Multnomah County Circuit Court Case Search

Per the Oregon trial court system, the Circuit Court is the apex county-level court in Multnomah County. In Multnomah County, the Circuit and Municipal Courts create records to document events relating to case filings, trials, and post-trial appeals. The Multnomah County Circuit Court Records Department manages case records and makes them accessible for legal research, background checks, personal recordings, journalism, and public interests.

What Kinds of Cases Are heard in the Multnomah Circuit Court?

The Multnomah County Circuit Court handles civil and criminal trials beyond the authority of the Multnomah Municipal Court. In Multnomah County, the Circuit Court Court jurisdiction encompasses but not limited to:

• Preliminary hearings
• Felonies
• Capital murder cases
• Small claims
• General claims without financial limits
• Divorce
• Child custody
• Juvenile cases
• Land Probate
• Involuntary commitment
• Guardianship.

The Multnomah County Circuit Court comprises several divisions that handle various case types; these include the Civil, Criminal, Family Law, Probate, and Juvenile Divisions. Each Multnomah County Circuit Court specialized division handles specific cases.

Multnomah County Circuit Court

The Multnomah County Circuit Court is a county-level general jurisdiction court that handles most civil and criminal cases (except those within the authority of the Multnomah County Municipal Court). In Multnomah County, the Circuit Court provides pre-trial mediation for small claims before trials for claims between $750 and $10,000 through its Small Claim or Civil Divisions. However, the Civil Division of the Circuit Court handles claims where the amount in dispute is above $7,000.00. The Multnomah County Circuit Court also presides over cases relating to murders and armed robberies, drug trafficking, misdemeanors, and juvenile delinquency.

Public members can contact the various branches of the Multnomah County Circuit Court using the following contact information:

Multnomah County Circuit Court
Downtown Central Courthouse
1200 SW 1st Avenue,
Portland,
OR 97204
Phone: (971) 274-0540 (civil),
(971) 274-0560 (collections), (971) 274-0600 (family law), (971) 274-0545
(Traffic, Small Claims, Landlord Tenant,
Criminal Operations)

Multnomah County Circuit Court
Justice Center
1120 SW 3rd Avenue,
Portland,
OR 97204
Phone: (971) 274-0750

Multnomah County Circuit Court - East County
East County Courthouse
18480 SE Stark Street,
Portland,
OR 97233
Phone: (971) 274-0700

Multnomah County Circuit Court - Juvenile
Juvenile Justice Center
1401 NE 68th Avenue,
Portland,
OR 97213
Phone: (971) 274-0800

Multnomah County Case Lookup

Multnomah County case lookup refers to the various methods for accessing case records in Multnomah County. In Multnomah County, record seekers can opt for any of the following options:

Online Requests

For online access to Multnomah County case records:

• Log into the Oregon Judicial Case Information Network (OJCIN) Access Portal:

• Scroll down, sign up for a subscription-based search, or click the Free Records Search link
• On the new page, click the Circuit and Tax Record Search link to access the search tools
• Search for Multnomah County case records by names

Email & Mail Requests

Fill out the Multnomah County Circuit Court online copy request form and email it to MUL.Records@ojd.state.or.us. Else, print and complete a Multnomah County Court records Request Form, and mail it to:

Multnomah County Courthouse
1200 SW 1st Avenue,
Portland,
OR 97204

Email requests should include case numbers, copy or document types, and information on how to receive the copies. Otherwise, email the Multnomah County Circuit Court for help. Also, include a self-addressed stamped envelope when requesting Multnomah County case records through mail.

Walk-in Requests

Visit the Multnomah County Courthouse between 8.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. on work days and access case records through Public Access Terminals, or request access to case records through the Clerk's Office. The following costs apply to copies of Multnomah County case records through the Multnomah County Circuit Court:

Regular copies:

Email copies: $3.00 per case request

Printed copies: $3.00 per request plus $0.25 per page for printing

The Multnomah County Circuit Court will waive costs that total less than $5.00

Certified copies

Email copies: $5.00 per document

Printed copies: $0.25 per page plus an additional $5.00 certification fee

Exemplified copies:

Email copies: $10.00 per document

Printed copies: $0.25 per page plus an extra $10.00 exemplification fee

The Multnomah County Court may also include search charges for complex requests.

Payments for copies of Multnomah County case records are by debit/credit cards, cash (for in-person requests, checks, or money orders.

Also, the wait time for copies of Multnomah County case records after payments varies with the complexity and volume of requests. However, it may take a few days to a couple of weeks for the Multnomah Company Circuit Court to process and deliver requests.

Multnomah Circuit Court Case Search by Name

If they do not have the case numbers, information seekers can request access to Multnomah County case records by name. The Oregon Judicial Branch allows name-based searches through its Case Information Network (OJCIN) Access Portal.

For a name search for Multnomah County Circuit Court case record:

• Log into the Oregon Judicial Department’s Smart Search Access Portal
• Enter the last, first, and middle names into the search tools and submit.

Also, information seekers can request record searches by name through mail requests or in-person visits to the Multnomah County Circuit Courthouse if they do not have the case numbers.

Information seekers should note that they may need to provide additional identifying information for an effective name-based search for Multnomah County case records. It is also helpful to confirm name spellings and use filters to improve search accuracy, avoid errors due to similar names, and streamline results.

Multnomah Circuit Court Docket Search

Multnomah County Circuit Court dockets provide details of specific trials within the Multnomah County Circuit Court. Case dockets are documentation of filings, prosecutions, and post-trial appeals. Generally, court dockets contain summaries of case information, including:

• Case/docket numbers
• Filing dates
• Names of the litigants
• Case types
• Trial dates
• Motions
• Orders
• Judgments
• Case status.

Multnomah County court dockets allow individuals to track case progress and ensure transparency in the judicial process.

Individuals seeking to access Multnomah County Circuit Court dockets should:

• Visit the Multnomah County Court Docket Webpage and perform a name-based search for case dockets.
• Log into the Oregon Judicial Branch's Case Information Network Portal and use the search tools to look for case information
• Visit the Multnomah County Circuit Courthouse and request docket information from the clerk's office.

Lookup Multnomah County Circuit Court Online

Besides the Oregon Judicial Branch Access Portal and the Multnomah County Circuit Court website, information seekers can access Multnomah County Circuit Court case records online through private platforms. Third-party websites are options for accessing Multnomah County case records. Oregoncourtrecords.us and other private websites offer access to documents and information from various Oregon courts. Interested individuals can access diverse case records through third-party portals.

Notwithstanding their pros, users should confirm documents and information from third-party websites for accuracy and authenticity.

Supreme Court vs. Circuit Court

The Multnomah County Circuit Court and the Oregon Supreme Court have differing roles and jurisdictions.

Geographical Scope

The Multnomah County Circuit is a county-level trial court, and its jurisdiction is limited to Multnomah County. In contrast, the Oregon Supreme Court has a state-wide jurisdiction.

Roles

The Multnomah County Circuit Court conducts trials and passes judgments over civil and criminal cases. In contrast, the Oregon Supreme Court reviews the decisions of other Oregon courts. Unlike the Multnomah County Circuit Court, the Oregon Supreme Court reviews the decisions of other Oregon courts upon appeals (the Oregon Supreme directly review capital punishment verdicts), interprets the Oregon Constitution, oversees the administrative oversight of the Oregon judiciary, issues writs, and has authority to take disciplinary action for misconducts by judges and legal professionals.

Appeals

Appeals against the Multnomah County Circuit Court are through the Oregon Court of Appeals. Conversely, the decisions of the Oregon Supreme Court on cases within Oregon are final (useless such judgments relate to the U.S. federal constitution).