Letcher County Circuit Court
Kentucky has four court levels: Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Circuit Court, and District Court. In Letcher County, the two trial courts that matter most for local court records are Circuit Court and District Court. Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction. District Court is the limited-jurisdiction trial court. Both use the Circuit Court Clerk as the local record custodian for case files.
Letcher County is the 47th Judicial Circuit and the 47th Judicial District. The Kentucky Court of Justice county page lists James W. Craft II as Chief Circuit Judge for the 47th Judicial Circuit and Nick Whitaker as District Court Judge for the 47th Judicial District. The same page lists Mike Watts as Circuit Court Clerk. Appellate references on the county page place Letcher in the 7th Supreme Court District and 7th Appellate District.
| Court or office | Local official | Jurisdiction or role | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letcher Circuit Court, 47th Judicial Circuit | Chief Circuit Judge James W. Craft II | Felonies, civil over $5,000, divorces, adoptions, title disputes, contested probate, injunctions, writs, and appeals | Letcher County Courthouse, 156 Main St., Whitesburg, KY 41858 | Clerk: 606-633-7559 |
| Letcher District Court, 47th Judicial District | Judge Nick Whitaker | Misdemeanors, violations, traffic, ordinances, juvenile, probate of wills, felony first steps, small claims, low-value civil, mental commitments, domestic violence | 156 Main Street, Suite 101 C, Whitesburg, KY 41858 | 606-633-4222 |
| Office of Circuit Court Clerk | Mike Watts | Custody, control, and safe storage of Circuit and District Court records | 156 Main St. Suite 201, Whitesburg, KY 41858 | 606-633-7559; 606-633-1048 |
| Letcher County Clerk | Winston Meade | County recordings, marriage licenses, land records, wills after probate, elections, taxes | 156 Main St. Suite 102, Whitesburg, KY 41858 | 606-633-2432 |
Letcher Circuit Case Types
The Kentucky Court of Justice Circuit Court page states that Circuit Court can hear all types of cases unless the General Assembly assigns exclusive jurisdiction to another court. In Letcher County, that means Circuit Court is the court for felonies, civil matters involving more than $5,000, divorces, adoptions, termination of parental rights, title disputes, contested probate, injunctions, writs, and appeals from District Court and administrative agencies.
District Court has a wide local role too. It handles juvenile matters, city and county ordinances, misdemeanors, violations, traffic offenses, probate of wills, felony arraignments, felony probable-cause hearings, small claims of $2,500 or less, civil cases of $5,000 or less, mental commitments, and domestic violence and abuse matters. Appeals from District Court go to local Circuit Court.
| Point | Circuit Court | District Court and city matters filed as Kentucky court cases |
|---|---|---|
| Civil limit | Civil matters over $5,000 and equitable relief | Civil cases up to $5,000 and small claims up to $2,500 |
| Criminal jurisdiction | Felonies and capital offenses | Misdemeanors, violations, traffic, ordinances, arraignments, and probable-cause hearings |
| Family matters | Divorce, adoption, termination of parental rights, and family matters where assigned | Domestic violence and abuse matters, juvenile matters subject to confidentiality rules |
| Probate | Contested probate matters | Probate of wills and probate matters except contested adversary matters |
| Appeals | Appeals from District Court and agencies | Appeals go to Circuit Court |
Letcher Case Flow
A Letcher court case moves by case type. A felony may begin with arrest, citation, complaint, or warrant activity, then move through District Court arraignment and probable-cause proceedings before Circuit Court indictment or information, arraignment, pretrial activity, plea or trial, sentencing, and possible appeal. A civil Circuit Court case begins with a complaint or petition and moves through service, answer, motions, discovery, trial or settlement, judgment, and appeal if taken.
Criminal flow: Arrest or citation › District Court first appearance › probable cause or waiver › grand jury or information › Circuit Court arraignment › pretrial › plea or trial › disposition › sentence › appeal.
Civil flow: Complaint or petition › service › answer › motions › discovery › mediation or hearing › trial or settlement › judgment › post-judgment action › appeal.
Traffic, ordinance, and misdemeanor cases often remain in District Court unless a related felony, appeal, or other Circuit Court issue changes the route. Probate can start in District Court, become contested in Circuit Court, and then create recorded County Clerk instruments.
Letcher Circuit Court Records
The Circuit Court Clerk is the practical records hub for both Circuit and District Court files in Letcher County. Online access is split among KYeCourts/CourtNet for case search, KCOJ dockets for court dates, and ePay for eligible payments. In-person and phone contact remain important for certified copies, official file checks, restricted records, and older files.
| Access channel | Use | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| KYeCourts/CourtNet | Public case search by party, case, citation, or business where available | Role, account, redaction, and availability rules apply |
| KCOJ docket portal | County, division, date, courtroom, and subdivision docket lookup | Not the official docket and subject to change |
| KCOJ ePay | Eligible fines, costs, citations, party payments, and case payment searches | Only payment-eligible records appear |
| Circuit Court Clerk | Official copies, certified copies, file location, and older records | Some records are restricted, offsite, or destroyed under retention rules |
For certified copies from court files, use the Letcher County Circuit Court Clerk route rather than the County Clerk's recording office.
Letcher Judicial Officials
The official research lists several local and appellate officials tied to Letcher County. The Supreme Court listing places Robert B. Conley as Deputy Chief Justice for the 7th Supreme Court District. The Court of Appeals listing includes Larry E. Thompson as Chief Judge for the 7th Appellate District Division 2 and Sara Walter Combs as Judge for Division 1. Local trial-court names come from the KYCourts county page and county judicial officials page.
Commonwealth's Attorney Matt Butler serves the 47th Circuit for felony prosecution from 115 East Main Street, 2nd Floor, Suite A, Whitesburg, KY 41858, phone 606-633-8121. The county officials page names Jamie Hatton as County Attorney. The Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy Hazard Trial Office serves Letcher County from Hazard for eligible public-defense matters.
Commonwealth's Attorney, 47th Circuit
Hon. Matt Butler
115 East Main Street, 2nd Floor, Suite A
Whitesburg, KY 41858
606-633-8121
DPA Hazard Trial Office
Directing Attorney Derrick Howard
470 Main St.
Hazard, KY 41701
833-514-8977
Serves Knott, Letcher, and Perry Counties.
Letcher District Court Vacancy
A recent Letcher County court event affected the 47th Judicial District. Kentucky State Police reported that District Judge Kevin Mullins died at the Letcher County Courthouse on September 19, 2024, and that then-sheriff Shawn M. Stines was taken into custody and charged with murder. KYCourts later published vacancy material stating the death created a District Judge vacancy in the 47th Judicial District.
On March 6, 2025, KYCourts announced Judicial Nominating Commission nominees for the vacancy: Ashley Nicole Sturgell, Michael R. Watts II, and James Nicholas Whitaker. The current KYCourts Letcher page lists Nick Whitaker as District Court Judge. Current court scheduling, judge assignment, and docket details should be verified through KYCourts and the Circuit Court Clerk.
Note: News about a court vacancy does not change where Letcher County court records are requested; the Circuit Court Clerk remains the local court-record custodian.