Woodford County Circuit Court Overview
Woodford County is in Kentucky's 14th Judicial Circuit. Circuit Court is Kentucky's general-jurisdiction trial court and hears felony criminal cases, capital offenses, civil matters involving more than $5,000, divorces, adoptions, termination of parental rights, real-property title disputes, contested probate matters, injunctions, writs of mandamus and prohibition, and appeals from District Court and administrative agencies. The Woodford County court location is the courthouse annex at 130 Court Street in Versailles.
Family Court is a division of Circuit Court. Woodford County's Kentucky Court of Justice page lists Family Court divisions along with Circuit and District divisions. District Court is the limited-jurisdiction trial court for traffic offenses, misdemeanors, violations, city and county ordinances, probate of wills, felony arraignments, probable-cause hearings, small claims up to $2,500, civil cases of $5,000 or less, mental commitments, domestic violence and abuse, and juvenile matters. The Circuit Court Clerk keeps the records for these trial courts.
Woodford County Court Divisions
The Kentucky Court of Justice county page identifies Woodford County's judges, divisions, address, clerk phone, and regular schedules. The same clerk phone is used for the court divisions because the Circuit Court Clerk's office is the local record and filing point.
| Court / Division | Judge or Clerk | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court, Division 1 | Chief Circuit Judge Jeremy M. Mattox | 130 Court Street, Versailles, KY 40383 | 859-873-3711 clerk |
| Circuit Court, Division 2 | Judge Kathryn H. Gabhart | 130 Court Street, Versailles, KY 40383 | 859-873-3711 clerk |
| Family Court, Division 3 | Judge Lisa H. Morgan | 130 Court Street, Versailles, KY 40383 | 859-873-3711 clerk |
| Family Court, Division 4 | Judge William J. Fooks | 130 Court Street, Versailles, KY 40383 | 859-873-3711 clerk |
| District Court, Division 1 | Judge Bolton Bevins | 130 Court Street, Versailles, KY 40383 | 859-873-3711 clerk |
| District Court, Division 2 | Judge Sarah Hays Spedding | 130 Court Street, Versailles, KY 40383 | 859-873-3711 clerk |
| Office of Circuit Court Clerk | Sarah Wilhoit Littrell | 130 Court Street, Versailles, KY 40383 | 859-873-3711 |
Circuit Court vs District Court
Kentucky does not use separate county courts or justice of the peace courts for Woodford trial-court records. The practical comparison is Circuit Court, Family Court as a Circuit Court division, and District Court. City ordinance matters are handled in District Court, and appeals from District Court go to Circuit Court.
| Feature | Circuit Court | Family Court Division | District Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil jurisdiction | Civil cases over $5,000 and real-property title disputes | Family-law matters assigned to Circuit Court | Civil cases of $5,000 or less and small claims of $2,500 or less |
| Criminal jurisdiction | Felonies and capital offenses | Domestic violence proceedings when assigned | Misdemeanors, violations, traffic, felony arraignments, probable cause |
| Family cases | Divorce, adoption, termination, and family matters through Family Court | Custody, support, domestic relations, dependency, neglect, abuse | Juvenile and domestic violence matters in District Court jurisdiction |
| Probate | Contested probate matters | Not the ordinary probate venue | Probate of wills and routine probate matters |
| Appeals | Receives District Court and agency appeals; appeals onward to Court of Appeals | Appeals follow Circuit Court path | Appeals go to Circuit Court |
Woodford County Case Flow
Criminal cases can start with an arrest, citation, complaint, or summons. District Court may handle a first appearance, arraignment, bond, traffic charge, misdemeanor, or felony probable-cause hearing. Felony cases move to Circuit Court after indictment or information. Circuit Court then handles arraignment, motions, pretrial hearings, plea or trial, disposition, sentence, and any later record activity such as probation or expungement.
Criminal flow: Arrest or citation › District Court first appearance › probable cause or indictment › Circuit Court arraignment › pretrial › plea or trial › disposition › sentencing › appeal.
Civil flow: Complaint or petition › service › answer › motions › hearings or mediation › trial or agreed order › judgment › collection, satisfaction, or appeal.
Woodford County Court Dockets
Woodford County has useful published schedule details. Circuit Court Division 1 meets the first Wednesday, with civil at 9:30 a.m. and criminal at 1 p.m. Circuit Court Division 2 meets the second Wednesday, with civil at 9 a.m. and criminal at 1 p.m. District Court criminal is on Monday, traffic at 9 a.m., misdemeanor and felony at 11 a.m., show cause at 11:30 a.m., and jail docket at 1 p.m. Civil, Small Claims, and Probate are listed for the second and fourth Wednesday at 1 p.m.
| Docket | Published Schedule |
|---|---|
| Circuit Court Division 1 civil | First Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. |
| Circuit Court Division 1 criminal | First Wednesday, 1 p.m. |
| Circuit Court Division 2 civil | Second Wednesday, 9 a.m. |
| Circuit Court Division 2 criminal | Second Wednesday, 1 p.m. |
| District Court traffic | Monday, 9 a.m. |
| District Court jail docket | Monday, 1 p.m. |
| District civil, small claims, probate | Second and fourth Wednesday, 1 p.m. |
Note: Always verify a hearing date through the docket portal or Circuit Court Clerk because docket entries are subject to change.
Woodford County Circuit Court Records
Woodford County Circuit Court records may include complaints, indictments, informations, motions, orders, hearing notices, docket entries, judgments, sentences, probation terms, fines, costs, restitution, divorce decrees, custody orders, and contested probate orders. District Court records may include traffic citations, misdemeanor complaints, city or county ordinance cases, small claims, probate-of-will filings, and felony arraignment or probable-cause entries. These files are requested through the Circuit Court Clerk when a certified copy or official file review is needed.
Public online records may help identify a case, but the clerk remains the official source for file location and copy requests. A case may be at the clerk's office, at a state records facility, or no longer available under retention schedules. If the file is stored away from the courthouse and open to the public, the clerk can provide the case and file locator numbers needed for a State Records Center or Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives request.
Federal Courts Near Woodford County
Federal cases are separate from Woodford County Circuit Court. Woodford County is in the Eastern District of Kentucky for federal trial-court matters. The nearest listed federal courthouse for many Woodford users is Lexington, while Frankfort is also geographically relevant. Federal criminal prosecutions, federal civil-rights cases, federal-question lawsuits, diversity cases, Social Security appeals, prisoner petitions, tax matters, and bankruptcy records are not searched through the Woodford Circuit Court Clerk.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is pictured below because federal appeals from Kentucky follow a separate federal path.
Use federal court tools only when the case is federal, not when the record is a Woodford Circuit, Family, or District Court case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky prosecutes federal crimes, which are distinct from Woodford County Commonwealth's Attorney felony prosecutions.
Federal criminal records may involve federal prosecutors, PACER, U.S. Marshals, and BOP systems rather than the local courthouse annex.
The Woodford County Sheriff is shown below because local court security, process service, and warrant service are connected to the state trial-court process.
Local Sheriff records and court records should still be requested from the correct custodian, even when the same courthouse visit involves both.