Access Simpson County Circuit Clerk Records

About the Simpson County Circuit Clerk's Office

Witt Fortenberry serves as the Simpson County Circuit Clerk. The county lists the term of office as 2020 to present. Voters across the county elect this clerk to a four-year term. The office works out of Mendenhall, the county seat, near the courthouse square. As clerk of the Simpson County Circuit Court, the office keeps the paper trail for the court that hears felony cases, larger civil suits, and appeals from lower courts.

The Circuit Clerk does far more than file papers. The office keeps a general court docket that names the parties in each case and logs pleas, indictments, records sent up from inferior courts on appeal, and other filings. It records the orders a judge signs in the court minute book, keeps the execution docket for judgments, and enters a full and complete record of each proceeding. The official Circuit Clerk page also lists jury work, voter registration, election support, and marriage licensing among its public duties.

What the Simpson County Circuit Clerk Does

Most people meet the Simpson County Circuit Clerk through court paperwork. The office is the keeper of the Circuit Court record, so it tracks every step in a case from the first filing to the final judgment. Lawyers file motions here. Judges sign orders that the clerk enters in the minute book. The office also issues subpoenas, manages the execution docket for collecting on judgments, and keeps the indictments returned by a grand jury.

The clerk's court duties cover a clear set of records that residents request most often.

• General court docket listing the names and parties in each Circuit Court case.
• Pleas, indictments, and other papers filed during a criminal or civil case.
• Records sent up from inferior courts when a case is appealed.
• Court orders that a judge enters in the minute book.
• The execution docket used to enforce money judgments.
• A full and complete written record of each court proceeding.

These court files are the heart of the office. They feed the broader pool of Simpson County court records that residents, attorneys, and researchers rely on for case history and proof of outcome.

Circuit Clerk and Chancery Clerk Records in Simpson County

Simpson County splits clerk work between two elected offices. The Circuit Clerk handles the law side of the courthouse. The Chancery Clerk handles the equity side. Routing a request to the wrong office is the most common reason a records search stalls, so it helps to know which clerk holds which file before you call or write.

The Circuit Clerk keeps Circuit Court criminal and civil case files, jury records, voter registration, and marriage licenses. Chancery Clerk Tim Gray keeps a very different set: divorces, probate of wills, estates and conservatorships, guardianships, adoptions, youth court, land deeds and liens, board minutes, and mental or drug and alcohol commitments. Because the county has no separate Chancery Clerk page on this site, divorce and family matters are covered with the Simpson County marriage and divorce records, and estate matters appear with Simpson County probate records.

Note: contact the Chancery Clerk at 601-847-2626 for divorce, probate, land, guardianship, and youth-court files, since those records never sit with the Circuit Clerk.

Jury, Voter, and Election Duties

Court files are only part of the job. The Simpson County Circuit Clerk runs the jury process for the Circuit Court and acts as the county's voter registrar. These public-service duties bring far more residents through the office than a typical case file does.

On the jury side, the clerk notifies citizens chosen for jury duty and prepares jury lists for the attorneys. The office helps jurors find their way around the courthouse, files documents during a trial, and issues subpoenas. It carries out the jury instructions a judge hands down, receives verdicts, and reads them in open court. When needed, the clerk issues juror warrants or checks and certificates of service.

The election role is just as broad. The Circuit Clerk serves as registrar for county voters and collects qualifying fees from candidates running for county or legislative seats within the county. The office works alongside the Election Commission to share election information and support local voting. Residents who need a voter-registration form can download it from the county forms page.

Marriage Licenses at the Simpson County Circuit Clerk

Marriage licensing is one duty the Simpson County Circuit Clerk handles instead of the Chancery Clerk. The office issues the license, files a Statistical Record of Marriage with the Office of Vital Records at the State Board of Health, and collects a filing fee of $37 per marriage record prepared.

State law sets the framework. Under Miss. Code Section 93-1-5, a marriage-license application is made in writing to the circuit clerk of any Mississippi county. Both applicants swear to the application, which lists names, ages, addresses, and parent or guardian information when an applicant is under 21. The county's forms page links to a marriage-license information sheet and a certified copy request form, both posted as official county documents.

Couples who later need proof of marriage can ask the Circuit Clerk for a certified copy of the record. Divorce, by contrast, is a Chancery Court matter and never runs through this office.

How to Request Simpson County Circuit Clerk Records

There is no county-built public case search on the official Simpson County website. Circuit Court case files route through Mississippi Electronic Courts, the statewide e-filing system, with public access handled through PAMEC. The clerk's counter, phone line, and mailbox remain the fallback for anything not visible online.

Several channels can reach the records the office keeps.

• Online through Mississippi Electronic Courts; register for public access at the PAMEC online registration page, since case viewing requires a login.
• In person at the Circuit Clerk's office for dockets, judgments, jury, and marriage records.
• By mail to PO Box 307, Mendenhall, MS 39114, for copies and older files.
• By phone at 601-847-2474 to confirm what a file contains and how to obtain it.
• By email to wfortenberry@co.simpson.ms.us for questions and copy requests.
• By formal public-records request under the Mississippi Public Records Act, sent to the clerk who holds the file.

The 13th Circuit Court District posts Simpson County court details on the MEC court information page, which also gives the PAMEC helpdesk at 601-576-4650 and helpdesk@mec.ms.gov. Under the Mississippi Public Records Act, public records stay open for inspection unless a statute makes them exempt, though court files remain subject to sealing and confidentiality orders.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy is a court copy that carries the clerk's stamp and signature, which proves it is a true copy of the original record. Courts, lenders, and government agencies often demand a certified copy rather than a plain printout. A plain copy is fine for personal reference, but it will not stand in for the certified version.

1. Identify the case or record. Gather the case number, the party names, and the year the case was filed or the record was created.
2. Confirm which clerk holds it. Circuit Court files and marriage licenses stay with the Circuit Clerk; divorce, probate, and land records belong to the Chancery Clerk.
3. Contact the Circuit Clerk by phone, email, mail, or in person to request the certified copy and ask the current copy fee.
4. Submit your request with payment. Marriage records carry a $37 filing fee; ask the office how it accepts payment for court copies.
5. Pick up the copy at the office or wait for it to arrive by mail if you requested it in writing.

Note: call the office before mailing payment, because Simpson County does not publish a set certified-copy price and the clerk can confirm the exact amount.

Simpson County Circuit Clerk Request Form Fields

The county posts a certified copy of marriage license request form on its forms page, but that document is a scanned image PDF. Its field labels cannot be pulled into text, so the table below lists the general inputs a records request needs rather than a line-by-line copy of that form. The safest path is to download the official form from the county forms page and call the clerk with any questions about what to include.

Simpson County Circuit Clerk Fees

Only one Simpson County Circuit Clerk fee appears on the official county pages. The marriage record filing fee is set at $37. Copy and search fees were not published in official Simpson County sources, so the table marks them as figures to confirm with the office. Do not assume a price from another county; the clerk can quote the current amount when you place a request.

For online viewing of Circuit Court cases, any PAMEC subscription or per-document charges are set by the state system rather than by the local clerk. Verify those costs through the MEC helpdesk before you rely on online access.