Name-Based Case Searches
Pick the right portal first. WVPASS handles public Circuit Court cases filed from July 1, 1999 forward. The Magistrate Case Record Search covers Magistrate matters, and after a CAPTCHA gate it takes a first name, last name, or case number.
- Identify the likely court from the charge, claim, or notice.
- Enter the exact name in the proper portal.
- Use Marshall County or court filters when the system offers them.
- Compare filing date, type, location, and party role.
- Open the matching case and record its case number.
MCRSearch stops at 30 results. It also warns that its information may be incomplete, so a common Marshall County name can leave you guessing without a case number or a direct clerk check. Whatever you do, do not copy private identifiers from a result.
| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First name | Text | One input | Magistrate search option. |
| Last name | Text | One input | Use exact spelling first. |
| Case number | Text | Alternative | Best key when known. |
| CAPTCHA | Security | Yes | Appears before MCRSearch. |
Choose WVPASS or MCRSearch
WVPASS is the public Circuit Court layer. Registration is free, there is no daily search cap, and party-name or case-number searches plus case browsing cost nothing. Viewing public documents runs $0.25 per page. MCRSearch is free too, but it supplies case information only, since the actual Magistrate documents stay with Clerk Tanya L. Landis.
| Point | WVPASS | MCRSearch |
|---|---|---|
| Court | Circuit Court | Magistrate Court |
| Access | Registered account | CAPTCHA and search |
| Documents | Public images may be purchased | No document images |
| Fallback | Marshall Circuit Clerk | Marshall Magistrate Clerk |
CourtPLUS is a different animal. It serves electronic filers in Circuit and Family Courts, not the general public, so it is no substitute for WVPASS in a docket search.
Case Number Searches
A case number cuts out most false name matches. Type it exactly, letters and hyphens included. Official Circuit examples include CC-25-2018-C-202 and CC-25-2025-C-28, while 24-M25M-00820 is a Magistrate example. They show how the systems structure numbers. That is not a guarantee that every Marshall County case follows the same pattern.
When a number fails, check the court and the characters on your source paper. A citation ID, a Magistrate case ID, and a payment-plan ID are three different keys. The payment service needs an exact match. It exists for payment lookup rather than a broad case-history search.
Marshall Case IDs in Three Systems
One traffic stop can generate several references. The citation itself carries an issuing identifier. Magistrate Court then assigns a case ID at filing, a payment plan can carry its own ID, and Circuit Court uses its Circuit case number. Keep each label with its value so the number lands in the right system.
- Citation ID
- The identifier printed on a traffic citation and accepted by the payment portal.
- Case ID
- The court's identifier for the filed case.
- Payment Plan ID
- A separate key for an established Magistrate payment plan.
- Case style
- The caption or short title naming the parties.
Official payment examples show ##-M##X-##### or M##M-########## for case IDs and MC##-##### for a plan. The symbols show format only.
Case Search Results Explained
A Magistrate result can include basic case information, related cases, charges or civil judgments, bond data, a case event schedule, parties, and docket entries in order. Circuit results go further, naming the court, judge, caption, type, status, parties, filings, and links to public documents.
| Case identity | Number, location, caption, filing date, and type. |
|---|---|
| Parties | Names and roles such as plaintiff, defendant, or counsel. |
| Events | Dates, times, rooms, judges, and setting types. |
| Docket entry | A dated record of a filing, notice, order, payment, or other event. |
| Disposition | The outcome recorded for a case or charge. |
None of that is the full case file. MCRSearch supplies no filed papers at all. A WVPASS image is not certified, so ask the clerk for an authenticated copy whenever official proof matters.
The 30-Result Magistrate Limit
MCRSearch caps every query at 30 records. That cap weakens any broad search on a common name. So use a full first and last name, and add the case number when you can. Before trusting a hit, confirm it actually identifies Marshall County. The portal's own disclaimer says accuracy and completeness are not guaranteed. So treat a result as a path to the file rather than proof. For documents, call the Magistrate Clerk at 304-221-2701 or 304-845-4811. Or visit 511 Sixth Street in Moundsville.
Two Ways to Search: County and State
Marshall County runs no single local web database that replaces the statewide systems. The county clerk offices hold the local records, while the West Virginia Judiciary operates the public portals for a court docket search.
| Need | Online route | Local route |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit case | WVPASS | Circuit Clerk, Room 127 |
| Magistrate case | MCRSearch | Magistrate Clerk, 511 Sixth Street |
| City citation | No countywide portal | City court on the citation |
| Family file | Limited public access | Circuit Clerk under Rule 6 |
The counter, the phone, and a focused written or mailed request all still work. Name the case number, caption, court, and the exact item you want. Say whether a plain or certified copy is what you are after.
When a Marshall Search Returns Nothing
Work the problem in order. Try the case number, spelling variants, and the other court-level system before giving up. Then ask whether the file is municipal, family, juvenile, sealed, expunged, non-public, older than WVPASS coverage, or still sitting on paper. A city ordinance citation normally stays with its municipal court and should not be expected in either state docket search.
No result is not a no-case finding. Court level, portal coverage, filing lag, or a lawful access restriction may explain the absence.
Circuit Clerk Joseph M. Rucki can be reached at 304-845-2130. His office sits at 600 Seventh Street, Room 127. For a city ticket, the responsible municipal clerk is the first contact.
A focused written request helps with an older or paper file. Include your contact information, the case number, caption or party role, court, exact document, and filing or entry date. State whether you want a plain, certified, or exemplified copy, plus your preferred delivery method. These are request prompts, not fields from a Marshall County web form. The county offers no local Circuit Clerk online copy-request form.
Which Cases Stay Restricted
Some Marshall County court records are off limits to the public by law. West Virginia Code section 49-5-103 bars public access to juvenile proceeding records. The exception is when you qualify under an authorized route. Expunged criminal records stay sealed. Family Court Rule 6 keeps most pleadings, exhibits, recordings, and transcripts confidential. Orders and indices remain open, though.
WVPASS leaves sealed and juvenile matters out of its results. Under Trial Court Rule 15A.24, personal identifiers are supposed to be redacted from public e-filed documents. Someone with a legal right to a restricted file must still follow the rule, statute, or court-order process that governs it. No public docket search screen can get around that.
Marshall Docket Entry Shorthand
Marshall County Magistrate docket entries pair a short code with a plain description. MGNCH is a Notice of Hearing. MGMCT is a Motion to Continue, MGHCT means Hearing Continued, and MGHHD means Hearing Held. A misdemeanor complaint appears as MMFCF, while MFFCF marks a felony complaint. Codes like MBOND and MBONI track bond being set and posted.
Read each code alongside its date, its long description, and the entries around it. A motion is only a request, not a ruling. A notice just schedules an event. A hearing entry does not tell you the outcome. Only an order or disposition says so. To confirm court dates, use the Marshall County court schedule workflow.
More codes help you follow a criminal docket, but they never replace the filed paper. MGPAG marks a plea agreement. MGMDC is a motion to dismiss. MMOJO is an order of criminal judgment. MGPAY records a payment. Run in sequence, the codes sketch how a case moved. Yet the long description plus the signed order is the safer reading. For an official interpretation or a copy of the source document, give the case ID to the Marshall County Magistrate Clerk.