District Court

Call: 406-357-3230
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District Court Overview

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Contact Info

District Court Overview

The Clerk of District Court is the official keeper of all District Court records for Blaine County. These records include, but are not limited to: Adoption, Civil, Criminal, Dependent & Neglect, Domestic Relations, Guardianship, Juvenile, Marriage License, Paternity, Probate and Sanity Cases. The majority of the Clerk of District Court records are open to the public, but some are confidential and have restricted access.

Blaine County records begin in 1912, when the county was created. The computer case management system has records since 1995. There is no internet access to court records.

Our office has a public computer so record searches can be done by the general public, title companies, credit agencies and investigative agencies with no charge. Record searches, copies and certified copies are provided upon request. There are fees for searches performed by the office personnel and the costs of copies are charged according to statute.

What Does the District Court Do?

The Clerk of District Court is a constitutionally mandated office authorized by statute to perform the following duties:

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Keep the records and schedules of the District Court

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Take charge of and manage the records of the District Court

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Attend court sessions and keep the minutes of the proceedings

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Issue all processes and required notices

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Properly enter all orders, judgments and decrees for the record

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Act as the jury commissioner

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Issue and record marriage licenses

Additional Services Handled by the District Court

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Jury

The Clerk of District Court serves as Jury Commissioner for Blaine County. As required by statute, each May the Montana Secretary of State provides a combined list of registered voters, licensed drivers and holders of Montana identification cards to the Clerk of District Court. This list is stored and maintained electronically and it is from this list that jurors are pulled for the District Court, Justice Court and City Courts. The regular jury term is July 1 through June 30.

Jury Service is a important and necessary civic duty and we hope that serving as a juror will be a rewarding and interesting experience for you. You will learn more about the judicial system and the function of the Court system. Many jury trials are scheduled to last only 2-3 days. If you have any questions about jury service, please contact our office.

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Marriage Licenses

The requirements for marriage licenses are as follows:

The fee is $53.00. No personal checks are accepted
One piece of identification is needed to prove identity and age. Identification can be a driver’s license, birth certificate, tribal identification or other acceptable form of identification that lists your name and date of birth.
If either party has been previously married and divorced, they need to bring a certified copy of the divorce papers with them when they apply for a marriage license.
Marriage licenses are effective immediately upon being issued and expire after 180 days. If a license expires without being used, the parties must make a new application and pay a new fee.
The marriage licenses are registered in the county in which the license was issued. After the marriage, the original license is returned to our office within 30 days to be filed and recorded. The original marriage license is returned to the parties after the document is filed and recorded. Certified copies of the marriage license can be obtained through our office for a fee.

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Passports

The Blaine County Clerk of District Court is also the passport agent for Blaine County. You may contact our office or view travel.state.gov for information.

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Self-Represented Litigants

The Montana Supreme Court has developed a court help program to assist self-represented litigants with civil (non-criminal) legal problems. The Court Help Program cannot give you legal advice or represent you in court. The goal of the program is to provide the information needed to understand legal rights and responsibilities and to help resolve legal problems on your own. Self Help Law Centers are located throughout the State to provide you with information and direct you to resources.

We suggest contacting the regional office, the Cascade County Self Help Law Center at 406-205-047, or by email at cascadecountyselfhelp@gmail.com. The personnel from Great Falls travel to the hi-line on a regular schedule to meet with people. Other resources can be found at montanalawhelp.org, which is the Legal Services website, or statelawlibraryselfhelp@gmail.com.

It is the goal and responsibility of the Blaine County Clerk of District Court to serve the public by providing efficient management of all District Court records. Our office encourages people to contact us with any questions. We cannot provide legal advice, but we will try to help with procedural information.

Blaine County District Court Contact Info

Address

420 Ohio Street
Chinook, MT 59523
(406) 357 – 3230

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Hours of Operation

Monday-Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Deputy Clerk

Julie Campbell

(406) 357-3230

Blaine County Clerk

Tami Mitchell
P.O. Box 969
Chinook, MT 59523
(406) 357-3230

tmitchell@mt.gov

District Court

Judge: Yvonne Laird

Our Office

Blaine County Courthouse
420 Ohio St
Chinook, MT 59523

Resources

Jobs
CIP
Road Report
Privacy & Disclaimers

Office Hours

Mon-Fri: 8am - 5pm
Sat-Sun: Closed

Bio coming soon.

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Deputy Chris Adair has been with the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office since August of 2012. Since then he has become the Field Training Officer, Firearms Instructor, Armorer, Deputy Coroner, and the Senior Operator for Blaine County’s breath alcohol testing equipment. He also is the DUI Task Force Coordinator. He lives in Chinook with his wife and 2 sons. Previous to living here they were residents of Flathead County.

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John Colby started his career in Law Enforcement with the Blaine County Sheriff's Department in 1996 as a Detention Officer/Dispatcher. In 1998 he began working with the Harlem Police Department where he served as a patrolman and later as the Chief of Police. In 2001 Harlem consolidated its law enforcement with the Blaine County Sheriff's Department and John Colby remained as a Deputy Sheriff. In 2002 John accepted a job with the Williston Police Department and served as a patrolman and later as a senior patrolman. In 2007 John left the Williston Police Department and went to work for Dyn-Corp in Konduz Afghanistan training the Afghanistan Nation Police. In March 2010 John was returned to Chinook and accepted a position as a Deputy Sheriff with the Blaine County Sheriff's Department. John was promoted to the Lieutenant of the Blaine County Sheriff's Department in 2012. John is one of the Taser Instructor's, Field Training Officer, K9 Handler, and was recently assigned to the Tri-Agency Drug Task Force. John and his wife Dawn have two children JJ, and Aspyn.

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Bio coming soon

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Bio coming soon

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Robo joined the Blaine County Sheriff's Office in October of 2013. He resides with his handler Sheriff John Colby.

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Deputy Levi Gonzalez joined the Blaine County Sheriff's Department in January 2018. Levi studied Criminal Justice at Utah Valley University and Excelled in courses such as Criminal Justice, Forensics, and Criminal Law. Along with some formal education, he has trained with professional firearms instructors, and in hand-to-hand combat, to help him pursue his career in law enforcement. He moved to Montana with his wife in March of 2013 and owns a small ranch in Blaine County where he runs a small cow/calf operation. He looks forward to serving Blaine County, where he is happy to call home, with his wife, daughter and son, for many years to come.

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