How the Mason County Court Calendar Works
No single public calendar lists every Mason County hearing. Circuit Court dates may show up in a public WVPASS case record. Magistrate dates may appear in MCR. Or you may need to confirm them with the Magistrate Clerk. Family matters run through the circuit and family court structure under privacy rules. For a municipal ordinance matter, a call to the town office or recorder is often the fastest route.
Under the current West Virginia Trial Court Rules, terms of the Fifth Judicial Circuit begin on the first Tuesday in January, May, and September. A term is simply a period when the court conducts business. It is not a hearing date for every open Mason County case. The clerk describes the same three-term months. An older county source said first Monday, though. The current statewide rule is the safer guide, subject to whatever the court actually posts.
Always match a date to the case number and its newest entry. A printed notice, a portal display, or an older order can all be displaced by a later continuance, reset, or cancellation. So a newer entry wins.
Mason Commission Calendar Warning
The official Mason County calendar tracks County Commission events only. Its meetings and "No Events" messages do not prove that circuit, family, magistrate, or municipal courts are dark that day.
That official page shows why the label matters. Use it for county commission business alone. A Mason County court schedule has to come from the case docket, a court notice, or direct confirmation from the clerk or court office.
Quick answer: “No Events” on the county calendar does not mean there are no court hearings. It describes that government calendar, not the courts' individual settings.
Mason County Court Date Lookups
Each access channel has its own role. Online search helps, but it is not the only route and it is not always reliable. Follow this order to locate and verify a Mason County court date:
- Find the exact case number on the notice, citation, pleading, or prior order.
- Use WVPASS for a circuit matter or MCR for a magistrate matter.
- Read the newest setting and scan later entries for an order, reset, or continuance.
- Call the Circuit Clerk at 304-675-4400 or Magistrate Clerk at 304-675-6840.
- Visit the proper counter or magistrate public terminal when the online record is unclear.
- For a municipal matter, contact the city or town office; for federal court, use PACER and the Huntington Division clerk.
When you need a document, a written or mailed request can help. Ask for a docket entry or setting notice. State the court, the case number, the event, and the date range. The clerk can identify the record route. But the clerk does not have to interpret an order or advise a party on what to do.
Hartford's official page states plainly that its court sits twice monthly and lists 304-882-2864. The other Mason County towns post no common public municipal calendar. So their offices must confirm local dates.
Mason Courts Use Separate Schedules
The state judiciary's Mason County directory maps the county's courts, judges, clerks, and contact points. It helps you route a setting to the court named on the record.
One county, several calendars. Circuit Judge Richard Craig Tatterson, Family Court, Magistrates Gail Roush and Melanie L. Sang, and their clerks each serve distinct dockets. A courthouse address alone will not tell you which office owns a setting.
| Court level | Typical setting | Date channel |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court | Felony, higher civil, lower-court appeal | WVPASS and Circuit Clerk |
| Family Court | Custody, support, divorce, paternity | Family contact and circuit/family record route |
| Magistrate Court | Misdemeanor, traffic, preliminary, small claims | MCR, payment lookup, Magistrate Clerk |
| Municipal court | Local ordinance or city citation | Municipal judge, recorder, or town office |
Court Settings: What Each Field Means
A Mason County court setting is a scheduled case event, not a general term date. Read every field and compare it against the newest order. Missing room information means call, not assume your usual courtroom.
| Case number | Links the event to the correct file; copy every character. |
|---|---|
| Date | The scheduled calendar day, subject to a later reset or continuance. |
| Time | The stated appearance time; ask if a docket call starts earlier. |
| Court | Circuit, family, magistrate, municipal, or federal venue. |
| Judge or magistrate | The judicial officer assigned in a public capacity. |
| Courtroom or location | The room or building, which should be confirmed if absent. |
| Setting type | Arraignment, status, motion, plea, pretrial, trial, sentencing, or review. |
| Status | Set, continued, reset, cancelled, held, or concluded. |
A filing date is not the hearing date. A disposition date is not always the final day of activity, since later enforcement, review, or appeal entries can follow.
Mason Setting Terms in Plain Words
Short calendar labels carry different effects. These plain-word definitions help you read a Mason County court schedule without turning a procedural entry into a legal conclusion.
- Setting
- A scheduled court event placed on a case calendar.
- Docket call
- A session in which several cases may be called, distinct from a final trial time.
- Continuance
- A court-approved move of a proceeding to a later date.
- Reset
- A change to the date, time, location, or event slot.
- Cancellation
- Removal of an event, which does not necessarily close the case.
- Status hearing
- A check on progress, compliance, or readiness before a later event.
Remote appearance is also a setting instruction, not a right inferred from electronic filing. Trial rules permit videoconferencing in appropriate circumstances, while CourtPLUS handles filings for approved users. Follow the order and local directions for attendance.
When a Court Date Moves
A continuance, reset, or cancellation should show up in a docket entry, motion, order, or minute. A cancellation may remove only one event. It does not prove the case was dismissed. The newest signed order and official case record control. They beat an old notice or a saved portal screen.
Tie your questions to the case number. Is the latest date active? Was the hearing continued or reset, or has the room changed? Must the party appear in person, and which judge or magistrate is assigned? Write down the office and time of the confirmation for your own notes. Then check again if a later order arrives.
A public calendar can lag behind a signed order. WVPASS itself can show a loading or error state. When a date matters, move promptly to the clerk channel. Do not rely on an unavailable screen.
Note: A court term, a docket call, and an individual setting are three different facts. The newest case record confirms the individual event.
Mason Circuit Clerk Date Check
The official Mason County Circuit Clerk page names Elizabeth Jones as the record keeper for Circuit and Family Court and lays out the office's date-verification route.
Need a court date from Mason County? The Circuit Clerk's office is the place to call. It sits at 200 Sixth Street, Suite 9, Point Pleasant, WV 25550. Reach the staff by phone at 304-675-4400. You can also fax 304-675-7419. Hours are weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A quick call can confirm whether a hearing is currently set on the court docket.
Circuit and Family Dates
Mason County Circuit Clerk
200 Sixth Street, Suite 9
Point Pleasant, WV 25550
304-675-4400
Magistrate Dates
Mason County Magistrate Clerk
200 Sixth Street
Point Pleasant, WV 25550
304-675-6840
Phone confirmation helps with routing and current settings. Exact order language still requires the public file or a copy.
Mason Traffic Date Route
Magistrate citations run through the Magistrate Court Payment System. Search by exact Citation ID, Case ID, or Payment Plan ID. Use the county selector if you choose the citation option. Type every dash and character exactly as it appears. Remember that this tool ties into payments. It is not a full Mason County court calendar.
For the public magistrate record, use MCR. Search by case number or name once you clear the CAPTCHA. Then phone the Magistrate Clerk to confirm the court date. The magistrate criminal rules set the procedure for citations and appearances. Paying online, filing a motion, or opening a form does not lift the duty to appear. Only a court order can change the setting. An authorized instruction from the court can do the same.
Some municipal tickets belong to a city court instead. Hartford holds court twice a month. For any other municipal setting, confirm with the local office. Mason County offers no shared municipal portal for these courts.
Missed Settings and What Comes Next
Miss a Mason County setting and several things can follow. A warrant, a default, bond action, a new order, or some other procedural step may come. It all depends on the case and the court. The docket entry and the order it produces are the authoritative record. Call the clerk and any lawyer on the case right away. Have the case number ready. Ask what was entered, and find out which public document you can obtain.
Missed a setting? Do not assume the case will simply receive another date. A magistrate failure to appear or respond can trigger notice, a warrant, or other action under the governing rule and statute.
Call the correct Mason County clerk promptly, verify the latest docket entry, and follow the court's instructions. Legal advice about a warrant, default, bond, or required filing should come from a licensed lawyer.
Some covered traffic failures trigger West Virginia Code section 17B-3-3A, which allows notice to the licensing agency and starts a suspension process. Whether that happens depends on the case. The court file shows if any action occurred; a general calendar will not.
Did the notice itself look wrong? Keep it, along with the envelope. Then request the docket entry and the resulting order. The court decides the next step, not an online display.