accountability

How to Use Mississippi Public Records Requests When a Court May Be Violating State Law

When there is reason to believe that a Mississippi court is not following a state statute, the Mississippi Public Records Act can be used to obtain the records necessary to examine that practice.

Those records may include dockets, orders, judgments, notices, forfeiture records, administrative directives, correspondence, reports, policies, payment records, and statistical data.

Although the term “FOIA request” is commonly used, Mississippi state and local courts are governed by the Mississippi Public Records Act, Miss. Code Ann. §§ 25-61-1 through 25-61-19. The Act gives any person the right to inspect or obtain copies of public records unless a specific exemption applies. (ethics.ms.gov)

Does an Attorney Have to Prepare the Request?

No.

An attorney is not required to prepare, sign, submit, or receive a Mississippi Public Records Act request. A private citizen, business owner, bail agent, association, journalist, or other member of the public may submit the request directly.

The Mississippi Supreme Court recognized this process in Pryer v. Mississippi, where a pro se requester sought circuit court records under the Public Records Act. (law.justia.com)

Where Should the Request Be Sent?

Municipal Court

Requests for municipal court records should ordinarily be directed to the Municipal Court Clerk or designated records custodian.

Miss. Code Ann. § 21-23-11 provides for the municipal court clerk and requires maintenance of court dockets, minute records, orders, judgments, and related records. (law.justia.com)

Address to:

Custodian of Public Records
Clerk of the Municipal Court
[Municipality]
[Address]

If the municipality has adopted its own public-records procedure, that procedure should also be followed.

Justice Court

Justice court requests should be directed to the Justice Court Clerk of the county.

Address to:

Custodian of Public Records
[County] County Justice Court Clerk
[Address]

The clerk is the proper recipient for records maintained by the court, even when the request concerns the practices of a particular justice court judge.

County Court

Where a county court exists, the Circuit Clerk serves as clerk of the county court.

Address to:

Custodian of Public Records
Circuit Clerk of [County] County
Re: County Court Records

Circuit Court

Circuit court records should ordinarily be requested from the Circuit Clerk of the county where the records are maintained.

In Pryer v. Mississippi, the Mississippi Supreme Court recognized that the Public Records Act applies to circuit court records and that a circuit court is a public body under the Act. (law.justia.com)

Address to:

**Custodian of Public Records
Circuit Clerk of [County] County

About the Author

Mike Morrison is the 2026 PBUS National Bail Agent of the Year, President of the Mississippi Bail Agents Association, and a nationally recognized bail educator, speaker, and criminal justice commentator. With more than 35 years of hands-on experience as a licensed Professional Bail Agent and owner of Mike Morrison Bail Bonding Company in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, he brings a practical, real-world perspective to discussions involving American legal history, institutional accountability, constitutional rights, public safety, technology, and public policy.

Morrison is recognized as a bail trainer by the Mississippi Judicial College and is a sought-after guest speaker for judicial, prosecutorial, and industry conferences across the country. He has presented before state judges, justice court clerks, prosecutors, attorneys general staff, and bail professionals nationwide. He also leads professional education and ethics programs for bail agents through the Master Class Bail Agent Series and other national training initiatives.

He has published nearly 200 articles examining the institutions, policies, and decisions that affect working Americans. His writing is grounded in decades spent inside courtrooms, jails, communities, and the criminal justice system, and his commentary has surpassed 1.75 million views across social media in 2026.

Independent, plain-spoken, and focused on accountability, Morrison writes and speaks about the intersection of government, liberty, public safety, professional responsibility, and the real-world consequences of public policy in Mississippi and across the nation.