Washington County District Court Overview
Kansas uses district courts as its constitutional trial courts of general original jurisdiction. Washington County does not have a separate county court, superior court, circuit court, surrogate court, or stand-alone probate court for the main trial-level case categories. The Washington County District Court handles the county's civil cases, felony and misdemeanor criminal cases, divorce and domestic matters, probate, guardianships, conservatorships, juvenile matters, care and treatment cases, small claims, and district-level traffic or fish and game cases.
Washington County is part of the 12th Judicial District with Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, and Republic counties. Appeals from Washington County District Court generally move to the Kansas Court of Appeals, while the Kansas Supreme Court serves as the court of last resort and hears some matters directly under Kansas law. Public district court case information is searched through Kansas CaseSearch, but the local clerk remains the access point for written document requests, certified copies, and courthouse-only records.
Washington County District Court List
Washington County has one primary district court courthouse for the county, with judge and clerk contacts listed by the county and Kansas Judicial Branch. The same courthouse location is used for the broad district court docket rather than separate numbered civil, criminal, family, and probate courts. The table also includes closely related county justice offices because many record questions move between the clerk, judge contacts, prosecutor, sheriff, and municipal courts.
| Court # | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Countywide | District Court and Clerk | 214 C Street, Washington, KS 66968 | 785-325-2381 |
| Chief judge contact | 12th Judicial District leadership | P.O. Box 235 / Washington County, KS 66968 | 785-325-3265 |
| Magistrate judge | District magistrate judge | 214 C Street, Washington, KS 66968 | 785-325-2953 |
| Prosecution | County Attorney | 209 C Street, Washington, KS 66968 | 785-325-2149 |
| Law enforcement | Sheriff, jail, warrants, reports | 301 B Street, Washington, KS 66968 | 785-325-2293 |
The Kansas Judicial Branch courthouse listing and county directory should be checked when a judge or clerk name matters because the research found a clerk-name conflict between official sources. The address and court-record clerk phone are the stable access facts.
District Court vs Municipal Court
Kansas does not split Washington County trial records into county court and justice court layers. The comparison that matters locally is district court versus municipal court. District court is the broad county-level trial court. Municipal courts are city courts created by cities and handle violations of city ordinances within city limits, commonly local traffic and ordinance matters. A citation or notice should name the court that owns the case.
| Feature | Washington County District Court | Municipal Court | State or Federal Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main role | County trial court for broad civil, criminal, domestic, probate, juvenile, and traffic matters. | City ordinance violations inside a city that created a municipal court. | Appeals, state agency records, federal cases, and state correctional records. |
| Traffic cases | County-level traffic and fish/game tickets filed in district court. | Local ordinance or city traffic cases named on the ticket. | KDOR driver record and license status are separate from the court case. |
| Record search | Kansas CaseSearch, courthouse terminal, written clerk request. | City court or city clerk named on the citation. | Kansas appellate portal, KDOC/KBI/KDHE, PACER, or agency-specific portals. |
| Certified copies | Request from Washington County District Court Clerk. | Request from the city court if the city is the custodian. | Request from the issuing state or federal custodian. |
Washington County Case Flow
A Washington County District Court record is built in stages. The docket is the chronological index, while the file contains pleadings, orders, motions, judgments, and other documents that may or may not be visible online. Kansas CaseSearch can show public index information, but Kansas courts state that document requests must be made in writing when a user needs a document from a case.
Criminal flow: Charge filed > first appearance > arraignment > pretrial hearings > plea or trial > disposition > sentencing > appeal or post-conviction filing.
Civil flow: Petition filed > summons or service > answer > motions and hearings > judgment or dismissal > collection, post-judgment action, or appeal.
Probate flow: Petition > notice or hearing > fiduciary appointment > inventory, claims, and orders > accounting > closing order.
Washington County District Records
Civil records in Washington County include Chapter 60 civil suits, limited actions, small claims, judgments, garnishments, liens, and enforcement steps. Criminal court records include complaints or informations, charges, appearances, bond orders, plea entries, verdicts, sentencing, probation terms, revocations, and appeals. Domestic records include divorce, parentage, custody, child support, protection orders, and post-decree motions. Probate records include estates, wills admitted to probate, fiduciary appointments, claims, inventories, accountings, guardianships, and conservatorships.
Not every document in those categories is public. Juvenile, adoption, care and treatment, sealed, expunged, mental-health, minor, financial, and protected-party material may be restricted or redacted. Kansas Supreme Court Rule 106B and related eCourt public access rules govern district court electronic case records, so a public docket entry does not guarantee that every underlying document can be viewed or copied.
Washington County Judicial District
The 12th Judicial District includes Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Republic, and Washington counties. The research identifies Hon. Kim W. Cudney as Chief District Judge and Hon. Jason Cohorst as Washington County District Magistrate Judge. The county district court page gives separate phone and fax lines for those contacts. For record access, however, the Clerk of the District Court line is the right starting point.
Kansas district courts are part of the state judicial branch. When a Washington County case is appealed, it generally leaves the local record level and moves to the Kansas Court of Appeals. The Kansas Supreme Court may review Court of Appeals decisions or hear certain matters directly. Federal cases involving Washington County residents or events are not Washington County District Court records and must be searched through the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas or PACER.
Municipal Courts in Washington County
Municipal courts are the lower local venue to watch for city ordinance and city traffic matters. The City of Washington has a confirmed municipal court at City Hall, 301 C Street / P.O. Box 296, Washington, Kansas, phone 785-325-2284. The research identifies Municipal Judge Hon. Jason Cohorst, City Attorney Elizabeth Baskerville-Hiltgen, and Municipal Court Clerk Denise M. Powell, with court typically held at 5 p.m. on the fourth Monday, excluding holidays. Hanover Municipal Court is also confirmed by official city code, with Hanover City Hall at 201 S. Railroad Street and a phone number of 785-337-2261.
Other city clerk contacts were located in the county directory, but separate municipal court pages were not confirmed for every city. For a city citation, read the ticket first. If it names Washington County District Court, use CaseSearch or the district court clerk. If it names Washington or Hanover Municipal Court, contact that city. If it names another city but no court page is easy to find, start with the city clerk listed in the county directory.
Note: Traffic payment, court status, and driver-license status are three separate issues, so clearing one record may not clear all consequences.