Searching Cases by Name
Pick the right portal before typing a name. WVPASS serves public Circuit Court cases filed from July 1, 1999 forward and handles public Family records as well, under strong confidentiality limits. MCR Search covers the Magistrate layer. Its search fields can vary, so follow the labels the live portal shows rather than a fixed form.
- Choose WVPASS for Circuit or Family Court, or MCR Search for Magistrate Court.
- Enter the surname and given name as the live form permits.
- Narrow to Pendleton County, the case type, or filing year when those controls appear.
- Compare party role, case style, filing date, judge, and court before opening a result.
- Read the docket and confirm a key fact with the clerk when accuracy matters.
| Confirmed search point | Type | Required | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Party name | Text | When no number is known | Verify spelling and party role |
| Case number | Identifier | No | Best route to one known case |
| County | Filter when offered | No | Select Pendleton, not a residence assumption |
| Case type or year | Filter when offered | No | Separate similar names |
A name match alone proves nothing about identity or outcome. Open the case detail and read the originating record before assuming anything.
Pendleton County Case Search Portals
The West Virginia Court Record Access hub points the public to two separate systems. WVPASS is the Circuit Court public-access layer. MCR Search is the statewide Magistrate lookup. No single Pendleton County database combines every court.
| System | Pendleton coverage | Public detail |
|---|---|---|
| WVPASS | Circuit and public Family information | Case details free; public documents cost $0.25 per page |
| MCR Search | Magistrate traffic, misdemeanor, small civil, and preliminary matters | Case, charge, bond, judgment, event, party, and docket fields |
The split exists because the layers differ. A felony complaint may open in Magistrate Court and later move to Circuit Court, so one matter can demand both searches.
Searching by Case Number
A case number is the cleanest search key. Pendleton Circuit case numbers carry county code 36. Official orders show formats like CC-36-2023-F-3 for a felony and CC-36-2017-C-7 for a civil case. The parts mark the court layer, county, filing year, case-type code, and sequence. Enter the number exactly as the portal expects, separators included.
Magistrate identifiers follow a different format. Copy the ID straight from the notice or order. When a Magistrate case transfers to Circuit Court, find the newer Circuit number instead of forcing the old ID into WVPASS. The Pendleton County Circuit Clerk can trace a known transfer. The Magistrate Clerk can confirm the lower-court record.
Pendleton County Case Search Code 36
Within a Circuit case identifier, 36 is the county code. It marks a location, not a case result. The letter after the year can hint at the case type, like F in the felony example or C in the civil example. Never read guilt, judgment, or current status out of the code alone.
- CC
- The Circuit Court identifier shown in the official Pendleton examples.
- 36
- Pendleton's county code in that case-number structure.
- Year
- The filing year carried in the identifier.
- Type letter
- A code for the case category, which must be read with the docket.
- Sequence
- The numbered case within that category and year.
The full case style and docket distinguish a genuine match from a similar number.
What a Case Search Returns
A search result is an index and status view. MCR presents detail in a structured layout rather than one docket PDF. WVPASS splits free case detail from paid access to public documents. Neither system turns an online download into a certified copy.
| Case Number | The unique court identifier, such as CC-36-2023-F-3. |
|---|---|
| Style or Parties | The caption and roles used to identify the matter. |
| Case Type | The court category, such as criminal, civil, or family. |
| Filed Date | The date the initiating paper was accepted or entered. |
| Status | An open, closed, or disposed label that must be read with later entries. |
| Events | Published dates, times, rooms, locations, judges, and event types. |
Charges are only allegations, and a bond is just a release condition. An event marked closed does not always mean the case is closed, so read the disposition and the newest entries first.
Pendleton County Magistrate Case Search Detail
The official Magistrate Court overview describes why this layer holds so many local traffic, misdemeanor, civil, warrant, bail, and preliminary-hearing records. It lays out that statewide court description.
That jurisdiction explains why a Pendleton County case search often starts in MCR. A felony record can later move to Circuit Court.
MCR detail can list case ID, type, amount, agency, charge, plea, disposition, bond, events, parties, judgments, and docket-entry descriptions. A captcha gate and a state disclaimer greet every user. Both signal that the portal is not a certified or complete file.
Statewide vs County Case Search
WVPASS and MCR are both statewide systems. A Pendleton search still needs narrowing to the correct county and court. No separate county trial-docket portal offers deeper local coverage. When a statewide result falls short, the local clerks are the county fallback.
| Statewide portal | Pendleton clerk channel |
|---|---|
| Fast name or case-number discovery | Confirms the originating file and later corrections |
| Public index and available electronic detail | Supervised inspection, copies, and certified records |
| Subject to portal coverage and restrictions | Routes requests by Circuit, Family, or Magistrate custody |
For Circuit or Family files, call the Circuit Clerk at 304-358-7067. For Magistrate files, call 304-358-2343 or 304-358-2344. The responsible clerk offers in-person access during public business hours, and mailed requests can be arranged for copies.
Pendleton County Appellate Case Search
A county trial case can later surface in a statewide appellate docket. Civil Circuit and many Family appeals generally route to the Intermediate Court of Appeals. Criminal, juvenile, abuse-and-neglect, and other assigned appeals go to the Supreme Court of Appeals. An appellate court number and calendar never replace the Pendleton trial docket itself.
The ICA current docket displays that appellate calendar.
This is the statewide appellate layer at work; match the court name and docket number before switching systems.
Pendleton County Missing Case Search Results
A blank search does not mean no record exists. Check the court layer, spelling, county, filing year, and number format. WVPASS public Circuit coverage begins with cases filed from July 1, 1999. An older file, missing image, nonpublic case, or later clerk correction may call for direct contact.
- Repeat the search with the exact case number.
- Try the other court portal only when the case path supports it.
- Check a transfer notice for a new number.
- Ask the responsible Pendleton clerk to locate the file.
- Request a certified copy if the record must carry formal proof.
WVPASS demands two-factor authentication, permits one active session, and expires after 60 minutes of inactivity. Those account rules can interrupt repeat searching, but they never change the underlying file.
Pendleton County Case Search Forms Route
Need a filing rather than a docket? The West Virginia court forms library lets you filter for expungement, fee-waiver, and payment-plan paperwork. Keep in mind a form search is not a case search. Its value shows up when a Pendleton County docket entry points to a filing. That filing must go through the clerk.
Always pull the current form and its filing instructions. Then confirm the docket entry with the right clerk. Self-represented filers may hand covered Circuit papers to the Circuit Clerk for electronic filing.
Pendleton County Case Search IDX Trap
The County Clerk's IDX search is easy to mistake for a court docket tool. It is not WVPASS. It is not MCR Search. It indexes recorded county documents: deeds, deeds of trust, judgments, probate records, releases, and wills. Searching works by date, name, book and page, instrument number, or description. It is not a trial court calendar either.
Use the right custodian. Circuit and Family dockets go to the Circuit Clerk; Magistrate dockets go to the Magistrate Clerk; recorded land, probate, and county records go to the County Clerk.
A judgment index entry can point you to a recorded document. It still does not replace the civil case file. For filing history and copies, see the Pendleton County court records route.
Access and Restricted Cases
Public access stops at firm limits. Juvenile records are generally closed. Sealed and expunged material will not show up as ordinary public content. Family Court works differently. Orders and indices may be public. Pleadings, recordings, exhibits, transcripts, and other file material can stay confidential under Family Rule 6 and state law.
State law also shields certain victim identifying information and personal identifiers. You may find dates of birth, account numbers, or similar sensitive details in a record. Do not republish them. Anyone with legal authority to request restricted material must follow the court's process. They must give the clerk the case information and basis for access.
One more caution. A name match in a public index proves no identity. It proves no complete history and no legal effect. Verify every important fact with the originating Pendleton County court.
Pendleton County Case Search Clerk Visit
Planning a trip to Franklin for a search or file inspection? Check the official court closure page first, and call the clerk. A courthouse closure never removes the case itself. It can delay counter access, though. It can also shift a scheduled event. The statewide status page shows current closure notices.
Let the status page shape your visit plans. The clerk, not the page, handles file access. The court docket still controls the case.