Welcome to the Stone County Circuit Clerk web page! Here you will find information about our office and descriptions of our duties, plus our office address, telephone numbers, and email address. Please feel free to contact us if we can be of service to you.
Jeffrey O'Neal
Circuit Clerk
323 East Cavers Avenue
PO Drawer 7
Wiggins MS 39577
Phone: 601-928-5246
Fax: 601-928-5248
Hours: M-F 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Email:
Deputy Clerks:
Sandra Fairley
Duties and Responsibilities
The Circuit Clerk serves as Clerk of the County and Circuit Courts, receives and files all lawsuits, indictments, motions and other related papers in all Civil and Criminal Cases filed in the Circuit or County Courts and issues all process including summons and subpoenas, draws jurors and qualifies juries, keeps a record of all judgments and executions, issues marriage licenses and keeps records of marriages, records medical and other professional licenses, and registers citizens to vote and has other duties in handling elections.
Some of the responsibilities of the Circuit Clerk include:
Clerk of the Circuit and County Courts
- Keeps a general court docket in which all names and parties in each case, plea, indictment, records from inferior courts on appeal, and other papers are entered.
- Keeps orders of the court which are referenced in the minute book.
- Keeps the execution docket
- Enters a full and complete record of the proceedings of the suit
- Collect court fines, court-ordered restitutions and other assessments
- Keep grand jury dockets
- Keep and maintain the courts judgment roll
Election Process/ Voter Registration - Administrative Duties
- Serve as a registrar for voters in the county
- Collect a filing fee from candidates pursuing a county office or legislative seat within the county
- Work with the Election commission to provide election information (Results, candidates, etc.)
- More information on Voting
Jury Duty
- Notify citizens who have been selected to serve on jury duty
- Prepare a jury list for the attorneys
- Familiarize jurors with the courthouse
- Receive and file all documents during trials
- Issue subpoenas
- Jury instructions given by the judge
- Receive verdicts of jurors and read them in open court
- Issue jurors a county warrant (check) and certificate of service (if needed)
- More Information on Jury Duty
Marriage Licenses
- File a Statistical Record of Marriage with the office of vital records with the state board of health
- Issue the marriage license
- Collect, from applicant, a filing fee of $21 per marriage record prepared
- More information on Marriage Licenses
Jury Duty
Received letter for jury duty?
The Jury Duty letter will have a summons date. You MUST CALL the night before you are summoned to court and each night thereafter. Please call 601-928-5246 after 6 p.m. You will be told if and when you are expected to report.
Excuses from Jury Service:
All citizens are obligated to take part in seeing that justice is done. Therefore, only legal excuses provided by law should be presented. In general these include:
- Illness, or presence required at home
- Personal hardship
- Emergency
- Served on jury duty (on actual trial of a case) in this court in last two (2) years
- Over the age of 65 years and you desire to claim this personal exemption
Compensation:
- A juror is paid a nominal fee by a pay warrant for their services.
- The Circuit Clerk keeps a daily record of the jurors who serve.
Juror Qualifications
Prospective jurors must meet the following requirements:
- 21+ years of age
- Can read and write
- NOT a convicted felon, habitual drunkard, or common gambler
- Has not been convicted of the illegal sale of (or does not have interest in) alcoholic beverages in the last five years
- Does not have a case pending in this court
Selection of Prospective Jurors:
Prospective jurors' names are drawn at random-- by lot or chance -- from a jury wheel. Therefore, an individual may never be called to serve and others may be called several times. If you are selected to report for jury duty you will receive a letter from the Circuit Clerk.
Marriage Licenses
Applicants must obtain a marriage license at least three days prior to the ceremony. The following items are required in order to get a marriage license:
- Both bride and groom must appear together to apply
- Present valid ID of both (each must be at least 21 years)
- birth certificate
- driver's license
- If under 21, a parent(s) must sign or a court order may be required
- $21 for filing fee paid to the Circuit Clerk
- Confirm any recent divorce is finalized (by a signed order) -- the Clerk does not need proof
- If the female applicant is under the age of TWENTY-ONE (21) years of age, the applicant for marriage shall be made in the Circuit Clerk of the county of residence of the parent or legal guardian of the female.
- Marriage licenses cannot be issued unless the male applicant is at least seventeen (17) years of age, and the female applicant is at least fifteen (15) years of age.
- The license is only valid in the State of Mississippi.
Voting
County Election Commissioners
- District 1: Martha Smith
- District 2: Clifton D. Anderson
- District 3: Connie Smith
- District 4: Debra Lee
- District 5: Debra Swilley Hatten
To Qualify as a Voter You:
- Must be 18 years of age -- a 17 year old, who will be 18 by the General Election in November, is allowed to vote in the primaries
- Must be registered to vote at least 30 days prior to the election
- Anyone with a conviction of any of the following crimes is NOT ALLOWED TO VOTE:
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How to Register:
You can obtain the Registration Form in a variety of ways:
- Download a PDF version of the Voter Registration Application
- Any City Hall
- Stone County Courthouse - Circuit Clerk's office
- By mail - You can request a Voter Registration Application be mailed to you from the Circuit Clerk's office.
Where to Vote:
In Person
Residents must vote in person at their designated Voting Precinct:
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Bond Precinct American Legion Magnolia Tuxechanie Flint Creek |
Old Hospital Precinct Project Road McHenry Library Ten Mile Big Level |
Courthouse Perkinson Elarbee McHenry Fire Station Pleasant Hill |
Absentee
If you are unable to vote at the precinct on the day of the election you may be able to vote absentee ballot. Contact the Circuit Clerk's office for more information and deadlines to vote absentee
Click here for helpful forms to download.