Clackamas County Circuit Court Case Search

Clackamas Circuit Court records contain a detailed account of every legal dispute decided by the Court’s judge or jury. When a legal dispute is decided, the details of that legal dispute do not simply disappear.

Instead, the court staff collects exhibits, pleadings, motions, court orders, judgments, transcripts, affidavits, witness statements, summons and subpoenas, jury instructions, sentencing documents, and other documents filed in the concluded case for permanent storage in the clerk's record archive. These records are typically made available for public inspection, except restricted by court order or statute. Individuals sometimes review these records to analyze them and predict future court behavior.

Note: In Clackamas County, there are no superior courts; instead, the Circuit Court performs its functions.

What Kinds of Cases Are Heard in the Clackamas Circuit Court?

The Circuit Court has original jurisdiction over a wide variety of cases, including:

• Landlord and tenancy issues
• Felonies and misdemeanors
• Juvenile dependency—child neglect, termination of parental rights, juvenile delinquency, etc.
• Personal injury
• Debt collection
• Mortgages and foreclosures
• Contract disagreements
• Protective orders
• Employment disputes
• Civil commitments
• Guardianship and conservatorship
• Domestic disputes — divorce, child custody, adoption, and spousal support.
• Probate.

The Court also exercises appellate jurisdiction over lower courts’ cases. It can certify, alter, or reverse city court judgments. The Circuit Court also shares jurisdiction with city courts over violations and misdemeanors that may be tried in those courts.

The Circuit Court offers certain programs and services, including Adoption, Arbitration, Treatment Courts, small claims, and pretrial services. Consequently, it serves as a one-stop shop for all legal activities and processes.

Clackamas County Circuit Court

The Clackamas County Circuit Court is a trial court that adjudicates criminal and civil cases, except tax cases, which the Tax Court handles. However, the Circuit Court is not a county but a state court. While it exercises appellate jurisdiction over city courts, appeals from judgments given in its courtroom go to the Court of Appeals—Oregon’s intermediate appellate court.

The Court's structure enhances due process, which allows it to protect individual rights and preserve community welfare. Consequently, it serves as a one-stop shop for county residents to access free and reliable justice administration.

The Circuit Court in Clackamas County is located at the addresses provided below:

Clackamas County Circuit Court
Clackamas County Courthouse
807 Main Street, Oregon City, OR 97045
Phone: (503) 655-8847

Clackamas County Juvenile Court
2123 Kaen Road, Oregon City, OR 97045
Phone: (503) 577-2841 (Delinquency)
Phone: (503) 723-2923 (Dependency)

Clackamas County Case Lookup

All court documents filed with the Court from December 4, 2015, to the present can be looked up through the public viewing stations at the Records Center (Room 12). Individuals seeking older records are advised to Phone: ((503) 655-8447—8 am - 4 pm) the records team at least 3 days prior to visiting. This will afford the record custodian all the time needed to prepare the required record for viewing. Records may need to be brought in from their off-site storage facility. Requests for copies can be made in person, via mail, or through email.

Walk-in Requests

Visit the Record Center on the ground floor of the courthouse. If you can't find the office, please ask a passerby for Room 12. At the Record Center, requesters can communicate their intent to obtain court records to the staff over the counter. The Record Center is open for visitation Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.

Mail-in Requests

Copies requests may be made via a self-addressed stamped envelope mailed to:

Clackamas County Circuit Court
807 Main Street, Room 12
Oregon City, OR 97045.

Response time for copies may take up to 5 court business days or 10 for some.

Request Forms

Alternatively, individuals can complete the Clackamas County Circuit Court Public Records Request Form. This option is convenient for individuals who prefer not to visit the courthouse or post office.

It is important to be aware of the fees attached to copy requests:

• Copies cost 25 cents per page.
• Certified Copies —$5.00 for a certified copy (in addition to the cost charged per page for ordinary copies).
• Exemplified Copies cost $10.00 (in addition to the cost charged per page for ordinary copies).

The staff may charge more for requests requiring additional services or more time than reasonable for a search. Clackamas County Circuit Court accepts credit or debit cards, personal checks, cashier's checks, and money orders.

Records of civil, small claims, tax, domestic, and criminal cases can also be accessed via OJCIN OnLine, a paid subscription resource for court cases. To review case information using this resource:

• Visit the Oregon Judicial Branch website
• Click on "Online Services" to open the drop-down menu.
• Navigate to "OJCIN OnLine". Click to proceed to the next page.
• If you are a first-time user, tap "sign up" to create an account. This requires emailing the completed Terms of Use Agreement and the New Customer Information forms to OJCIN Online (ojcin.online@ojd.state.or.us) and paying the $160 non-refundable setup fee via Billpay.
• Alternatively, mail the completed forms along with the $160 non-refundable setup fee by check/money order to OJCIN Online at this address:

• OJCIN Online
  Oregon Judicial Department
  1163 State St
  Salem, OR 97301

The OJCIN login access details will be sent to the registered email address or the return mail address. Enter the login credentials (User ID and password) on the OECI Portal via OJCIN OnLine to access the Circuit Court records.

Once logged in, users may search for court records by individual name or case number — enter the details in the search field and click on search.

Note: Records relating to certain case types may not be available for inspection on the portal because they have been exempted from public disclosure by statute or court order. These include adoption, juvenile, mental health, and cases covered by the VAWA (Violence Against Women's Act).

Clackamas Circuit Court Case Search by Name

When searching for Circuit Court records in Clackamas County, researchers have multiple options. They may search online using OJCIN, submit a mail-in request, complete a fillable Request Form, or appear at the courthouse. Regardless of the chosen option, researchers must provide unique details to identify the record being sought. These typically include the names of the disputing parties, the case number, the hearing date, and other relevant details. Court staff and search engines rely on these details to sift through the numerous records in their database and locate the specific documents that match those details.

If researchers do not have these details or have the wrong details, they may be allowed to perform a wildcard search for the records. This type of search allows flexibility when exact details are unavailable. However, it is generally time-consuming and requires more effort than necessary, and it may also incur additional charges.

Clackamas Circuit Court Docket Search

The Circuit Court docket is typically an electronic logbook that tracks courtroom events, detailing key procedural developments as they arise and other relevant information critical to a comprehensive understanding of pending court cases. This includes documents filed, filing dates, court orders and rulings, the date and time of execution, exhibits, judgments, and more.

This information is uploaded to the court dockets in real-time. The dockets also provide a comprehensive overview of the court's schedule, including when cases were last heard and when they are next scheduled for hearing.

Consequently, the Circuit Court’s dockets are useful resources for tracking a case's progress and the activities of the court. The Court’s docket is publicly accessible through the Oregon Judicial Branch website:

• Visit the website’s homepage
• Scroll down and click on "Records and Calendars".
• Click on Circuit and Tax Court Calendars.
• Indicate the court with the drop-down button and "click on search calendar".
• On the search field, search by attorney, case judicial officer, party or defendant name, or date range by clicking on the drop-down button and selecting the appropriate option.
• Proceed to click on "search" to facilitate a database query.

Lookup Clackamas County Circuit Court Online

The Oregon Judicial Department website is the official platform for accessing the Circuit Court records. The website contains links to multiple platforms for accessing Court records, including the OJCIN online portal. It also has its own internal Online Records Search tool, through which researchers can search for court records using the record number and the party's full name. It also has an advanced filtering option for further narrowing down search results.

Circuit Court records may also be accessed through third-party sites like Oregoncourtrecords.us. Compared to official sites, the websites are typically easy to use. However, they typically provide no guarantee that the information obtained from their platform is accurate. Users are advised to exercise caution and compare the information received with those obtained from other resources to ascertain whether they are fit for official use.

Supreme Court vs. Circuit Court

Each county in Oregon has a circuit court, and the Clackamas County circuit court is only one of them. The Circuit is a trial court with broad jurisdiction to handle all variations of criminal and civil legal disputes. A trial court is a court that handles cases first-hand before other courts can exercise jurisdiction. While the Circuit Court exercises appellate jurisdiction over city court judgments, appeals from this court go to the Court of Appeals, which can nullify or alter decisions based on improper application of the law.

In contrast, the Oregon Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in the State. This means its decisions are binding on other courts. Appeals from the decisions of the Court of Appeals and the Tax Court go directly to the Supreme Court. The Court also heard direct appeals in death penalty cases, cases about ballot measure titles, and attorney-attorney discipline.

Unlike the Circuit Court, the Oregon State Constitution created only one Supreme Court to serve the State. Theoretically, only the U.S. Supreme Court can reverse or alter this Court's decisions.