Bracken County Circuit Court
Bracken County is part of the 19th Judicial Circuit and the 19th Judicial District. The Kentucky Court of Justice Bracken County page lists Chief Circuit Judge Jeffrey L. Schumacher for the 19th Judicial Circuit and District Judge Kim Razor for the 19th Judicial District. The court building is the Bracken County Judicial Center at 132 W. Miami St., P.O. Box 205, Brooksville, KY 41004. Circuit Court phone is 606-735-3328, District Court phone is 606-735-2522, and the court fax is 606-735-3900.
Kentucky's trial court structure is unified statewide. Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction, meaning it can hear all case types unless the General Assembly has placed exclusive jurisdiction somewhere else. District Court is limited jurisdiction and handles many routine first-stop matters. In Bracken County, both court levels share the same judicial center and the Office of Circuit Court Clerk, but they do not hear the same set of cases.
The federal statute source assigned to this page lists Kentucky federal districts, a separate path from the state court system.
That assigned image comes from a federal district source, which is separate from Bracken Circuit Court but useful when a case leaves the state system for federal jurisdiction.
Bracken Court Table
The local court table shows the key offices users often mix together. Circuit Court and District Court are the trial courts. The Circuit Court Clerk is the court-record office. The County Clerk and Sheriff are nearby county offices with different roles in marriage, recorded instruments, warrants, civil process, and court security.
| Court or office | Local official | Address | Phone | Jurisdiction or use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bracken Circuit Court, 19th Judicial Circuit | Chief Circuit Judge Jeffrey L. Schumacher | 132 W. Miami St., Brooksville, KY 41004 | 606-735-3328 | Felonies, civil over $5,000, divorce, contested probate, injunctions, appeals from District Court. |
| Bracken District Court, 19th Judicial District | District Judge Kim Razor | 132 W. Miami St., Brooksville, KY 41004 | 606-735-2522 | Misdemeanors, traffic, violations, probate, small claims, district civil, juvenile, domestic violence. |
| Office of Circuit Court Clerk | Crystal Dunn | 132 W. Miami St., Brooksville, KY 41004 | 606-735-3328; 606-735-2522 | Case filings, dockets, court records, fines, bond money, jury scheduling, court document custody. |
| Bracken County Clerk | Jennifer Free | 116 W. Miami St., Brooksville, KY 41004 | 606-735-2952 | Marriage licenses, county records, elections, motor vehicles, delinquent taxes, eCCLIX records. |
| Bracken County Sheriff | Robert Boody III | 116 W. Miami St., Brooksville, KY 41004 | 606-735-3233 | Law enforcement, warrant service, court security, civil process, public safety. |
Circuit Court vs District Court
Kentucky does not use county courts or justice of the peace courts for the Bracken trial-court split described in the research map. The practical comparison is Circuit Court versus District Court. Circuit Court handles the broader and higher-stakes matters. District Court handles limited-jurisdiction matters, including many cases that start before any Circuit Court action exists.
| Topic | Bracken Circuit Court | Bracken District Court |
|---|---|---|
| Civil limit | Civil matters over $5,000 and title disputes. | Civil cases up to $5,000 and small claims up to $2,500. |
| Criminal jurisdiction | Felonies, capital offenses, indictments, pleas, trials, and felony sentencing. | Misdemeanors, violations, traffic, ordinance matters, arraignments, and felony probable-cause hearings. |
| Family and domestic | Divorce, adoptions, termination of parental rights, and other Circuit domestic matters. | Domestic violence and abuse matters, juvenile matters, and some protection-order calendars. |
| Probate | Contested probate and related adversarial estate litigation. | Ordinary probate of wills and non-contested probate matters. |
| Appeal role | Hears appeals from District Court; most Circuit appeals go to the Kentucky Court of Appeals. | Creates appealable lower-court judgments that can move to Circuit Court. |
Bracken Case Movement
Case movement depends on the case type. A felony may start in District Court for a preliminary stage, then move to Circuit Court after indictment or other charging action. A misdemeanor or traffic case may stay in District Court through disposition. A civil claim above the District Court limit starts in Circuit Court, while a lower-value civil claim starts in District Court. Probate is District Court unless it becomes contested.
Felony path: Arrest or citation › District Court first appearance or preliminary hearing › indictment or information › Circuit Court arraignment › pretrial hearings › plea or trial › sentencing › appeal.
Civil path: Complaint or petition filed › service › answer or default › motions › discovery or settlement work › hearing or trial › judgment › appeal.
Probate path: Will or estate petition › District Court probate calendar › fiduciary appointment › inventory and accountings › settlement, unless a contested issue sends the dispute into Circuit Court.
Bracken Court Schedules
The Bracken schedule is more concrete than many county court pages and should be checked before any visit. District Criminal is Tuesdays except fifth Tuesdays at 9 a.m. Domestic Violence is Tuesdays except fifth Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. District Civil, Probate, and Small Claims are Tuesdays except fifth Tuesdays at 11 a.m. Juvenile is second and fourth Tuesdays at 1 p.m. Circuit Court is third Thursday, with civil and domestic matters at 11 a.m. and criminal matters at 1 p.m.
| Calendar | Regular Bracken schedule | Likely court level |
|---|---|---|
| District Criminal | Tuesdays except fifth Tuesdays at 9 a.m. | District Court |
| Domestic Violence | Tuesdays except fifth Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. | District Court schedule |
| District Civil, Probate and Small Claims | Tuesdays except fifth Tuesdays at 11 a.m. | District Court |
| Juvenile | Second and fourth Tuesday at 1 p.m. | District Court juvenile calendar |
| Circuit civil and domestic | Third Thursday at 11 a.m. | Circuit Court |
| Circuit criminal | Third Thursday at 1 p.m. | Circuit Court |
Note: Use the KCOJ docket search or clerk phone confirmation for the actual date because online docket data can change.
Bracken Circuit Jurisdiction
The Circuit Court jurisdiction statute, KRS 23A.010, states that Circuit Court is a court of general jurisdiction with original jurisdiction over justiciable causes not exclusively vested elsewhere. KCOJ lists Circuit Court case types that include civil matters over $5,000, capital offenses and felonies, divorces, adoptions, termination of parental rights, real property title disputes, contested probate matters, injunctions, writs, appeals from District Court, and administrative-agency appeals.
District Court jurisdiction is different. KCOJ says District Court handles juvenile matters, ordinances, misdemeanors, violations, traffic offenses, probate of wills, arraignments, felony probable-cause hearings, small claims, lower-value civil matters, mental-health proceedings, and domestic violence matters. The District Court criminal statute excludes final disposition of felony and capital offenses from District Court, which is why felony cases can begin there but move to Circuit Court for final felony action.
Bracken Appeals Path
Appeals from Bracken District Court go to Circuit Court. Appeals from Bracken Circuit Court generally go to the Kentucky Court of Appeals, which reviews the trial record rather than retrying the case. The Supreme Court of Kentucky is the state court of last resort. KCOJ states that appeals involving the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for 20 years or more go directly from Circuit Court to the Supreme Court, while other appeals usually first go to the Court of Appeals unless a bypass is allowed.
Bracken County belongs to the 6th Supreme Court District and 6th Appellate District on the KCOJ county page. The county page lists Supreme Court Justice Michelle M. Keller for the Supreme Court district and Court of Appeals Judges Allison Jones and Susanne M. Cetrulo for the appellate district. County court users should still file appeal papers through the court rules and the clerk path that applies to the judgment being appealed.