Adams County Circuit Court Overview
The Adams County Circuit Court is the general trial court for this part of Mississippi. It handles felony prosecutions, the most serious criminal cases the state can bring. It also hears major civil lawsuits, the kind that ask for large sums or broad relief. On top of that, it reviews appeals that come up from the County Court, the Justice Court, and the Natchez Municipal Court. The court sits in Natchez, the county seat, and serves the whole county. Mississippi's judiciary lays out this trial-court role in plain terms on its statewide trial court overview.
Adams County belongs to the Sixth Circuit Court District. A circuit district groups one or more counties under a shared bench of circuit judges. Two judges serve this court, and each works with a court administrator who tracks dockets and dates. The court joined the state's electronic filing system in 2024, which moved many new filings online. The main office keeps regular weekday hours at the downtown courthouse.
Adams County Circuit Court Judges
Two circuit judges preside over Adams County cases. Each judge runs a division, and each keeps a court administrator who handles scheduling, jury matters, and case flow. The administrators are the best first call for a hearing date or a docket question. The table below lists each judge, the administrator, and the direct phone line.
| Judge | Court Administrator | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Debra W. Blackwell | Sheri Simmons | 601-442-8363 |
| Carmen Drake | Felesha Fleming | 601-445-7933 |
The court's main number is 601-446-6326, and the office sits at 115 South Wall Street in Natchez, MS 39120. Judge Blackwell's division faxes to 601-445-7954, while Judge Drake's division faxes to 601-445-2369. Counter hours run 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. The Circuit Clerk, Eva Givens, keeps the case files and dockets for both divisions.
Note: Call the court administrator before a court date to confirm the room, the time, and any change to the docket.
How an Adams County Circuit Court Case Moves
A criminal case in the Adams County Circuit Court follows a set path. It starts with an arrest and a first appearance before a judge. A grand jury then weighs the proof and may return an indictment. From there the defendant is arraigned, enters a plea, and the case heads toward trial or a plea deal. The flow below traces those steps.
Criminal flow: Arrest › Initial Appearance › Indictment › Arraignment › Pretrial › Trial › Sentencing › Appeal
A civil case runs on a different track. One side files a complaint, the other files an answer, and both sides trade facts in discovery. Many disputes settle or go to mediation before a judge ever hears proof. If the case does not resolve, it goes to trial and ends in a judgment. The flow below shows the civil path.
Civil flow: Complaint Filed › Answer › Discovery › Mediation › Trial › Judgment › Appeal
Both tracks can end in an appeal. A losing party may ask a higher court to review the result. Most steps along the way create records that the clerk files and keeps.
Common Adams County Circuit Court Terms
Court paperwork leans on a set of terms that repeat across most files. A few plain definitions make a docket far easier to read. The list below covers words a reader meets in an Adams County Circuit Court case.
- Indictment
- A formal felony charge returned by a grand jury after it weighs the proof.
- Arraignment
- The hearing where the charges are read aloud and the defendant enters a plea.
- Disposition
- The outcome of a case, such as dismissed, pled, convicted, or acquitted.
- Judgment
- The court's final, enforceable decision that resolves the claims or the charge.
- Continuance
- A postponement that moves a hearing or trial to a later date.
These terms show up in both the paper file and the online docket. Reading them right helps a searcher tell a pending charge from a closed case.
Circuit Court vs. County and Justice Court
Three trial courts hear most local cases, and they do not fully overlap. The Circuit Court takes the heavy criminal and civil load. The County Court shares some of that work and handles transfers. The Justice Court deals with small claims, traffic, and the first steps of many cases. The table below sets the three side by side.
| Circuit Court | County Court | Justice Court | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Limit | Major civil suits; shares jurisdiction up to $200,000 | Shared jurisdiction up to $200,000 | Small claims up to $3,500 |
| Criminal Jurisdiction | Felony prosecutions | Non-capital felony transfers; shared misdemeanors | Misdemeanors, traffic, initial appearances |
| Family Cases | No | Youth Court matters | No |
| Appeals | Hears appeals from lower courts; appealed onward to state courts | Appealed to Circuit Court | Appealed to County or Circuit Court |
Family matters such as divorce, custody, and estates do not belong to any of these three. Those go to the Chancery Court, a separate equity court in the same county. A reader looking for a divorce or a will should start there, not at the Circuit Court counter.
Intervention Courts in Adams County
The Adams County Circuit Court runs intervention courts, also called problem-solving programs. These tracks aim to treat the root cause of some cases instead of jail alone. The county lists three contacts on its official court page. Each one has a coordinator and a direct line.
- Accountability and Recovery Court, led by coordinator Joe Belling, at 601-304-7892.
- Hope and Restoration Program, led by coordinator Cassandra Woods, at 601-445-7974.
- Intervention Court Case Manager, Duchess Prator, at 601-807-8751.
The county page does not post eligibility rules, fees, or program length for these tracks. A defendant or an attorney should call the coordinator or the case manager to ask how to qualify. These programs sit inside the Circuit Court system and tie back to its criminal docket.
Note: Program details can change, so confirm current rules with the listed coordinator before you rely on them.
The Sixth Circuit Court District
Adams County is one county inside Mississippi's Sixth Circuit Court District. A district attorney serves the whole district and represents the state in felony cases. Timothy Cotton is the Sixth Circuit district attorney, with a Natchez office at 307 Market Street and a phone line at 601-445-4099. The district attorney decides which charges to bring after an arrest and then carries the case through the Circuit Court. That choice shapes what shows up in the criminal record once a file opens.
Defendants who cannot afford a lawyer may qualify for appointed counsel. The Mississippi Office of State Public Defender backs indigent defense across the state and offers a find-a-defender path on its official site. A person facing a felony should ask the judge or the clerk at the first appearance how Adams County handles those appointments. The court, the prosecutor, and the defense each add filings to the case as it moves.
Adams County Circuit Court Records
Most Adams County Circuit Court records sit with the Circuit Clerk and the state's online systems. Case data for the Circuit Court reaches back to 1997 on the county's Delta record search, with scanned papers from December 2002 forward. Newer filings also flow through Mississippi Electronic Courts, known as MEC. The Adams County Circuit Court went live on that system on May 20, 2024. Public access to MEC documents, called PAMEC, charges a $10 yearly registration fee and 20 cents per page to view. The Delta system gates full Circuit Court case and judgment-roll access behind a $30 monthly or $330 yearly subscription.
The county posts the court's roster and program contacts on the official Adams County Circuit Court page. The image below shows that department page.
That page is the source for the judges, administrators, and intervention-court contacts listed here. For a full walk-through of the search tools, the broader Adams County court records page lays out each portal and its fields. To request a certified copy or to ask about a specific file, reach the Circuit Clerk directly, since that office holds the dockets, judgments, and jury records for both divisions.
Adams County Circuit Court case files are not free online. The Delta system and the public MEC service both charge for full access, so plan for a subscription or a per-page fee.
Appeals From Adams County Circuit Court
Not every case ends at the trial court. A party who loses in the Adams County Circuit Court may appeal to the state's higher courts. Appeals first reach the Mississippi Supreme Court, which may keep a case or assign it to the Mississippi Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals is the intermediate court that hears many assigned cases. The Supreme Court is the court of last resort in the state. The Mississippi Judiciary site explains how the two appellate courts split the work.
The Circuit Court is itself an appeals court for the levels below it. Decisions from the County Court, the Justice Court, and the Natchez Municipal Court can be appealed up to the Circuit Court. This two-way role makes the court a hinge in the local system. It both tries cases and reviews the smaller courts.
Visiting Adams County Circuit Court
The Adams County Circuit Court sits in the courthouse at 115 South Wall Street in downtown Natchez. The Justice Court is right across the street at 114 South Wall Street, and the Sheriff's Office and jail are a short walk away on State Street. Several court functions share this small downtown block, so it helps to know which office holds your record before you go.
Counter hours run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Official sources did not post parking rates, garage names, or a separate accessible entrance. Call the Circuit Clerk at 601-446-6326 before you travel to confirm parking, entry rules, and any mobility or interpreter access. Plan extra time on a morning docket or a jury day, when the courthouse is busiest.