St. Clair County Circuit Court Records Overview
Michigan runs three kinds of trial court. These are the circuit court, the district court, and the probate court. The circuit court holds the broadest power of the three. In St. Clair County, that role belongs to the 31st Circuit Court. It hears felony criminal cases, civil claims worth more than $25,000, and appeals that come up from the 72nd District Court and state administrative agencies. If a crime could send a person to prison, the case is a circuit court matter.
The court also runs a Family Division. This branch handles divorce, paternity, child support, and juvenile cases. It manages some guardianships and legal name changes too. Unlike some states, Michigan does not split a single county into several numbered circuits. St. Clair County sits inside one judicial circuit, the 31st, so one circuit court serves the whole county from the courthouse in downtown Port Huron.
Circuit records are broad in scope. A single felony file can hold the complaint, bindover from district court, the information, bond orders, plea, trial entries, the verdict, and sentencing. A civil file may hold the complaint, answer, motions, and the final judgment. Because these cases carry real stakes, the public value of clear St. Clair County circuit court records is high.
Note: The Family Division is part of the circuit court, so divorce and juvenile files are circuit records, not district court records.
Circuit Court vs District Court vs Probate Court
The three St. Clair County trial courts do not overlap much. Each one owns a clear slice of the caseload, and each keeps its own records. The chart below shows how the 31st Circuit Court compares with the 72nd District Court and the Probate Court in St. Clair County. Picking the right court is the first step in any records search. A district traffic file and a circuit felony file never share the same clerk or the same payment path.
| Circuit Court | District Court | Probate Court | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Cases | Over $25,000 | Under $25,000, small claims | Estate and trust value |
| Criminal Cases | Felonies | Misdemeanors, ordinance | None |
| Family and Juvenile | Yes, Family Division | No | No |
| Estates and Guardianships | Some guardianships | No | Yes, main venue |
| Records Kept By | County Clerk, Room 1100 | District Court, Room 2900 | Probate Court, Room 2700 |
| Appeals | Hears district appeals | Appeals go to circuit | Appeals go to circuit |
How a Case Moves Through the System
Cases climb a ladder in the St. Clair County court system. Most start low and move up only on appeal. A felony, for example, begins in the district court for its first stages, then binds over to the 31st Circuit Court for trial. A losing party can ask a higher court to review the result. The path runs from the local trial courts up to the state's top bench.
Case path: 72nd District Court › 31st Circuit Court › Michigan Court of Appeals › Michigan Supreme Court
The circuit court sits in the middle of that chain. It reviews appeals from the district court and from administrative agencies. Yet its own rulings can be appealed to the Michigan Court of Appeals. The Michigan Supreme Court sits above that court and has the final word.
Civil cases follow a similar climb. A lawsuit worth more than $25,000 is filed in the circuit court, moves through discovery and any pretrial steps, and ends in a judgment. Family cases such as divorce open in the Family Division of the same court. Each stage leaves a record, and each record joins the case file the clerk keeps.
Note: Appeals move up one level at a time, and the higher court reviews the record instead of holding a fresh trial.
St. Clair County Circuit Court and Local Trial Courts
Several courts and offices share the St. Clair County Courthouse at 201 McMorran Boulevard in Port Huron. The circuit court works next to the district court, the probate court, and support offices such as the Friend of the Court. The table lists each one with its role, address, and public phone line. Circuit and Family Court hours run Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The county posts each court's lookup links on its court schedules and records page.
| Court / Office | Role | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31st Circuit Court | Felonies, civil over $25,000, appeals, family division | Room 3400, 201 McMorran Blvd., Port Huron, MI 48060 | (810) 985-2031 |
| 72nd District Court, Port Huron | Traffic, criminal, civil, small claims | Room 2900, 201 McMorran Blvd., Port Huron, MI 48060 | (810) 985-2072 |
| 72nd District Court, Marine City | Downriver district branch | 2088 South Parker, Marine City, MI 48039 | (810) 765-4057 |
| Probate Court | Estates, trusts, guardianships, mental health | Room 2700, 201 McMorran Blvd., Port Huron, MI 48060 | (810) 985-2066 |
| Family Division | Divorce, paternity, child support, juvenile, name changes | Room 2800, 201 McMorran Blvd., Port Huron, MI 48060 | (810) 985-2090 |
| Friend of the Court | Domestic-relations support enforcement | Room 1600, 201 McMorran Blvd., Port Huron, MI 48060 | (810) 985-2285 |
| Circuit Court Probation | Adult felony probation supervision | Room 1300, 201 McMorran Blvd., Port Huron, MI 48060 | (810) 985-2280 |
| County Clerk, Court Records | Keeps 31st Circuit Court case files | Room 1100, 201 McMorran Blvd., Port Huron, MI 48060 | (810) 985-2200 |
St. Clair County Circuit Court Judges
Three judges preside over the 31st Circuit Court. Each keeps chambers inside the Port Huron courthouse, and each has a direct office line. Circuit Court Administration sits in Room 3400 and routes general questions through (810) 985-2031. The county lists the full bench on its court directory.
- Hon. Daniel A. Damman, Room 3100, (810) 985-2060
- Hon. Cynthia A. Lane, Room 3200, (810) 985-2050
- Hon. Michael L. West, Room 3500, (810) 985-2040
These St. Clair County judges hear felony trials, major civil suits, and family cases. Courtroom assignments can change from term to term. Callers should confirm the room and time before any hearing date.
Accessing St. Clair County Circuit Court Records
The County Clerk keeps every 31st Circuit Court file. Angie Waters serves as County Clerk and Register of Deeds, and the court records counter is Room 1100 in the courthouse. District and probate files are not kept there, so a request to the County Clerk covers circuit cases only. Online, the St. Clair County Web Inquiry lets the public look up circuit case records and hearing dates. For a broader look at record types, the county's court records page maps each portal to its court.
- Open the county court schedules and records page to reach the Circuit Records and Schedules link.
- Use the St. Clair County Web Inquiry and choose the circuit court group to search by party name.
- Note the case number, shown in the format 99-000000-XX, plus the party names and the year the case opened.
- For a copy the clerk holds, complete the online court document request form.
- Pay the fee. An emailed PDF costs $15 plus a $5 processing fee, and a certified copy adds $10.
- For older or restricted records, call or visit Room 1100 rather than assume the case does not exist.
Note: The clerk keeps circuit records only, so district and probate case files must be pulled through their own court offices or MiCOURT.
Paying St. Clair County Circuit Court Fees
Fines, costs, and restitution tied to a circuit case can be paid online. The clerk runs a 31st Circuit Court electronic payment form for restitution, court fines, and costs. Payers enter the case number, the amount owed, the defendant name, and their own contact details. To find a case number first, search the Web Inquiry by party name.
Fee notice: A $5 charge plus a 3.2% processing fee applies to each electronic payment, and the form accepts 31st Circuit Court payments only. District and probate balances use different payment paths.
Restitution is applied under Michigan law, so keep the confirmation page after any St. Clair County payment. Attorneys who file circuit pleadings by fax pay a separate charge under the court's electronic filing rules.
St. Clair County Friend of Court and Probation
Two St. Clair County offices support circuit cases after a judgment. The Friend of the Court manages domestic relations orders, mostly child support and parenting time. It sits in Room 1600 and answers at (810) 985-2285. Circuit Court Probation supervises adults sentenced in felony cases from Room 1300 at (810) 985-2280.
Both offices work closely with the Family Division in Room 2800, reached at (810) 985-2090. Records tied to support and probation may carry privacy limits. Some details in those files stay out of public view to protect children and personal data.
St. Clair County Circuit Court and the Appellate Courts
The circuit court does not stand alone. Below it, the 72nd District Court handles the county's everyday caseload and sends felony matters up after preliminary hearings. Above it, two appellate courts review circuit decisions. This order keeps each St. Clair County court focused on the work it does best.
A party who loses in the 31st Circuit Court can appeal to the Michigan Court of Appeals. That court reviews the record for legal error rather than retrying the facts. The Michigan Supreme Court sits at the top and takes only select cases. Tracing this chain helps a researcher follow a case from its first filing to its final ruling.
The circuit court also acts as an appeals court itself. When a party disputes a 72nd District Court judgment or a state agency decision, the appeal often lands in the circuit court first. So the same court that tries felonies and large civil suits also reviews the work of the courts and agencies below it. That dual role is a key reason the circuit court holds the widest reach among the county's trial courts.