Malheur County Circuit Court Overview
The Malheur County Circuit Court is Oregon's 9th Judicial District trial court for the county. It sits on the second floor of the Malheur County Courthouse in Vale. Oregon circuit courts are state courts, even when they operate inside county courthouses. That point matters because OJD systems, not county recording systems, carry most case-register information.
The local court currently lists Lung S. Hung as Presiding Judge and Erin K. Landis as Circuit Court Judge. Marilee Aldred is listed as Trial Court Administrator. The courthouse operates on Mountain Time, which is important for hearings, filing windows, and arrival planning because most Oregon court users expect Pacific Time.
The current courthouse was built in 1958, and OJD notes a historic courthouse from 1902. Malheur County itself was established in 1887 and is Oregon's second-largest county. Those history details explain why some older court and probate records may not behave like current electronic case records, even though the modern Circuit Court is part of Oregon's unified judicial branch.
Malheur County Court Locations
Malheur County does not have multiple numbered district courts. The useful local table is a court and office map that separates Circuit Court from Justice Court and County Clerk functions.
| Court / office | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malheur County Circuit Court, 9th Judicial District | Primary Oregon trial court | 251 B Street West, 2nd Floor, Vale, OR 97918 | 541-473-5171 |
| Malheur County Justice Court | Traffic, violations, small claims, FED/evictions, Ontario and Nyssa municipal functions | 1178 SW 4th Street, Suite 1, Ontario, OR 97914 | 541-889-5712 |
| County Clerk | Marriage, recording, probate files/indexes, elections, passports, PVAB | 251 B Street West, Suite 4 / Room 101, Vale, OR 97918 | 541-473-5151 |
Malheur Circuit Court Case Types
Malheur County Circuit Court handles the main trial-court case load: felony, misdemeanor, civil, family, divorce, juvenile, probate, protective-order, jury, and related case records. The District Attorney prosecutes felony and misdemeanor crimes committed in the county. Divorce case files and judgments also belong with Circuit Court, not the County Clerk.
Justice Court is different. It handles traffic, violations, small claims, FED or eviction matters, and municipal court functions for Ontario and Nyssa. The County Clerk is different again, with marriage, recording, probate index, passport, election, and PVAB duties. The county also has a County Court or Commission structure for county government, but that is not the same as Circuit Court trial jurisdiction.
That structure affects search results. A person may need OJD for a felony case, Justice Court for a citation payment, the County Clerk for a probate index, and Oregon Vital Records for a certificate. No single local office is the custodian for all records that mention a court, a marriage, an estate, or a county department.
Circuit Court vs Justice Court
Many records questions start with the wrong court name. The comparison below shows the most practical split for Malheur County case routing.
| Question | Circuit Court | Justice Court | County Clerk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main role | State trial court for major case types. | Local limited court for traffic, violations, small claims, FED, and municipal functions. | County records office, not a court case office. |
| Criminal records | Felony, misdemeanor, DUII/criminal traffic, probation violation, and sentencing records. | Violation and some local matters; check citation or court notice. | No criminal case files. |
| Family/divorce | Divorce, custody, support, and domestic relations case files. | Not the normal divorce venue. | No divorce court files. |
| Probate | Probate proceedings, hearings, and orders. | Not the probate venue. | Probate files, indexes, and historical research access. |
| Traffic | Eligible state cases and OJD ePay matters. | Wednesday traffic court and local citation payments. | No citation case files. |
Malheur County Case Flow
Cases move through different channels depending on the type. A criminal case may begin with arrest or citation, then a District Attorney charging decision, arraignment, hearings, plea or trial, disposition, sentencing, and possible appeal. A civil case usually begins with a complaint or petition, service, answer, motion practice, hearing or trial, judgment, and any appeal.
Criminal flow: Arrest or citation › charging document › arraignment › pretrial hearings › plea or trial › disposition › sentencing › appeal.
Civil flow: Complaint or petition › service › answer › motions › hearing or trial › judgment › appeal.
Appeals from Circuit Court generally route to the Oregon Court of Appeals, while Oregon Supreme Court review is limited to specific categories or discretionary review.
Search Malheur Circuit Court Records
OJD's Find a Case or Court Record path points users to free basic records, OJCIN, and local court access. OJD free search covers basic case and calendar information, while OJCIN is a paid subscription system with the official Register of Actions and judgment records for Oregon state courts.
OJCIN includes OECI information for all 36 Oregon circuit courts, the Tax Court, and appellate case management. It covers civil, small claims, tax, domestic, misdemeanor, and felony categories, but confidential cases are excluded. OJD states that document access is limited to designated government users, Oregon State Bar members, and approved business subscribers with a specific document need.
| Search field | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Text | Use when known for the most direct search. |
| Party name | Text | Basic case information may be found by name when available. |
| Court | Dropdown | Use the circuit court or relevant Oregon court path. |
| Date/calendar | Date | Used for court date and calendar lookup. |
Note: Adoption, juvenile, mental health, VAWA-related, and sealed records may not appear in public OJD results.
Malheur Mental Health Court
Malheur Mental Health Court is the strongly documented specialty court program in official county research. The protocol targets eligible people convicted of a misdemeanor or non-violent Class C felony, including new crimes or probation violations, who have a qualifying documented or diagnosed mental health issue and meet public-safety and program standards.
The Oregon treatment courts overview is an official state program source.
Malheur's program uses a team that includes probation, Lifeways, a coordinator, the District Attorney, defense and court stakeholders, and the judge.
Federal Courts for Malheur Cases
Federal cases are separate from Malheur County Circuit Court. Malheur County is in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, which serves the whole state. Federal records use PACER and CM/ECF, not OJD or the County Clerk. Bankruptcy cases route to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Oregon.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon is the federal trial court source.
Federal civil and criminal files do not become Malheur County Circuit Court records just because the event occurred in the county.
The District of Oregon CM/ECF system is used for electronic federal filing and docket activity.
Most public federal docket research still requires PACER account access or another official federal route.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is the federal appellate path for District of Oregon cases.
That federal appeal path is separate from the Oregon Court of Appeals route for state Circuit Court cases.
Visit Malheur Circuit Court
The Circuit Court is at 251 B Street West, 2nd Floor, Vale, Oregon 97918. The court is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time, closed legal holidays. Lydia Machuca is listed as ADA contact at 541-473-5568.
The courthouse also houses several county offices that can be mistaken for the trial court. The County Clerk is in Room 101 on the first floor west wing, the District Attorney is on the west end of the second floor, and County Court or Commission business uses Room 106. Those offices may share the building, but Circuit Court case filings, court calendars, and certified court copies still route through the Circuit Court records office.
Official sources did not publish courthouse security details or parking rates. Visitors should use the physical street address for navigation, confirm local parking signs, and call before bringing recording devices, weapons, bulky items, or other items that may be limited at court screening.
For court users coming from Ontario or Nyssa, the Justice Court location can be a source of confusion. Traffic and local municipal functions may be in Ontario, while Circuit Court case files, jury, felony, divorce, and most civil court work are in Vale. Check the notice or citation before traveling, because the courthouse city may change with the case type.