Find Butler County District Court

Butler County District Court Overview

Kansas uses District Courts as the primary trial courts. In Butler County, the District Court handles criminal and civil jury trials, domestic relations, probate, juvenile, care and treatment, small claims, limited actions, traffic matters filed in district court, and appeals from municipal courts. The court is part of the 13th Judicial District with Elk and Greenwood counties. The statewide appellate path runs from district court to the Kansas Court of Appeals, with further review by the Kansas Supreme Court.

The main Butler County District Court access point is the judicial center in El Dorado. Court files open to the public may be reviewed by appointment, and the court asks callers to provide the case number. Visitors use the north entrance, check in, receive a name badge, and pass security screening. A drop box inside that north entrance accepts documents or payments for the clerk or Court Services Officer Department, and staff retrieve drop box items on weekdays at 8 a.m.

The Butler County Clerk page shows why the county administrative clerk is separate from the district court clerk.

That distinction helps prevent records requests from going to the wrong office, since court case files are handled through the Clerk of the District Court.

Butler County District Court Divisions

Butler County has one local District Court location, with district judge divisions based in El Dorado and two magistrate judges listed for the other counties in the 13th Judicial District. The table below follows the researched court administration list and keeps the regional district context clear.

The 13th Judicial District has four district court judges and two district magistrate judges. The chief judge has general control over case assignment and supervisory authority over administrative functions within the county court system.

Butler County division assistants are also listed in the court administration research. Division 1 is associated with assistant Amy Boeckman, Division 2 with Belen Wells, Division 3 with Mandi Stapleford, and Division 4 with Angela Cool. Those assistant names help confirm that the table is not a generic court list. It reflects the local Butler County court administration page for the 13th Judicial District.

Butler County District Court vs Municipal Court

Kansas does not use a county court at law, justice of the peace court, surrogate court, or orphans' court structure for Butler County records. The meaningful local split is District Court versus Municipal Court. Municipal courts in El Dorado, Augusta, Andover, and Rose Hill hear city ordinance, municipal traffic, code, nuisance, animal control, and many misdemeanor ordinance cases. More serious criminal, civil, family, probate, juvenile, small claims, and municipal appeals belong in District Court.

The Butler County forms page is one county source for request and certified-copy paperwork outside the court-specific portal.

Forms should be matched to the office that keeps the record because county administrative records and District Court case files are not held by the same clerk.

How a Case Moves Through the Butler County System

A district court case file begins when the correct initiating paper is filed with the clerk. In criminal matters, that may follow arrest, citation, complaint, information, or warrant activity. In civil, family, probate, or small claims matters, it starts with a petition, claim, application, or other filing. Once a case is opened, the docket tracks hearings, filings, orders, judgments, dispositions, and any appeal activity.

Criminal flow: Arrest or complaint › first appearance › charging document › arraignment › pretrial hearings › plea or trial › sentencing › appeal.

Civil flow: Petition filed › service › answer › motions or discovery › hearing or trial › judgment › post-judgment collection or appeal.

Municipal appeal flow: city judgment › notice of appeal and appearance bond › Butler County District Court new trial › district court judgment.

Rose Hill's municipal court page gives a clear example of the appeal route. A defendant found guilty of a city ordinance violation may appeal to the District Court of Butler County in El Dorado for a new trial on the original complaint. The notice of appeal and appearance bond must be filed within 14 days from judgment under the cited Kansas municipal appeal statutes.

Butler County District Court Programs

Butler County District Court uses division phone lines to route records and case questions. Criminal records use 316-322-4375 or 316-322-4374. Traffic records use 316-322-4372 or 316-322-4377. Civil cases use 316-322-4332, while Chapter 61 and small claims use 316-322-4373. Domestic and child support use 316-322-4280. Probate and marriage licenses use 316-322-4371, and juvenile or minor matters use 316-322-4369.

The County Attorney office works from the same judicial center complex and is responsible for criminal and traffic prosecution, Child in Need of Care cases, juvenile offender matters, care and treatment actions, and certain election and township matters. Its work can appear in District Court files when charges, petitions, diversion, motions, or sentencing documents become part of the court record.

The Butler County Attorney office page identifies the prosecution office tied to many District Court criminal, traffic, juvenile, and care and treatment cases.

That prosecution role explains why a criminal court file may include both clerk-maintained docket entries and filings from the County Attorney.

Butler County Judicial District

Butler County is part of the 13th Judicial District. The district includes Butler, Elk, and Greenwood counties. Kansas is divided into 31 judicial districts, and district size, county mix, and judge count vary by region. In this district, four district judges and two district magistrate judges are listed in the court administration research.

The District Court is the local venue for criminal and civil jury trials. It also handles family, probate, juvenile, care and treatment, small claims, limited actions, and appeals from municipal courts. The Kansas Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court for most appeals from district court, while the Kansas Supreme Court is the highest court and controls statewide court administration and rules.

The Kansas district court filing fees page provides state-level fee information for filings that may be brought in District Court.

Local copy and research charges should still be confirmed with the Butler County clerk, especially when the request is for records rather than a new filing.

Butler County Municipal Court Boundary

Municipal courts are the lower local courts named in the Butler County research. El Dorado Municipal Court handles animal control, misdemeanor charges, nuisance charges, and traffic violations at the city level. Augusta Municipal Court handles traffic and municipal matters, with payment and record requests routed through the municipal court clerk. Andover Municipal Court handles traffic, misdemeanor criminal, and code violations, but its payment software is not linked to the court system. Rose Hill Municipal Court handles traffic violations, misdemeanor public offense violations, and city ordinance violations.

Those municipal courts should not be confused with Butler County District Court. Municipal courts do not handle serious criminal cases, divorce, damage suits, probate, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, mental illness care, juvenile matters, or small claims. When a municipal case is appealed under Kansas procedure, the new trial is in District Court, and the case then becomes part of the District Court path.

El Dorado Municipal Court lists most Monday sessions and a municipal court clerk at the police department address. Augusta Municipal Court lists a Tuesday schedule and routes court-record or report requests through the municipal court clerk. Andover warns that its online payment software and court system are not linked, so a payer must manually enter the correct balance. Rose Hill lists open-records options through its court clerk and gives the municipal appeal path to the District Court of Butler County.

Note: For city tickets or ordinance cases, check the issuing municipal court before assuming the case is already in Butler County District Court.