Macon County Circuit Court Overview
Missouri uses circuit courts as its trial courts of general jurisdiction. Macon County is part of the 41st Judicial Circuit with Shelby County. The circuit court structure includes circuit judges, associate circuit judges, probate functions, juvenile matters, small claims, and municipal division work that is processed through the state court system.
The official Macon County Circuit Court page is the local source for court days, judge assignments, phone numbers, and municipal ticket transfer notes. Case information is searched through Missouri Case.net, but the Circuit Clerk remains the office for certified copies, older records, and records that are not visible online.
The Eastern District of Missouri county division page appears in the image manifest because it shows where Macon County federal matters fit outside the state Circuit Court.
Federal courts are separate from Macon County Circuit Court, but the distinction helps users avoid sending state case requests to a federal clerk.
Macon County Circuit Court Judges
The county research identifies three judges tied to the 41st Judicial Circuit structure. Two Macon divisions are listed at the Macon courthouse, while one associate circuit judge is listed for Shelby County. Court users should confirm the current judge and division on the active docket before appearing.
| Court or division | Judge | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Division I, Circuit Judge | Frederick (Rick) P. Tucker | 101 E. Washington Street, Macon, MO 63552 | 660-385-3713 |
| Division II, Associate Circuit Judge | Kristen Burks | 101 E. Washington Street, Macon, MO 63552 | 660-385-3713 |
| Division IV, Associate Circuit Judge | Mike Greenwell | P.O. Box 206, Shelbyville, MO 63469 | 573-633-2251 |
Circuit Court and Lower Divisions
Macon County does not operate a separate county court for ordinary court cases. The Circuit Court system is the central structure, and its lower divisions include associate circuit, municipal, small claims, juvenile, and probate functions. Missouri law treats municipal judges as judges of the circuit court for the municipality's circuit under RSMo 479.020.
| Function | Circuit Court | Associate / Municipal / Small Claims | Probate / Juvenile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main role | General trial court for major civil, criminal, domestic, and other cases. | Handles lower-level civil, criminal, traffic, municipal, and small-claims work. | Handles estates, guardianships, juvenile referrals, and sensitive matters. |
| Local clerk | Circuit Clerk | Circuit Clerk | Circuit Clerk / Probate Division / Juvenile Office |
| Search path | Case.net and Circuit Clerk | Case.net and Circuit Clerk | Case.net for public items, office contact for restricted files |
| Key limits | Some files are sealed, expunged, or courthouse-only. | Municipal ticket details may depend on filing and payment status. | Juvenile and mental health records are restricted. |
Macon County Case Flow
Case movement depends on the record type. A criminal case begins after charges are filed by the prosecuting attorney. A civil case begins when a petition or complaint is filed. A traffic matter may start with a citation and become a court record after filing. Probate starts with a petition and required probate documents.
State case path: Municipal ordinance or traffic ticket › Macon County Circuit Clerk processing when routed there › Associate Circuit or municipal division disposition › Circuit Court for felony, higher civil, domestic, probate, juvenile, and other circuit matters › Missouri Court of Appeals › Supreme Court of Missouri when direct jurisdiction applies.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is shown in the manifest for federal appeal context.
That federal appeal route applies to Eastern District federal cases, not ordinary Macon County Circuit Court appeals.
Macon County Court Days
The official Macon County court schedule is useful for docket checks because filings and hearings often cluster around regular law days. A person checking a hearing date should use Case.net and then call the Circuit Clerk if the online docket is unclear or if the case is not yet visible.
| Court setting | Regular day | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Division II Criminal Law Day | First four Thursdays of each month | Circuit Clerk, 660-385-4631 |
| Division II Civil Law Day | First and third Mondays of each month | Circuit Clerk, 660-385-4631 |
| Division I Law Day | Second and fourth Wednesdays of each month | Circuit Clerk, 660-385-4631 |
| Division II Probate Law Day | First and third Mondays of each month | Circuit Clerk, 660-385-4631 |
| Juvenile Court | Second and fourth Mondays of each month | Juvenile Office, 660-385-2715 |
| Drug Court | Every Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. | Circuit Court, Macon County |
Macon County Circuit Divisions
Civil filings include contract disputes, tort matters, landlord-tenant matters, judgments, garnishments, and small claims under $5,000. Criminal filings include felony and misdemeanor case records after charges are filed. Domestic relations include divorce, custody, support, paternity, and protection orders.
Probate matters are handled by the Probate Division of the Circuit Court, not by a stand-alone probate court. Juvenile matters route through the Juvenile Office and are restricted under Missouri law. Small Claims Court and Probate Court both list 101 East Washington, Building 2, with the same Circuit Clerk phone and fax.
Macon County Municipal Tickets
Municipal division work is important in Macon County because the official Circuit Court page gives two local transfer dates. All City of La Plata tickets have been processed in the Macon County Circuit Clerk's Office since January 1, 2017. All City of Macon tickets have been processed in the same office since September 1, 2018. A person checking a city ticket should not assume that a separate city counter has the current court record.
This municipal setup also affects warrant and payment questions. A missed traffic date can create a bench warrant or license issue tied to the Circuit Clerk docket. If Case.net does not show the ticket yet, the clerk can confirm whether the citation has been filed, whether a court appearance is required, and whether payment through the Missouri Fine Collection Center is available.
Macon County Court History
The courthouse history is useful because it shows how long Macon County case records have been tied to the county seat. The official history says the county seat moved from Bloomington to Macon in 1863. The last Circuit Court record at Bloomington appeared January 16, 1863, and the next term was adjourned to Macon's Allen Academy before court later moved to a courthouse on Rollins Street.
The early docket included debt actions, notes and damages, real estate, partition suits, divorces, attorney-fee suits, naturalization cases, condemnation suits, murder, robbery, grand larceny, gambling, liquor sales, and other misdemeanors. Those historic case types are not a modern search index, but they explain why current Macon County court records cover more than criminal cases.
Federal Courts Near Macon County
Macon County is in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Northern Division. Federal cases are not Macon County Circuit Court records. They include federal crimes, civil-rights suits, federal-question cases, diversity civil cases, federal agency cases, and bankruptcy matters.
The Eastern District PACER information page is included in the image manifest because federal dockets and filings are searched through PACER rather than Case.net.
Use PACER for federal files and Case.net or the Macon County Circuit Clerk for Missouri Circuit Court files.