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Courts in Desoto County

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Circuit Court

DeSoto County is part of Mississippi's 17th Circuit Court District. Also included in that district are Panola, Tallahatchie, Tate and Yalobusha counties. The Circuit Court tries felony criminal cases and civil actions involving issues of $200,000 and above. Juries are widely used in the circuit court. The Circuit Court Clerk assists the court in summoning potential jurors. The Circuit Court Administrator assists the Judge by scheduling cases and preparing the court docket. The Administrator of the Desoto County Circuit Court is Sally Adkins. Currently, there are three Circuit Court Judges serving DeSoto County. They are:

County Courts

County Courts in Mississippi handle cases under its three divisions: Civil Division, Criminal Division and Youth Court Division.

The County Court of DeSoto County has jurisdiction concurrent with the Circuit and Chancery Courts in all civil matters of law and equity wherein the amount in controversy does not exceed $200,000; jurisdiction concurrent with the Justice Court in all civil matters; jurisdiction of all civil appeals from the Justice Court; original jurisdiction of partition of personal property, replevin, eviction and unlawful entry and detainer cases; exclusive jurisdiction of all eminent domain cases. These cases are filed in the Civil Division of the County Court.

The County Court has jurisdiction concurrent with the Justice Court in all criminal matters of misdemeanors and felony preliminary hearings; jurisdiction of felony cases, except capital offenses, when the Circuit Court transfers such cases to it; jurisdiction of criminal cases appealed from the Justice Court and Municipal Courts. These cases are files in the Civil Division and Criminal Division of the County Court.

The County Court has exclusive jurisdiction of all cases wherein a juvenile (a child under the age of eighteen years) is alleged to be a child in need of supervision, an abused child, a neglected child or a delinquent child (one who commits a crime). These cases are filed in the Youth Court Division of the County Court.

Justice Court

Criminal Division

The DeSoto County Justice Court Criminal Division handles 10,500 cases per year. These are misdemeanors, preliminary, initial appearances and bonding hearings on felony cases, all Sheriff's Department, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Constable, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Mississippi Motor Carrier Division and Mississippi Department of Transportation traffic tickets.

The DeSoto County Criminal Court shall convene at 9:00 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

Payments for traffic citations may be made via cash, cashiers check, money order, and credit cards Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Clerk's office or pay your citation online.

Civil Division

The DeSoto County Justice Court Civil Division handles 4,200 cases per year. These are declarations, past due accounts, evictions, 10 day protection orders, and replevins with a jurisdictional limit of $3,500.00.

All filing fees are prepaid and are as follows:

• 1 defendant - $64.00
• 2 defendants - $74.00
• post judgment action - $50.00

The DeSoto County Civil Court shall convene at 9:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.