Garrard County Circuit Court Overview
Kentucky uses a unified Court of Justice. Garrard County belongs to the 13th Judicial Circuit and 13th Judicial District. Circuit Court is the general-jurisdiction trial court, which means it handles felony case files, circuit civil files, appeals from District Court, and other matters assigned by Kentucky law. Family Court is a division of Circuit Court, not a separate local clerk office.
The official Garrard County Kentucky Court of Justice page lists Hunter Daugherty as Chief Regional Circuit Judge for Circuit Court, 13th Judicial Circuit, Division 1. It lists Jeff Moss as Judge for Family Court, 13th Judicial Circuit, Division 2. District Court is the lower trial-court level for many high-volume matters, including traffic, misdemeanors, probate, small claims, domestic violence, juvenile, and mental-health matters.
The manifest image below comes from the Kentucky Court of Justice Garrard County page, the local source for Garrard County Circuit Court schedules and clerk information.
The state county page is the best official local anchor for court schedules, judges, payment methods, and court-record requests.
Garrard County Circuit Court List
Garrard County does not have a set of separate county-run numbered trial courts. The relevant courts and divisions sit within Kentucky's unified state court system and use the Garrard County Justice Center as the local address. The Circuit Court Clerk is the record access point for all of these local state court levels.
| Court or Division | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13th Judicial Circuit Circuit Court, Division 1 | General jurisdiction, felony, circuit civil, appeals | 54 Stanford Street, Lancaster, KY 40444 | 859-792-2961 |
| 13th Judicial Circuit Family Court, Division 2 | Divorce, custody, adoption, family matters | 54 Stanford Street, Lancaster, KY 40444 | 859-792-2961 |
| 13th Judicial District District Court, Division 1 | Misdemeanor, traffic, probate, small claims, preliminary felony | 54 Stanford Street, Lancaster, KY 40444 | 859-792-2961 |
| 13th Judicial District District Court, Division 2 | District jurisdiction shared regionally | 54 Stanford Street, Lancaster, KY 40444 | 859-792-2961 |
Circuit Court vs District Court
The map substitution matters on this page. Garrard County's primary trial court page is Circuit Court, but District Court is still central to traffic, probate, small claims, misdemeanors, and first felony steps. Family Court is a Circuit Court division, so divorce and custody records follow the Circuit Court Clerk path even when they have separate family docket settings.
| Feature | Circuit Court | Family Court Division | District Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main role | General-jurisdiction trial court | Division of Circuit Court for family matters | Limited-jurisdiction trial court |
| Common cases | Felony, circuit civil, appeals from District Court | Divorce, custody, adoption, dependency, neglect, abuse | Traffic, misdemeanors, probate, small claims, ordinances, preliminary felony |
| Record custodian | Circuit Court Clerk | Circuit Court Clerk | Circuit Court Clerk |
| Local schedule | Circuit criminal third Friday; circuit civil first Friday | Divorce, custody, adoption second and fourth Friday | Monday at 9 a.m. and Thursday at 1 p.m. |
Garrard County Case Flow
A criminal case can begin below Circuit Court, then move upward. Felony charges often start in District Court for arraignment or probable-cause steps and move to Circuit Court after indictment or waiver. Misdemeanors and traffic cases usually stay in District Court unless appealed. Probate starts in District Court unless a contested adversary matter requires a different court track.
Felony flow: arrest or citation › District Court first appearance › preliminary hearing or waiver › indictment or information › Circuit Court arraignment › plea or trial › disposition › sentence › appeal.
Civil and family flow: petition or complaint filed › service › answer or response › motions or mediation › hearing or trial › order or judgment › appeal if allowed.
Garrard County Circuit Court Schedule
The official county court page publishes a useful local schedule. Circuit Criminal is listed for the third Friday at 9 a.m. Circuit Civil is listed for the first Friday at 9 a.m. Domestic Violence is Friday at 8:30 a.m. Dependency, neglect, and abuse are the first, third, and fifth Friday at 10 a.m., with specific times set by the judge. Divorce, custody, and adoption are the second and fourth Friday at 10 a.m., also with specific times set by the judge.
District Court sessions are listed Monday at 9 a.m. and Thursday at 1 p.m. Because the docket portal says online dockets are subject to change and are not official dockets, people should verify court dates with the Circuit Court Clerk when a missed appearance could create a warrant, default, dismissal, or other court action.
Search Garrard County Circuit Records
Public case information can begin through KYeCourts guest public records. Docket checks can use the Kentucky docket portal. For certified copies, older files, sealed-record questions, or file-location numbers, call or visit the Circuit Court Clerk. The state court-record request instructions say some records may be in the clerk office, in a record facility, or destroyed under retention schedules.
| Docket Field | Type | Required | Use for Garrard County |
|---|---|---|---|
| County | Dropdown | Yes | Select Garrard. |
| Division | Radio | Yes | Choose Circuit or District. |
| Date | Date picker | Yes | Use the scheduled or expected date. |
| Courtroom | Dropdown | No | Use ALL unless told otherwise. |
| Subdivision | Dropdown | No | Use ALL unless told otherwise. |
Garrard District Court Role
The Kentucky Court of Justice District Court page states District Court handles juvenile matters, city and county ordinances, misdemeanors, violations, traffic offenses, probate of wills, arraignments, felony probable-cause hearings, small claims of $2,500 or less, civil cases of $5,000 or less, voluntary and involuntary mental commitments, and domestic violence and abuse matters. Appeals from District Court go to Circuit Court.
The manifest image below comes from the Kentucky District Court jurisdiction overview, which explains the lower-court role that supports Garrard County Circuit Court records.
Use District Court context to interpret traffic, misdemeanor, probate, and preliminary felony records before they move or appeal to Circuit Court.
Restricted Garrard County Court Records
Public access does not mean every Circuit Court, Family Court, or District Court record is open online. Juvenile records are restricted under KRS 610.340. Adoption records are not ordinary public records. Mental-health commitments, protected addresses, financial identifiers, Social Security numbers, minor names, sealed records, and expunged records may be withheld or redacted.
KRS 61.872 supports public inspection of nonexempt public records, while KRS 61.878 explains exemptions. That legal framework works alongside court confidentiality rules. If a Garrard County record is missing from public search, the correct next step is to ask the Circuit Court Clerk about access status, not assume that no case exists.
Payment and access are also separate issues. The Garrard court page lists ePay and in-person payment methods for fines, fees, and costs, but a payment does not remove the case from the docket. Dismissal, sealing, expungement, or appeal requires a court process, and the public record changes only when the court record changes.
That distinction is especially important after traffic, misdemeanor, and felony preliminary matters move between District Court and Circuit Court.