How to Search Cases by Name
Indiana MyCase is the public Clay County case lookup. Choose Name and enter a last name, or use Business name for an organization. First name, middle name, birth date, court, category, status, and filing dates can narrow a large set. Birth date is optional and may exclude a case when that value was not recorded, so remove it if a sound search returns nothing.
- Open MyCase and select Name.
- Enter the last name or business name, then add a first name if useful.
- Choose 11C01 Circuit or 11D01 Superior and add status, type, or filing dates.
- Compare the caption, court, filing date, and type before opening the CCS.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last or Business | Text | One path | Last is required unless Business is used. |
| First / Middle | Text | No | Initials narrow results; First cannot stand alone. |
| Court / Category | Controls | No | Select a Clay court and case group. |
| Status / File dates | Controls | No | Open, Closed, and filing-date bounds are advanced filters. |
MyCase Tabs for Clay Lookup
MyCase divides a Clay County case search into Case, Name, and Attorney routes. Case accepts a cause number, citation number, or cross reference. Name supports a person or business. Attorney accepts a bar number or a last name paired with first or middle name. These paths reach the same Odyssey public data.
The official search interface shows the controls and their order.
Use the tab that matches the fact in hand, then refine within that tab.
How to Search by Case Number
A Clay cause number follows 11C01-YYMM-TT-###### for Circuit or 11D01-YYMM-TT-###### for Superior. The 11 means Clay County. C01 and D01 identify the court, YYMM gives filing year and month, TT is the case type, and the final digits are the filing sequence. MyCase permits entry without hyphens or leading zeroes.
Search only the cause-number field when the full number is known. IF marks an infraction, while PL, CT, CC, and SC identify common civil groups. A transfer may change the court identifier, so compare the caption and history.
Clay Court Codes Narrow Results
Both Clay courts joined Odyssey and MyCase on July 29, 2019. The Court filter lists 11C01 Clay Circuit Court and 11D01 Clay Superior Court. Circuit receives felony, juvenile, and probate assignments. Superior also handles criminal, civil, small claims, traffic, and ordinance matters.
The official Odyssey court list confirms those identifiers.
Search both courts when assignment or transfer is uncertain.
What a Case Search Shows
A matching result opens a public view of the Chronological Case Summary, or CCS. The header establishes identity. Party rows show public roles and attorneys. Later entries form a dated sequence of filings, hearings, orders, and disposition events. Financial data may include costs or a payment link, but balances can lag. The clerk remains the source for a current balance and certified record.
| Cause number | Court, filing month, type, and sequence. |
|---|---|
| Caption | Case style and public party roles. |
| Case type | Criminal, civil, family, probate, or citation group. |
| Filed date | Date the clerk opened the case. |
| Status and CCS | Open or closed state plus dated events. |
Clay Search Filters Can Mislead
MyCase caps results at 1,000. That does not mean only 1,000 cases match. A broad query needs more detail. Add a first name, court, category, status, or filing-date range. Sounds-like helps spelling variants but cannot be paired with a wildcard.
The official search tips explain those rules and the CAPTCHA shown after repeated searches.
A CAPTCHA is a safeguard, not proof that a Clay record is restricted.
County vs Statewide Case Search
Clay County has no separate county-built database. MyCase is both the statewide layer and the online Clay County case lookup. The local fallback is the Clerk of the Clay Circuit and Superior Courts, which holds the official file. Court staff can confirm settings. E-filing accounts submit papers and are not public searches.
| Statewide Portal | Clay County Portal |
|---|---|
| MyCase covers Indiana Odyssey courts. | The Clay Clerk holds the official CCS and file. |
| Remote data and document links vary. | Plain and certified copies come from the custodian. |
| Best for free public docket review. | Best for missing images, older entries, and certification. |
When Clay Cases Do Not Appear
Check a number without hyphens and leading zeroes. For a name search, remove birth date, try a spelling variant, and search both courts. Confirm category and filing dates. An older converted event may exist even when no image is linked.
The MyCase help center distinguishes public, party, and attorney views.
If those steps fail, call the Clay Clerk at 812-448-9024, Circuit at 812-448-9036, or Superior at 812-448-9031. Ask whether the file is public, older, restricted, or available in person.
Clay Public and Party Views
A guest can search public case data without an account. A party may request an access code for added documents available to that party, while an attorney uses an Indiana Courts Portal account. Those views can differ in document access, but a login does not turn a confidential record into a public one.
Search the public CCS first. If a needed public order has no image, record its event date and title, then ask the Clay Clerk for the specific filing. That sequence helps the office locate the right case file.
Reading Clay CCS Search Results
The CCS should be read from the case header into the event sequence. Confirm the cause number, court, filing date, caption, case type, and status before relying on any entry. Party roles differ by case. A civil file may identify a plaintiff and defendant, while probate, family, and criminal matters use other labels. Attorney associations appear only when public. The event list then records filings, notices, hearings, orders, and disposition steps in date order.
Entry date and event date are not always the same. Entry date is when the Clerk placed information in the CCS. Event date may be when a filing arrived, a hearing occurred, or an order took effect. A converted event means data came from an older electronic system, so its detail may be thinner than a newer Odyssey entry. The CCS also can point toward a related cause, transfer, appeal, or companion matter that needs a separate search.
Financial information requires special care. MyCase may display costs, payments, credits, a balance, or a payment option, but the state warns that a displayed balance may be incomplete or stale. Contact the Clay Clerk for a current balance. A payment button also does not establish that every document is online. Public document links depend on case type, access category, and whether an image was posted.
- CCS
- The official chronological record of judicial events.
- RJO
- The Record of Judgments and Orders containing designated rulings.
- Disposition
- The recorded outcome or present resolution of a charge or case.
- Converted event
- An entry moved from an earlier electronic court system.
Restricted Cases and Access Rules
Access Rule 4 starts with public access, while Rule 5 excludes confidential cases, sealed material, protected data, and other records. Juvenile, mental-health, protection-order, and expungement matters can be absent or limited. A missing result does not reveal which rule applies.
Under Rule 9, seeking an excluded record may require a verified request, notice, hearing, and court order. Ask the clerk for the proper route.
The official MyCase screen identifies the public portal.
Online access is convenient, but the originating clerk controls the official record.