Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Lauderdale County, Mississippi, has about 71,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Lauderdale County Circuit Court and the Justice Court and County Court, and the file of each case, kept by the Circuit Clerk for criminal and civil cases and the Chancery Clerk for divorces, estates and land records, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, directory links, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Lauderdale County public records, Lauderdale County arrest records, Lauderdale County warrants, Lauderdale County criminal records, Lauderdale County police reports, Mississippi arrest records and Mississippi inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Lauderdale County
In Lauderdale County, the Lauderdale County Circuit Court hears felonies and the larger civil cases.
Below it, the Justice Court and County Court take misdemeanors, traffic cases and small claims in the Justice Court; the County Court, where the county has one, takes eminent domain, juvenile and mid-sized civil cases.
A city with a municipal court of its own tries the tickets written under its ordinances.
Divorces go to the Chancery Court, and the file stays with the Chancery Clerk.
The Circuit Clerk for criminal and civil cases and the Chancery Clerk for divorces, estates and land records keep the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Mississippi Public Records Act.
Looking Up a Case from Lauderdale County
For Lauderdale County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at courts.ms.gov (page title: State of Mississippi Judiciary), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Mississippi has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
What Reaches the Court from Lauderdale County
Together, the two agencies in Lauderdale County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 2,128 arrests to the FBI that year; the District Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Lauderdale County Circuit Court or the Justice Court and County Court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at lauderdalecounty.org/county-departments/attorneys (page title: District Attorney | Lauderdale County), phone 601.482.9757, 2600 Courthouse Blvd. Meridian, MS 39301, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Lauderdale County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Lauderdale County criminal records, Lauderdale County divorce records, Lauderdale County traffic tickets, Lauderdale County DUI and Lauderdale County property records.
More Official Court Pages for Lauderdale County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Lauderdale County and Mississippi. These court pages from its Lauderdale County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Chancery Courts (courts.ms.gov)
Cities in Lauderdale County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Lauderdale County Circuit Court or the Justice Court and County Court; tickets under a city's own ordinances go to its municipal court where it has one.
The cities and towns in the county are Meridian and Marion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Lauderdale County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courts.ms.gov.
Which court hears felonies in Lauderdale County?
The Lauderdale County Circuit Court, which hears felonies and the larger civil cases. The Justice Court and County Court take misdemeanors, traffic cases and small claims in the Justice Court; the County Court, where the county has one, takes eminent domain, juvenile and mid-sized civil cases.
Who keeps the court records in Lauderdale County?
The Circuit Clerk for criminal and civil cases and the Chancery Clerk for divorces, estates and land records. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Mississippi?
No. Each court's records are looked up through that court.
Is this the official Lauderdale County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.