event is set. |
| Pretrial / Motions | The case may show continuances, discovery, motions, hearings, diversion issues, or plea negotiations. |
| Plea or Trial | The record may show a guilty plea, not guilty plea, trial event, verdict, dismissal, or amendment. |
| Disposition / Sentencing | The court records the outcome, sentence, probation, fines, costs, restitution, or other final orders. |
Hancock County Criminal Record Fields
CourtNet result-help materials say case-number links can provide added case information such as parties, charges, and scheduled events. Public case results may also include indicators for active warrant, summons, or failure to appear. The clerk file can contain more than the public screen. Kentucky Court of Justice request guidance lists criminal citations, pleadings, motions, orders, evidence, reports, dockets, video recordings, and transcripts as examples of case records.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The criminal case identifier used by the court and clerk. |
| Defendant / Party Type | The person charged and the role assigned in the case record. |
| County and Court | Hancock County and the Circuit or District division tied to the case. |
| Charges | Criminal or traffic-related criminal charges, sometimes with statute or citation details. |
| Scheduled Events | Arraignment, motion day, pretrial, trial, plea, sentencing, review, or other hearing dates. |
| Disposition | The outcome of a charge or case, such as guilty, dismissed, acquitted, amended, or otherwise resolved. |
| Sentence and Financials | Jail or prison sentence, probation, fines, costs, restitution, bond, or payment obligations where available. |
Charges and Convictions
A charge is an accusation filed in court. A conviction is a finding or plea of guilt entered by the court. Hancock County criminal court records may show both, and the difference matters. A case can list charges that were amended, reduced, dismissed, or not indicted. A public result can still show the history of the case unless a law, court order, or expungement changes public access.
| Charge | Conviction | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | An accusation filed by complaint, citation, information, or indictment. | A guilty plea, guilty verdict, or other finding of guilt. |
| Record Stage | Appears early and may change as the case moves. | Appears after plea, verdict, or final disposition. |
| Possible Outcome | May be pending, amended, reduced, dismissed, or dropped. | May lead to sentence, probation, fines, costs, or other orders. |
Hancock County Prosecutor Roles
Kentucky uses Commonwealth's Attorneys and County Attorneys, not district attorneys. Hancock County is in the 38th Judicial Circuit with Butler and Ohio Counties for Commonwealth's Attorney purposes. Research identifies Hon. Blake Chambers as Commonwealth's Attorney for the 38th Circuit, handling felony prosecution and circuit-level criminal matters. The office address listed in the state attorney directory is 201 East Ohio Street, Suite 3, P.O. Box 1038, Morgantown, Kentucky 42261, with phone 270-526-3871.
The Hancock County Attorney, Paul L. Madden Jr., handles legal counsel for county government and prosecutes violations of criminal and penal law within District Court jurisdiction. His office is in the Hancock County Administration Building at 225 Main Cross Street in Hawesville. This split helps explain why a misdemeanor and a felony can have different prosecutor offices while both still produce court records through the local Kentucky Court of Justice system.
Defense and First Appearance
The Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy Owensboro Trial Office serves Daviess, Hancock, and Ohio Counties. Research lists Directing Attorney Jason McGee, phone 833-514-8980, and address 920 Frederica Street, Suite 1006, Owensboro, Kentucky 42301. DPA notes that an indigent or needy person charged with a crime carrying jail time or a fine of $500 or more is entitled to public defender services. The request is usually made to the judge, preferably at first appearance, and many judges require an Affidavit of Indigency.
Note: A criminal case lookup is not legal advice, and bond or warrant questions should be verified with the court.
Sealed and Expunged Records
Kentucky law restricts some criminal court records. Juvenile court records are confidential under KRS 610.340 unless a specific exception allows access. Expungement for eligible misdemeanor and felony convictions uses KRS 431.073. Expungement after acquittal, dismissal with prejudice, or certain non-indictment outcomes uses KRS 431.076.
| Sealed | Expunged | |
|---|---|---|
| Public Visibility | Restricted from ordinary public access by law or court order. | Removed from ordinary public access after a qualifying court order. |
| How It Happens | Confidential statute, sealed case, protected party, or judge order. | Filed in the court that handled the case under Kentucky expungement law. |
| Practical Effect | Public portal details may be limited or hidden. | Covered records are treated according to the expungement order. |
Custody and Criminal Case Files
Custody records and criminal court records overlap, but they are not the same file. Hancock County does not operate its own jail. Jailer Roger Estes handles transport, court custody, jail fees, home incarceration administration, and bailiff duties, while the county contracts with Breckinridge County for incarceration. If the question is who is currently held, use the Hancock County inmate lookup path through Breckinridge JailTracker, Kentucky DOC KOOL, or VINELink. If the question is charge status, plea, disposition, or sentence, use the court case record and Circuit Court Clerk.