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.
Dawes County, Nebraska, has about 8,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Dawes County District Court and the County Court, and the file of each case, kept by the Clerk of the District Court, 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: Dawes County public records, Dawes County arrest records, Dawes County warrants, Dawes County criminal records, Dawes County police reports, Nebraska arrest records and Nebraska inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Dawes County
In Dawes County, the Dawes County District Court hears felonies, the larger civil cases and divorces.
The County Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, probate, small claims and juvenile matters.
Divorces go to the District Court, and the file stays with the Clerk of the District Court.
The Clerk of the District Court keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Nebraska Public Records Statutes.
Looking Up a Case from Dawes County
For Dawes County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at nebraskajudicial.gov/courts/dawes-county-court (page title: Dawes County Court | Nebraska Judicial Branch), phone 308-432-0116, 12 County Dawes 451 Main Street Suite D Chadron NE 69337, Monday - Friday Phone Line Hours: 7:30 am - 4:30 pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026. That page belongs to a lower court, the County Court, not to the Dawes County District Court.
Statewide, Nebraska Trial Court Case Search is the Nebraska Judicial Branch's statewide case search, with a fee per search.
The Nebraska court page SearchSystems verified is at nebraskajudicial.gov/e-services/case-information-eservices.
What Reaches the Court from Dawes County
Together, the two agencies in Dawes County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 132 arrests to the FBI that year; the County Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Dawes County District Court or the County Court.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at dawescounty.ne.gov/what-we-do/court-system/county-attorney.html (page title: County Attorney : Court System : What We Do : Dawes County), phone (308) 432-3900, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 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 Dawes County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Dawes County criminal records, Dawes County traffic tickets and Dawes County DUI.
More Official Court Pages for Dawes County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Dawes County and Nebraska. These court pages from its Dawes County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Nebraska JUSTICE Case Search (nebraska.gov)
Cities in Dawes County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Dawes County District Court or the County Court.
The cities and towns in the county are Chadron, Crawford and Whitney.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Dawes County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at nebraskajudicial.gov, phone 308-432-0116; it belongs to a lower court, the County Court, not to the Dawes County District Court. Statewide, Nebraska Trial Court Case Search is the Nebraska Judicial Branch's statewide case search, with a fee per search.
Which court hears felonies in Dawes County?
The Dawes County District Court, which hears felonies, the larger civil cases and divorces. The County Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, probate, small claims and juvenile matters.
Who keeps the court records in Dawes County?
The Clerk of the District Court. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Nebraska?
Yes: Nebraska Trial Court Case Search, the Nebraska Judicial Branch's statewide case search, with a fee per search.
Is this the official Dawes 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.