Madden, Mississippi Public Records

For misdemeanor criminal offenses and civil matters under $3,500, Leake County has Justice Court, with the Justice Court Clerk located at 103 North Pearl Street, Carthage, MS 39051, phone (601) 267-8268, which also handles preliminary hearings for felonies, small claims disputes, and evictions. Mississippi does not have a statewide online court records portal, so court records for Madden residents must be accessed in person at the Leake County Courthouse during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Circuit Clerk and Chancery Clerk maintain dockets and case files; certified copies of court documents typically cost $1.00 per page plus a certification fee of $1.00. The public may inspect case files during business hours, though certain records involving juveniles or sealed cases are restricted. For criminal background checks based on court convictions, requestors should contact the Circuit Clerk's office directly.

While Leake County does not currently offer a comprehensive online GIS parcel viewer, property assessment information can be obtained by visiting the Assessor's Office in person or calling with a property address or owner name. The office maintains tax maps and property cards that detail land acreage, improvements, and assessment history. For recorded documents including deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust, easements, liens, releases, and plats, the Leake County Chancery Clerk serves as the official Recorder of Deeds, located at 106 Main Street East, Carthage, MS 39051, phone (601) 267-7372. The Chancery Clerk's land records division maintains an index of recorded documents dating back to Leake County's formation in 1833. Documents can be searched by grantor name, grantee name, or legal description, though searches currently require in-person visits or phone inquiries as online access to recorded documents is not available. Certified copies of recorded instruments cost $1.00 per page. Title companies and attorneys regularly conduct title searches through these records. For property tax payment status and amounts due, property owners can contact the Leake County Tax Collector at (601) 267-7666.

Some residents also commute westward to the Jackson metropolitan area, approximately 35 miles away, for employment in state government, healthcare, manufacturing, and professional services. The poultry industry is significant in the region, with processing facilities and contract growers in surrounding areas. Forestry and timber harvesting remain important to the local economy, with numerous tree farms and logging operations throughout Leake County. Leake County's median household income was estimated at approximately $38,000-$42,000 in recent years, below both state and national averages, reflecting the rural and agricultural nature of the area. Madden itself has no significant commercial district or major employers; it functions primarily as a residential farming community. Economic development in the region focuses on agriculture, forestry products, small manufacturing, and tourism related to the nearby Natchez Trace Parkway and Ross Barnett Reservoir recreation areas. The community's economic prospects remain tied to agriculture, forestry, and the economic health of Carthage and the broader Jackson metropolitan region.

Madden is an unincorporated community without its own police department, so law enforcement services are provided exclusively by the Leake County Sheriff's Office, located at 103 North Pearl Street, Carthage, MS 39051, phone (601) 267-7361. The Sheriff's Office has jurisdiction over all unincorporated areas of Leake County, including Madden, and handles patrol, investigations, and emergency response. Residents can request copies of incident reports and accident reports by visiting the Sheriff's Office in person during business hours or by submitting a written request; fees for copies typically apply. The Sheriff's Office also maintains the Leake County Detention Center at the same North Pearl Street address. Arrest records and current jail bookings can be searched through the Leake County Sheriff's Office website or by calling the detention center directly; the inmate roster typically shows the inmate's name, booking date, charges, bond amount, and booking photo when available. Mississippi's Public Records Act, found in Mississippi Code §§ 25-61-1 et seq., guarantees public access to arrest records, incident reports, and jail booking logs, though certain investigative records may be withheld while cases are active. Written requests should be addressed to the Sheriff or Records Custodian and should specify the type of record, date range, and case number if known. The Sheriff's Office generally processes requests within seven business days. For state-level criminal history checks, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety maintains records accessible through its Crime Information Center, though fingerprint-based background checks require proper authorization and identification.

Online ordering is available through VitalChek at www.msdh.ms.gov/vitalrecords, though convenience fees apply. Eligible requestors include the person named on the certificate (if of legal age), parents, legal guardians, legal representatives, and others who demonstrate a direct and tangible interest. Valid government-issued photo identification is required. Processing time is typically 4-6 weeks by mail or 2-3 business days for in-person requests at the Jackson office. Marriage licenses for Madden residents are issued by the Leake County Chancery Clerk, 106 Main Street East, Carthage, MS 39051, phone (601) 267-7372. The marriage license fee is $21.00, with no waiting period or blood test required. Both parties must appear in person with valid identification and Social Security numbers. Marriage records dating back to the 1800s are maintained by the Chancery Clerk. Divorce records are filed through Leake County Chancery Court; certified copies of divorce decrees can be obtained from the Chancery Clerk for $1.00 per page plus certification fee. Informational copies of vital records may be available at the county level, but certified copies for legal purposes must be obtained from the State Department of Health for births and deaths.

Fictitious business names (DBAs) in Mississippi are not filed at the county level but must be published in a local newspaper and registered with the Secretary of State. All Mississippi corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and other business entities must register with the Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division, 125 South Congress Street, Jackson, MS 39201, phone (601) 359-1633. The Secretary of State maintains a free online business entity search at www.sos.ms.gov where anyone can search by business name, registered agent, or file number to verify a company's status, view officers and directors, check annual report compliance, and find the registered agent address. The database includes formation dates, entity type, and current standing. New business entity formations can be filed online through the same portal. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) financing statements, which create security interests in personal property and business assets, are also filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State and searchable online. For commercial property tax assessments in Madden, business owners should contact the Leake County Tax Assessor at (601) 267-5701. Mississippi assesses business personal property including equipment, inventory, and fixtures; property tax rates in Leake County vary by district but generally range around 110-130 mills total.

Voters in Madden are served by the Leake County Circuit Clerk's Office, which serves as the county's election authority, located at 106 Main Street East, Carthage, MS 39051, phone (601) 267-7371. Mississippi residents can register to vote online through the Mississippi Online Voter Registration system at www.sos.ms.gov/vote, or by submitting a paper application to the Circuit Clerk at least 30 days before an election. Voters must provide their Mississippi driver's license or state ID number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Mississippi requires voters to present an acceptable form of photo identification at the polls. Madden, as an unincorporated community, has no municipal government and therefore holds no city elections; residents vote in county, state, and federal elections only. Leake County holds elections for the Board of Supervisors (five districts), Sheriff, Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, Circuit Clerk, Chancery Clerk, Coroner, Surveyor, and other constitutional offices, with county elections typically held in 2023, 2027, and every four years thereafter. Madden residents can find their assigned polling location by visiting the Mississippi Secretary of State's polling place lookup tool at www.sos.ms.gov/pollingplace or by contacting the Circuit Clerk. In the November 2024 general election, Leake County reported approximately 65-68% voter turnout among registered voters, consistent with rural Mississippi counties in presidential election years. On November 3, 2026, Madden voters will participate in federal midterm elections that may include one U.S. Senate seat (Mississippi's Class II Senate seat is up in 2026), all four Mississippi U.S. House seats (Madden is in the 3rd Congressional District), and potentially state legislative races for the Mississippi House of Representatives District 78 and Mississippi Senate District 33, depending on district boundaries. County offices are not scheduled for election in 2026 as Leake County held its most recent general county elections in November 2023. Mississippi does not hold gubernatorial elections in 2026; the next Governor's race is in 2027. Absentee voting in Mississippi is available for voters who meet specific criteria including being away from the county on election day, having a temporary or permanent physical disability, being 65 or older, being a parent or caretaker of a dependent with a disability, or being required to work on election day. Absentee ballot applications must be submitted to the Circuit Clerk's office by mail or in person; the deadline is seven days before the election for mail-in requests. In-person absentee voting at the Circuit Clerk's office begins 45 days before the election. Public election records in Mississippi include voter registration lists (available to candidates and political parties under certain conditions), campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State or local clerks, certified election results by precinct published by the Circuit Clerk and Secretary of State, and candidate qualifying information. Precinct-level results for Leake County are posted by the Circuit Clerk following certification.