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Friday, February 26, 2016

The Law on Courthouse Records




§7-3-2. Courthouse, jail and offices.

The county commission of every county, at the expense of the county, shall provide at the county seat thereof a suitable courthouse and jail, together with suitable offices for the judge of the circuit court and judges of courts of limited jurisdiction, clerks of circuit courts, courts of limited jurisdiction and of the county commission, assessor, sheriff, prosecuting attorney, county superintendent of schools, and surveyor, and all other offices as are or may be required by law: Provided, That the courthouse, including any annex or other facility housing the courts and offices herein set out (excepting all facilities that are on a twenty-four-hour basis), shall be open to the public Monday through Friday during the hours prescribed by the county commission by an order duly recorded in the order book of the commission.

 The county commission in such order may, in its discretion, provide that the courthouse, including any annex or other facility housing the courts and offices herein set out, be open on Saturday and prescribe the hours during which it shall be open. In no case may the county commission provide that the courthouse, including any annex or other facility housing the courts and offices herein set out, be open for business on Sundays or national or state holidays: ...

The county commission shall keep the courthouse, jail and other offices in constant and adequate repair, and supplied with the necessary heat, light, furniture, record books, and janitor service, and, except as to the office for the judge of the circuit court, with the necessary stationery and postage, and other things as shall be necessary; but all of the public records, books and papers belonging or appertaining to the county surveyor's office shall be delivered to the clerk of the county commission and retained by him in his official possession and under his control and shall constitute a part of the public records, books and papers of his office.

All courthouses, jails and offices hereafter erected shall be built of stone and brick, or stone or brick, or other equally fireproof materials, and the offices shall be fireproof or be furnished with fireproof vaults or safes. The jails shall be well secured, and sufficient for the convenient accommodation of those who may be confined therein.

The county commission may also provide other necessary offices and buildings, and may, by purchase or otherwise, acquire as much land as may be requisite or desirable for county purposes, and may suitably enclose, improve and embellish the lands so acquired.


Subject to the conditions hereinabove set forth with respect to the site of the courthouse, jail, and other offices, the commission may, from time to time, as may seem to it proper, provide, at the expense of the county, a new or other building or buildings to be used for the courthouse and jail, or for either, together with suitable offices, as aforesaid, and for that purpose may acquire, by purchase or otherwise, and hold any lands, or lands and buildings, which may be necessary, and may enclose, improve and embellish the same.




2 comments:

  1. Looks to me that the Law says our County records must stay here, as they should. Distance to repositories of public records was an issue in the Declaration of Independence.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Courts records and any & all documents made by them, are public records, & above all they are the PEOPLES records. The people, citizens, tax payers of THAT jurisdiction, or judicial district. So ALL records SHOULD stay local. This is a no brainier. The citizens of this region are continually screwed over. Federal & States rights that are For ALL citizens seem to not apply here as if people who reside here are geographically undesirable. All rights, protections & laws/codes are for ALL citizens. WE the people should not have to get permissions, or beg for what is already ours.

    To be honest we all know it serves to many people's benefit that public records be denied light of day or review by sending them away. This area seems to be full of so much corruption, so many scandal, so many "dirty" people in office, or getting their palms greased.. that I can only think of the parallel of the Clinton's & what they did in Arkansas as worse.. their death toll was higher. But we too have our fair share of suspicious circumstances, false charges, abuse of the bench, horrific scandals where children were endangered & forever scared. & lots of suspicions fires.

    ReplyDelete

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A local archivist who specializes in all things Pocahontas County