Marquette County Court Dockets

Marquette County court dockets are maintained by the 25th Circuit Court, with the courthouse at 234 W Baraga Ave in Marquette. The county is the largest in Michigan's Upper Peninsula by population and has a full circuit court system serving civil, criminal, family, and probate cases. This page covers how to find Marquette County court dockets, get copies, and understand the fees and access rules.

Marquette County 25th Circuit Court

The 25th Circuit Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction for Marquette County. It sits at the Marquette County Courthouse at 234 W Baraga Ave, Marquette, MI 49855. County Clerk Linda Talsma oversees the clerk's side of the court. The ADA Coordinator, Charity Mason, can be reached at cmason@mqtco.org or (906) 225-8240 for accessibility-related matters.

The Marquette County courts department at co.marquette.mi.us/departments/courts/ has information on all court divisions. The Circuit Court page at co.marquette.mi.us/departments/courts/circuit_court/ covers civil and criminal case access. Online dockets are available for all judges in the circuit, and the online services page at co.marquette.mi.us/online_services/ links to key tools.

The 96th District Court serves Marquette County with two locations: the main Marquette location and an Ishpeming location. District court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, and civil matters under $25,000. Marquette County's courts are relatively well-staffed for an Upper Peninsula county, reflecting its status as the region's main population center.

Search Marquette County Court Dockets Online

The Marquette County official website at co.marquette.mi.us is a solid starting point for finding court information. The county courts department page has direct links to court divisions and resources.

The Michigan Courts Case Search at courts.michigan.gov/case-search/ is the main online tool for all Marquette County courts. Search by party name, case number, or attorney. The portal covers the 25th Circuit Court, the 96th District Court, and the Marquette County Probate Court. Results show the Register of Actions (ROA) with every docket entry for the case.

Specific MiCOURT links for Marquette County courts include the Circuit Court at micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/court/C25, the District Court at micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/court/D96, and Probate Court at micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/court/P52. These direct links let you search a specific court level rather than the full statewide database.

The Ishpeming Service Center offers Wednesday access from 8 AM to 4 PM for residents who cannot easily reach the Marquette courthouse. Staff there can help with basic records inquiries and some requests.

Record Request Fees in Marquette County

Marquette County has a specific fee schedule for vital records and court copies. Birth, death, and marriage certificates cost $14.00 for the first certified copy and $7.00 for each additional copy of the same record. Seniors age 65 and older requesting their own records get a discounted rate of $6.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for additional copies.

Civil record checks cost $10.00 per search. Standard court copies follow the Michigan schedule: $1.00 per page for regular copies and $10.00 for the first page of a certified document plus $1.00 per additional page. For email requests, send to CountyClerk@mqtco.org and include the case number, party names, and document description. District court matters go to DistrictCourtClerk@mqtco.org.

Mail requests go to the County Clerk at 234 W Baraga Ave, Marquette, MI 49855. Include a check or money order for the estimated amount. Staff can give you a fee estimate if you call or email before submitting your request. Allow three to five business days for standard records requests.

Types of Records in Marquette County Dockets

The 25th Circuit Court in Marquette County maintains dockets for civil, criminal, family, and juvenile cases. Civil dockets track lawsuits, property disputes, and contract matters. Criminal dockets follow felony cases from arraignment through sentencing. Family court dockets record divorce, custody, support, and paternity cases. Juvenile dockets cover delinquency, neglect, and child protective proceedings.

The 96th District Court maintains separate dockets for misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic violations, and small civil claims. These are also searchable through the MiCOURT system using the district court link. The Probate Court maintains its own docket for estate proceedings, guardianships, mental health cases, and wills. Probate records are partially restricted, with some filed documents not available to the public.

Restricted records in Marquette County follow the same rules as other Michigan counties. PPO records are not online (MCR 3.705). Juvenile records are sealed (MCL 600.1750). HYTA cases are confidential. Michigan Clean Slate Law expungements remove cases from public searches over time. First-time drug disposition records under MCL 333.7411 are excluded from public online access.

Historical Records and Archives

Marquette County was organized in 1851 and records date back to 1843 in some collections. The county seat has served as the main Upper Peninsula hub for courts and government for well over a century. For historical records that predate the online system, the clerk's office maintains paper records going back many decades.

The Archives of Michigan in Lansing holds Supreme Court and Court of Appeals case files from across the state. Contact the Archives at 702 W. Kalamazoo Street, Lansing, MI 48909, or at (517) 373-1408 or archives@michigan.gov. Search fees start at $15.00 for general record searches and go up to $50.00 per appellate case file.

FamilySearch.org and the Michigan GenWeb project have resources for Marquette County genealogical records. These can help researchers find birth, death, marriage, and estate records from earlier periods. The county clerk's office can also advise on what historical records are available and whether they have been microfilmed or digitized.

Legal Resources in Marquette County

Michigan Legal Help at michiganlegalhelp.org has free self-help guides for people navigating Marquette County courts. SCAO court forms are available at courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/ for all case types. For e-filing, the MiFILE system at mifile.courts.michigan.gov/ handles electronic document submissions.

For official criminal record checks, use the Michigan State Police ICHAT at apps.michigan.gov/ICHAT. This costs $10.00 per search and provides official criminal history information. The online court portal is not a substitute for ICHAT when a formal background check is required.

Cities in Marquette County

Marquette County is the largest county in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The city of Marquette is the county seat and the region's main urban center. No cities in Marquette County meet the population threshold for dedicated city pages on this site.

All circuit court filings for Marquette County are handled through the 25th Circuit at 234 W Baraga Ave in Marquette.

Nearby Counties

Marquette County is surrounded by other Upper Peninsula counties in central and western UP Michigan.