Yamhill County, Oregon Court Records
According to ORS Chapter 7, court records encompass documents filed by or with the court administrator or clerk in any suit, action, or proceeding. They include documentation from any court level of jurisdiction, including the circuit or municipal court. Yamhill County court records are managed by the court clerk or the court administrator.
Yamhill County court records provide members of the public with a glimpse into the application of law and the workings of the local judiciary. They can also serve as reference materials for attorneys and commonly feature external details, such as criminal, arrest, and vital records.
Are Yamhill County Court Records Public?
Yes. According to ORS 7.130, the clerk of the court must furnish any member of the public with a requested record if the record is in the clerk's or administrator's custody. This means that requests for a Yamhill County court record can be made through any of the government-provided channels.
However, per ORS chapters 419A, 419B, and 419C, juvenile records are considered confidential. Also, in accordance with ORS chapter 426, a person's mental health or treatment records are confidential, and, under Chapter 427, records relating to a person with an intellectual disability are restricted. Furthermore, sealed and expunged records are unavailable to anyone other than those who are statutorily permitted to inspect or obtain them.
What Information is Available in Yamhill County Court Records?
The content of a Yamhill County case record may vary based on the:
- Search method chosen by the inquirer
- Case type
- Whether or not the case file contains restricted information or is, in itself, confidential
However, basic court information is generally provided to the public, such as the names of the parties of the case (plaintiff, defendant, and any other participant), the date of filing, case type, status of the case, case number, location where the case originated, events and hearings, financial information (where available), and the final judgment.
Yamhill County Court Records Search
Court records in Yamhill County are available through the OECI-Oregon eCourt Information. Oregon provides a case management database through which records from courts across the state, including Yamhill County, can be accessed. Individuals can retrieve basic civil cases, criminal cases, and tax records, including records from the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, from this database at no cost. However, records of cases involving adoption, mental health, and cases that are covered under the Violence Against Women Act are not available.
There is also another public online case search database: the Oregon Judicial Case Information Network (OJCIN), a low-cost, subscription-based service through which the public can access official Register of Actions and judgment dockets. Individuals who want to access the case details available through this database will need to register for an account.
Most courts also provide case information to the public through other means, including by phone, by mail, and in person.
Inquirers can call the courthouse that handled the case to make inquiries, send a written request to the clerk of the court's office, or drive down to the courthouse to use a free public access terminal. All searches require the provision of a name or a case number.
Fees for Court Records in Yamhill County
ORS 21 outlines the instances when a court clerk can charge a fee for producing a court record. According to this provision, some of the fees charged by a court include
|
Item |
Fee |
Statutory Provision |
|---|---|---|
|
Certified copy of letters testamentary, administration, conservatorship, and guardianship |
$5 |
ORS 21.258; CJO 23-016 2.b.(1) |
|
Paper copies of court documents |
$3 per case, and 25 cents per page |
ORS 21.258; CJO 23-016 2.a.(1) |
|
Electronic copies |
$3 per case, $1 per CD |
ORS 21.258; CJO 23-016 2.a.(2) |
|
Conversion of microfilmed documents into electronic format |
45 cents per page |
ORS 21.258; CJO 23-016 2.a.(3) |
|
Copy of a recording of a court proceeding |
$10 per request, $1 per CD |
ORS 21.258; CJO 23-016 2.a.(3) |
Yamhill County Courthouse Locations
Different courts in Yamhill County hold different sessions of hearings depending on the cases that they have jurisdiction over. Knowing the appropriate venue for a case proceeding determines who to contact if one needs to retrieve a case record. Yamhill County hosts a Circuit Court and several Municipal Courts in different cities. The Circuit Court has primary jurisdiction to oversee major criminal and civil cases, serving as the county's trial court. Meanwhile, Municipal Courts are courts of limited jurisdiction, mostly restricted to city limits and ordinances.
535 North East 5th Street
McMinnville, OR 97128
Phone: (503) 434-7530
Municipal Courts
109 Maddox Avenue
Amity, OR 97101
Phone: (503) 835-3711
191 East Main Street
Carlton, OR 97111
Phone: (503) 852-7575
Dayton Municipal Court
Dayton City Hall
416 Ferry Street
Dayton, OR 97114
Phone: (503) 864-2221
620 South West 5th Street
Dundee, OR 97115
Phone: (503) 538-3922
486 3rd Street
Lafayette, OR 97127
Phone: (503) 864-2451
McMinnville City Hall
230 North East 2nd Street
McMinnville, OR 97128
Phone: (503) 434-7402
401 East 3rd Street
Newberg, OR 97132
Phone: (503) 537-1241
120 South West Mill Street
Sheridan, OR 97378
Phone: (503) 843-2347
411 North East C Street
Willamina, OR 97396
Phone: (503) 876-2242
205 South Maple Street
Yamhill, OR 97148
Phone: (503) 662-3511
Fax: (503) 662-4589
Criminal Records Access in Yamhill County
Finding a Yamhill criminal record can be done in two ways:
- Inquirers may query the judiciary, or
- Inquirers can contact law enforcement
Querying the local judiciary involves using Oregon's case management systems to locate criminal case records. Inquirers may also go to the courthouse to use the computer provided in the public area to find digital copies of a sought-after record. Another option is to forward a written request to the Office of the Clerk of the Court.
Meanwhile, contacting law enforcement to obtain a criminal record, officially called a background check, involves reaching out to the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office - Records Division. The office offers interested individuals the opportunity to retrieve the local criminal history of offenders or their own record if they are the subject of the record. The Sheriff's Office accepts walk-in requests, mail requests, and phone inquiries.
For employment, licensing, vendors, or other authorized entities, the inquirer can contact the Oregon Department of Human Services.
Yamhill County Probate Records
A probate record details the legal steps taken to settle the estate of an individual, from validating a will, where applicable, to transferring property to heirs or beneficiaries. These records are governed by ORS 7.130, which guides access to other court records. Probate cases in Yamhill are heard by the Circuit Court, encompassing estates, guardianship, wills, trusts, and conservatorships. The court provides the public access to these records in person, by mail, and online. Online access may be restricted; however, an inquirer may be able to access the record in person as long as it is open.
Yamhill County Family Court Records
Family matters are under the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court in Yamhill County. The corresponding family court records may be available to inquirers who stop by the courthouse, send a written request by mail to the clerk of the court, or search online using the Oregon case management systems.
In summary:
|
Online searches |
|
|---|---|
|
In person |
|
|
Mail request |
|
Federal Court Records in Yamhill County
The United States District Court for the District of Oregon, Portland Division, handles cases that do not fall under federal law. The federal district court has exclusive jurisdiction over cases involving federal ordinances or cases only prosecutable under federal provisions.
Federal case records are generally open to public scrutiny; however, certain restrictions are in place. Restricted cases are only available to authorized individuals, but open records are available through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), by mail, or in person.
The use of PACER requires the payment of a nominal fee. Court records may be inspected for free at the clerk's office; however, requesting a copy, as with requesting a record through the mail, incurs a fee.
