Founded in 1907, Nowata County is located in northeastern Oklahoma. The county’s under 10,000 residents live in a total land area of 566 square miles. Nowata City is its county seat and largest city.

Courts in Nowata County

The Nowata County court system comprises district and probate courts. The highest court in the county is the Nowata County District Court. Although it typically hears cases outside the authority of municipal courts, it has general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil proceedings. It hears all criminal matters, including felonies and misdemeanors, as well as all civil proceedings. In addition, it handles juvenile, domestic relations, and probate cases, including delinquency, dependency, divorce, annulments, paternity, emancipation, guardianship appointments, will admission, and estate administration. 

The two municipal courts in Nowata County are the Nowata City Court and the South Coffeyville City Court. They handle municipal violations and traffic offenses within their jurisdictions.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Nowata County

Public court records in Nowata County are court records that anyone can access. They include court filings, warrants, writs, court proceedings, and judgments from the county courts. The Nowata County Clerk maintains these records for the District Court, while clerks of the municipal courts maintain their court records.

Public members can examine and obtain copies of pertinent public court records by visiting any of the courts. They can also search for Nowata County District Court public records using the state-provided On Demand Court Records Portal.

Types of Public Court Records in Nowata County

Access to public court records in Nowata County promotes confidence in the county’s judicial system. Nowata County makes the following types of court records available to the public unless sealed by court orders:

• Civil Case Records: such as employment disputes, breaches of contract,  product liability, personal injury cases, professional malpractices, mortgage foreclosures, automobile negligence, libel, real property, eminent domain, contract indebtedness, and slander
• Criminal Case Records: warrants, details about charges, court proceedings, and verdicts for misdemeanor and felony cases
• Family Court Records: including annulments, divorce decrees, child custody decrees, and maintenance orders
• Probate Records: documentation of trusts, estates, guardianships, and wills

Confidential Court Records in Nowata County

Certain court records in Nowata County are sealed to preserve privacy, protect sensitive information, or the interest of justice. Unlike public court documents, which are accessible to the public, confidential court records are not. They can only be examined by authorized persons or by court orders. The following are usually excluded from public court records in Nowata County:

• Most juvenile delinquency records
• Adoption records
• Substance abuse treatment records
• Sexually transmitted disease (STD) test results and treatment records
• Medical and mental health records
• Certain records of victims of domestic violence
• Eligible misdemeanor or felony convictions after certain years
• Certain records of victims of sexual assault
• Records sealed or expunged under Oklahoma sealing and expungement laws
• Unprosecuted charges
• Proceedings for involuntary commitment for mental health evaluation
• HIV/AIDs test results and treatment records

Part or all of a Nowata County court record may also be sealed if it contains sensitive information such as:

• Social Security number
• Driver’s license number
• Bank account details
• Tax returns
• Identifying information about jurors
• Identifying information about confidential informants in criminal prosecutions.

Juvenile Delinquency in Nowata, OK

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Nowata County, juvenile delinquency crimes are on the rise. There are many reasons for the increase in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Oklahoma often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of offenses, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 58 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Nowata County. Of that total, 100% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 58 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, Nowata County, are focusing on family health and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Nowata County juvenile delinquency statistics will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of Nowata County, OK

https://www.ok.gov/

County Seat:	Nowata
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1907
Total Square Miles:	581
2019 Population:	10,306
Persons/Square Mile:	0.06
County Contact:	229 N Maple St County Courthouse Nowata , OK 74048-2654 http://nowata.com/

Nowata County, OK Courts