DearMYRTLE - Court Case File

FROM: verna... (Name has been purposefully changed)
SUBJECT: District Court Case File
TO: UTSEVIER-L@rootsweb.com
Case files for Hazel Irean & Leo Edward Shelton, Sevier County page 355 # 811. I would like copies of the case. If you can e-mail them send them to Verna.... or snail mail is: Verna..., [address in Idaho follows] Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

DearREADERS,
As mail list "owner" of UTSevier-L@rootsweb.com , I received a copy of the above referenced posting. I changed the name to protect this innocent researcher, apparently new to the system. Often newbie researchers on the web post messages such as this on genealogy mail lists. Unfortunately, they haven't taken into consideration:

1. It is unwise to post your snail mail address on a publicly available mail list.

2. Mail list coordinators or owners (as they are called) often do not reside in the county they are sponsoring. For instance, I live in Manatee County, Florida, so it would be hard for me to go to the courthouse in Sevier County, Florida. I do the sponsoring because I had ancestors who lived in the area.

3. One cannot expect folks to track down things for us at will. We're all volunteers here.

4. There is no indication that the message poster has exhausted all other means of obtaining the desired information. The type of case and the date of the case are omitted from the posting.

5. Serious researchers respect those who have done their homework and have tried their darndest to track something down. At this point, one might elect to assist someone on a mail list.

6. Case files of a district court reside in the archives for that district court in any county, state or province or country. Individuals on a genealogy e-mail list would not be privy to such court records.

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HOW MAY A RESEARCHER DO HIS HOMEWORK?

I. It is generally accepted that there are 2 excellent printed sources for locating courthouse addresses:

a. The HANDYBOOK for GENEALOGISTS, by Everton Publishing. www.everton.com

b. Ancestry's RED BOOK www.ancestry.com

Since the researcher is associated with Rick's College in Idaho (as indicated in the e-mail address) its entirely likely that there will be the basics of a genealogy section at that school's library. From these books, the research would find that:

SEVIER COUNTY, UTAH was created 16 Jan 165 from Sanpete County. The Clerk of the Court has birth & death records 1898-1905 & naturalization records from 1850-1898. The State Court has divorce, probate and court records. The County Recorder has land records, military district records from 1942.

PO Boxc 517
Richfield, Utah 84701-2158
(435)896-9262

* From the HANDYBOOK, ibid.

[Please note there is NO reference to District Court, which I believe is federal.]

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DOES THIS MEAN THE RESEARCHER SHOULD NOW CALL THE COURTHOUSE? Definitely NOT! They are swamped with current workloads now given to two clerks where three or four did the job five years ago.

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FIRST CHECK TO SEE IF THE RECORDS ARE ON MICROFILM. A great way to do this is to look at the Family History Library Catalog for records from Sevier County, Utah.
www.familysearch.org

Click Family History Library
Click Catalog
Click Place
Specify SEVIER
part of UTAH

Select: Utah, Sevier
which is the county, not
Utah, Sevier, Sevier
which is a town by the same name.

The catalog has the following categories of info:
Utah, Sevier - Biography
Utah, Sevier - Business records and commerce - Indexes
Utah, Sevier - Census - 1880
Utah, Sevier - Church records
Utah, Sevier - Court records
Utah, Sevier - Divorce records
Utah, Sevier - Guardianship
Utah, Sevier - History
Utah, Sevier - Land and property
Utah, Sevier - Military records
Utah, Sevier - Naturalization and citizenship
Utah, Sevier - Newspapers
Utah, Sevier - Officials and employees
Utah, Sevier - Probate records
Utah, Sevier - Public records
Utah, Sevier - Taxation
Utah, Sevier - Vital records

Court Records are cataloged by time period:

-- County court minutes and records, 1865-1908 Utah. County Court (Sevier County)

-- Court minute books, 1896-1947 Utah. District Court (Sevier County)

-- District court blotter: divorce cases, probated estates, short hand records, guardianships insanity cases, 1902-1906 Utah. District Court (Sevier County)

-- Judgement dockets, 1896-1946 Utah. District Court (Sevier County)

-- Judgement records of Sevier Co., 1896-1977 Utah. District Court (Sevier County)

-- Probate records, 1865-1886 Utah (Territory). Probate Court (Sevier County)

-- Record of court cases; register of action, criminal, 1923-1948; and civil cases, 1896-1948 Utah. District Court (Sevier County)

-- Records of information and indictments, 1899-1910, 1925-1948 Utah. County Court (Sevier County)

WHENEVER POSSIBLE ORDER APPLICABLE COURTHOUSE MICROFILM & MICROFICHE THROUGH LOCAL LDS FAMILY HISTORY CENTERS rather than bother courthouse workers who need to save their energy for the requests for photocopies of non-microfilmed material.

Is possible that the records our newbie wishes to view are FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT records? In that case, a new search of the Family History Library should be made, using United States as the locality, then specifying court records, etc.

AS A LAST RESORT, a researcher might make a posting on a genealogy mail list stating briefly the challenges faced, and ask rather apologetically if there is perhaps a kindly soul on the list who might undertake to visit the clerk of the court in person. Offering to pay for time, travel, photocopies & postage is not out of the question. However, it seems most kindly volunteers just appreciate reimbursement for photocopies & postage on receipt of the collected materials.

READERS, since our original researcher did not specify the type of court case, we can't go further in recommending a specific microfilm. But as all can see, there is MUCH available on microfilm and microfiche even for this seemingly small county in rural Utah.

IMAGINE HOW MUCH MORE MIGHT BE AVAILABLE for the localities where YOUR ANCESTORS once lived! You never know, until you look!