Alabama State Courts

The judicial system of the state of Alabama comprises three federal district courts, one state supreme court, a state court of appeals, and multiple trial courts. Alabama’s courts deal with legal proceedings in the general jurisdiction in the state. The courts serve different purposes depending on the nature of the crimes and issues disputed and have a hierarchy.

The majority of cases start in the trial courts, but can be appealed to the higher courts including the court of appeals. The two courts of appeals in Alabama act as an intermediate in the judicial system of the State of Alabama.

The courts for the districts of Alabama are:

• United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama

These courts sometimes feature appeals from other state courts and federal lawsuits can also be filed here. The judges in the district courts are nominated by the president and then confirmed by the Senate.

In Alabama, the district courts are for cases where the financial amount that is in question comes to more than $3,000 but less than $10,000.

Those less than $3,000 go to a small claims court. Over $10,000 falls under the jurisdiction of the circuit court.

http://www.alabama.gov/

Court Name:	Alabama Supreme Court
Address:	300 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone:	(334) 229-0700
Website URL:	http://judicial.alabama.gov/Appellate/SupremeCourt

Intermediate and Supreme Courts

The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals is one of the intermediate courts. It deals with issues such as custody of children and other domestic and civil matters. This court also has jurisdiction when it comes to civil appeals where the dollar amount of the case is lower than $50,000.

Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals is the other intermediate court. The Court of Criminal Appeals deals with felonies that have been decided by circuit courts. This court hears cases in panels and cases can be decided by designated judges. 

The Supreme Court has authority over all of the lower courts and can also review any contentious issues within those courts when the financial sum in question is over $50,000 and where no other court in Alabama has jurisdiction. Nine court justices serve here in the state’s “court of last resort”.

Types of Courts in Alabama

How to Find Alabama Court Records Online

You can use our court records search to access the public data available from all Alabama courts. Alabama started keeping records in 1908 and has been digitizing these for around 30 years. You can view civil records, small claims records, criminal records, child support, divorce records, mugshots, plea and sentencing details, domestic relations and more within the Alabama court records. This is available under the freedom of information act and is the right of every US Citizen to access, though each state, including Alabama, has its own freedom of information laws and policies. These can be found here.

Alabama Counties