Greene County, Missouri Court Records

Circuit Court
When Greene County was formed in 1833, a Circuit Court was established and has continued to the present day. In 1979, it became the only judicial court at the county level. It has four divisions, one of which is a probate court division. That division handles the settlement of estate matters and other matters relating to the death of an individual. There are also three associate circuit court divisions, which handle civil and criminal cases such as traffic cases, divorce, small claims cases, preliminary hearings in felony cases, and the like.

The records of the Circuit Court Record Books of Greene County have been abstracted for the years 1833 to 1866. These abstracts are available online:


 * Abstract of Circuit Court Record Books 1833 - 1839
 * Abstract of Circuit Court Record Books 1840 - 1845
 * Abstract of Circuit Court Record Books 1846 - 1852
 * Abstract of Circuit Court Record Books 1853 - 1856
 * Abstract of Circuit Court Record Books February 1857 - June 1860
 * Abstract of Circuit Court Record Books August 1860 - December 1862
 * Abstract of Circuit Court Record Books January 1863 - August 1863
 * Abstract of Circuit Court Record Books August 1863 - June 1864
 * Abstract of Circuit Court Record Books June 1864 - January 1865
 * Abstract of Circuit Court Record Books 1865
 * Abstract of Circuit Court Record Books January 1866 - July 1866

Naturalization records, although part of the records of the Circuit Court, have also been indexed. They are also available online.


 * An Index to Naturalization Records in the Greene County Circuit Court, 1868-1906.

Other Courts
Prior to 1979, there were at least four other courts in Greene County :


 * Common Pleas Court -- established in 1833, it had original jurisdiction in civil and criminal trials. It was abolished in 1979 by the "Court Reform and Revision Act."
 * Justices of the Peace -- established in 1807 in Missouri, and in the county at its formation; they handled minor cases, committed persons to trial in a higher court, performed marriages, etc. The office of Justice of the Peace was abolished in 1945.


 * An Index to the Justice of the Peace Docket Books, 1835-1885, is available online
 * An Index to Greene County Stray Records, 1833-1913, part of the responsibility of the Justices of the Peace, is also available online.


 * Magistrate Courts -- established in 1946, these courts took all the duties of the Justices of the Peace. Green County had two judges from 1946 to 1971, and a third one from 1971 to 1979.
 * Criminal Court -- a separate criminal court for the handling of criminal cases existed from 1889 to 1909.

A description of the many of the records of these courts, held by the county courthouse in Springfield, is available online.