Baker County Circuit Court Overview
Oregon's main state trial court is the Circuit Court. Baker County Circuit Court is the 8th Judicial District of the Oregon Judicial Department, and it is the county-level state court for felony criminal cases, civil cases, domestic relations, probate, juvenile jurisdiction, and other matters assigned to circuit courts. The court is not a federal district court and is not the Baker County Justice Court.
The official Baker County Circuit Court page places the court in the Baker County Courthouse. The court is on the second floor. Presiding Judge Matthew B. Shirtcliff is listed as the county's one elected judge. Trial Court Administrator Amy Swiger and ADA contact Morgan Griffith are listed in the official courthouse information.
Baker County Circuit Court
1995 3rd Street, Suite 220
Baker City, OR 97814
541-523-6303
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday
Presiding Judge: Matthew B. Shirtcliff
Trial Court Administrator: Amy Swiger, Ext. 7
ADA contact: Morgan Griffith, Ext. 5
Baker County Circuit Court Jurisdiction
Baker County Circuit Court is a general-jurisdiction Oregon state trial court. It handles the major state trial court work for Baker County, while Justice Court handles a defined local set of traffic, violation, small claims, FED, and concurrent misdemeanor matters. The distinction matters for records because a felony judgment, probate estate, or divorce decree is not searched the same way as a Justice Court traffic citation.
| Court or office | Main role | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker County Circuit Court, 8th Judicial District | Felony, civil, family, probate, juvenile, and other circuit matters | 1995 3rd Street, Suite 220, Baker City, OR 97814 | 541-523-6303 |
| Baker County Justice Court District #1, including Huntington & Pine Eagle Justice Court | Traffic, boating, wildlife, violations, small claims/civil up to $10,000, FED, and concurrent misdemeanors except felony trials | 1995 3rd Street, Suite 170, Baker City, OR 97814 | 541-523-8213 |
| Baker County Clerk | County records, recordings, marriage licenses, microfilm, and elections | 1995 Third Street, Suite 150, Baker City, OR 97814 | 541-523-8207 |
| U.S. District Court, District of Oregon, Pendleton Division | Federal district cases assigned to eastern Oregon counties including Baker | 104 SW Dorion Ave, Pendleton, OR 97801 | 503-326-8000 main clerk |
Baker County Circuit Court Split
The most common local mistake is treating all Baker County court matters as Circuit Court records. Baker County Justice Court says it has jurisdiction over traffic, boating, wildlife, and other violations occurring in the county. It also handles small claims and civil matters where money or damages do not exceed $10,000, landlord-tenant FED actions, and concurrent criminal jurisdiction except felony trials.
| Question | Circuit Court | Justice Court |
|---|---|---|
| Civil work | General civil cases assigned to Oregon circuit courts. | Small claims/civil up to $10,000. |
| Criminal work | Felony trials and major criminal cases. | Concurrent misdemeanors except felony trials. |
| Traffic and violations | May receive some criminal traffic matters depending on charge. | Primary local venue for traffic, boating, wildlife, and other violations. |
| Eviction/FED | Can hold some circuit civil matters. | Justice Court handles FED possession actions. |
| Probate and divorce | Handled in Circuit Court. | Not the probate or divorce venue. |
Note: A Justice Court traffic citation may not appear in the same search path as a Baker County Circuit Court felony or probate case.
Baker County Circuit Court Flow
Case flow depends on the case type. Criminal matters often move from law enforcement and prosecutor filing into arraignment, pretrial events, plea or trial, disposition, sentencing, and appeal. Civil and family matters usually start with a petition or complaint, then move through response, motions, hearings, settlement or trial, judgment, and appeal. Probate cases often begin with a petition and appointment request, followed by notices, inventories, accountings, orders, and final closure.
Criminal flow: Arrest or citation › Charges filed › Arraignment › Pretrial hearings › Plea or trial › Disposition › Sentencing › Appeal.
Civil flow: Complaint or petition › Response › Motions › Hearing or trial › Judgment › Post-judgment work › Appeal.
Probate flow: Petition › Appointment or notice › Inventory › Accounting › Orders › Closing or further review.
Search Baker County Circuit Court
Circuit Court records use Oregon Judicial Department access channels. Basic case information and court calendars may be available through the OJD records and calendar search page when the service is available. OJCIN Online is the paid subscription service for register-of-actions and judgment records for Oregon circuit courts, Tax Court, and appellate courts, excluding confidential or protected cases.
- Start with OJD's public records and calendar search tools for basic Oregon court information.
- Use OJCIN Online when register-of-actions detail or broader paid case access is needed.
- Use the public kiosk in the Baker Circuit Court lobby for newer case documents available there.
- Submit the statewide records request form for copies or audio.
- Ask staff about retrieval when an older Baker Circuit Court file is not digitized.
Baker County Circuit Appeals
Ordinary appeals from Baker County Circuit Court generally go to the Oregon Court of Appeals, with further review possible in the Oregon Supreme Court. Oregon also has the Oregon Tax Court for statewide tax matters. Municipal, county, justice, federal, and tribal courts are outside the state-funded Oregon Judicial Department system, so their appeal paths and record systems may differ.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is included in the manifest for federal appeal context.
The Ninth Circuit image is relevant only to federal appeals, not Oregon state appeals from Baker County Circuit Court.
Federal District Court Is Separate
Baker County is in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, but that federal court is not Baker County Circuit Court. Federal crimes, federal civil suits, civil rights cases, federal agency litigation, bankruptcy, and federal appeals use federal courts and PACER records. The District of Oregon has courthouses in Portland, Eugene, Medford, and Pendleton.
The Pendleton federal courthouse is the closest federal division reference for Baker County. The research notes that the Pendleton courthouse is not staffed and that in-person filings must be done at the Portland Division. Hearings or trials in Pendleton occur only as scheduled. The main District of Oregon clerk phone is 503-326-8000, with a CVB Clerk line at 541-431-4100 and automated case information at 866-222-8029.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon is the source for this manifest image.
Use federal court tools only when the case is federal, since Baker County Circuit Court records remain in Oregon state court systems.
The Pendleton Division federal courthouse page is the source for the next image.
The Pendleton federal division helps identify federal venue, but it does not handle Baker County probate, divorce, or state criminal case files.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Oregon is the source for the bankruptcy image.
Bankruptcy records are federal records and should not be requested from Baker County Circuit Court staff.
Baker County Courthouse History
Baker County's courthouse history is unusually clear. The county has had three courthouses on the same site. The first was a two-story wooden courthouse built in 1869. It burned in early 1885 and was replaced by a brick courthouse that same year. The current courthouse was completed in 1909, has three stories, and was built of gray volcanic stone quarried a few miles south of Baker City.
This continuity matters for records research because older county and court functions remained centered in the downtown courthouse, even as modern access moved into OJD systems, OJCIN, public kiosks, county clerk index tools, and statewide records portals. Baker County was organized in the 1860s and named for Edward D. Baker, an Oregon U.S. Senator killed in the Civil War. The county seat is Baker City.