Letcher District Court decides misdemeanors and traffic citations, hears youth petitions, and runs the first hearings when a felony is charged. After a grand jury indicts, a felony moves up to Circuit Court, where a verdict needs agreement from at least nine of twelve jurors. Because the circuit is a single county, the circuit judge sits only in Whitesburg and also reviews District Court appeals.

Phone 606-633-7559 or 606-633-1048, or search the case on KYeCourts guest portal. Check again a day ahead in case it moved. When an emergency gets in the way, notify the clerk's office ahead of time; skipping without notice risks a bench warrant.

The county sheriff's office serves the warrants issued by the local courts, and a deputy at 606-633-2293 can say whether a name is on one. Families in Jenkins and Fleming-Neon then use the free KYeCourts guest login, a statewide court record; a search set to Letcher, with sounds-like matching for names spelled several ways, shows open cases and hearing dates.

Most warrants are resolved by turning yourself in at the Letcher County Jail, though overflow can go to Hazard, and an attorney who raises bond in advance can speed things up. The circuit clerk at 156 Main St., Suite 201, Whitesburg, KY 41858, answers at 606-633-7559.

Suite 201 takes cash, checks, money orders and cards (fee), and ePay works online. Checks must carry the writer's phone, birth date and Social Security number. Someone unable to cover the full fine should raise a monthly plan with the judge during sentencing. See our bail page for bond.

1. The sheriff, a city department or Post 13 troopers make the arrest.
2. The person is booked at the courthouse jail, or in Hazard when Whitesburg is full, and then interviewed by pretrial staff (bail guide).
3. Upstairs in the same building, a district judge arraigns the defendant at the first appearance.
4. A felony suspect kept in jail is entitled to a preliminary hearing within 10 days, and one released within 20.
5. Once grand jurors return an indictment, Circuit Court hears the felony.

The Letcher County Attorney (95 Main Street, Whitesburg, KY 41858 (606-633-9588)) is in charge of lesser crimes, juvenile petitions and felonies until indictment. The 47th Circuit Commonwealth's Attorney (47 Highway 119, Suite 7, Whitesburg, KY 41858 (606-633-8121)) then handles the felony through trial. Both offices are in Whitesburg, so victims can reach either without traveling far.

The circuit clerk (606-633-7559) knows which class each pending count falls in, and that class fixes the most a Whitesburg judge may give. That ceiling is 12 months and $500 on a Class A misdemeanor and 90 days and $250 on Class B (KRS 532.090). A violation is punished by a fine alone, no higher than $250, and it is waived for the indigent (KRS 534.040). Felony prison time is 1-5 years at Class D, 5-10 at C, 10-20 at B, and 20-50 years or life at A (KRS 532.060).

Look up filings on KYeCourts guest portal, then order copies from the Whitesburg clerk following the records-request instructions. Juvenile and sealed files remain confidential. Whether a warrant is pending is something to ask the sheriff at 606-633-2293 or let an attorney check quietly.

Request one at the first appearance and fill out the sworn affidavit listing income and bills. Qualifying defendants are given the Hazard Trial Office of the Department of Public Advocacy (470 Main St., Hazard, KY 41701; 833-514-8977). Call Hazard soon after with the case number; the staff can identify the lawyer assigned and set a meeting long before any trial date.

In the Letcher County Jail under the courthouse (606-633-5163), with overflow sent to the Kentucky River Regional Jail, 200 Justice Drive, Hazard, KY 41701 (606-436-4032), so check both. Our guides on calls, mail, visiting, email, money and commissary vary with the jail involved.

The Main Street jail (606-633-5163) can tell relatives if a Letcher prisoner is being held federally; the charges themselves are heard at the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, 310 South Main Street, London, KY 40741, 606-877-7910. There, a magistrate conducts a detention hearing on whether the defendant stays locked up pending trial, while the U.S. Marshals find contract beds. Once sentenced, federal prisoners appear in the federal inmate locator.

Yes. Some convictions trigger deportation or block a green card, so have an immigration attorney examine any plea first. An ICE detainer asks Whitesburg to keep a Letcher prisoner up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, while the Letcher charges keep moving through state court. The ICE detainee locator shows who is in ICE custody.

Corrections classifies people sentenced to state time and assigns them to a prison or a county jail holding state inmates. Search the Corrections KOOL lookup for current placement, and use our Kentucky prison directory for contact numbers. Transfers can take several days to show.