What are Alabama Court Records?

Alabama is home to a population of over 5.1 million, with 97.9% being citizens of the United States. The state's judicial system consists of a two-tiered trial court system and appellate courts. The trial court system includes courts of limited jurisdiction, such as municipal, probate, small claims, district, and juvenile courts, as well as the court of general jurisdiction, also known as the circuit court. Appellate courts in Alabama include the Court of Civil Appeals, the Court of Criminal Appeals, and the Supreme Court of Alabama. Alabama allows the death penalty for capital murder and manages an estimated 800,000 new cases annually.

In Alabama, court records are open to the public unless they are exempt from disclosure under the state's public records law. Court records contain various information, and access to these records is essential for transparency and accountability within the legal system. Court records in the state include the following:

Docket Sheet

Dockets are chronological records of all the filings and proceedings in a court case. They typically contain critical information, such as attorneys of record, parties, and judges.

Judgments and Orders

A judgment refers to the decisions rendered by the judge and jury in a specific legal case. An order is a document that announces the verdict and stipulates the appropriate responsibilities or punishments for the involved parties.

Transcripts

Transcripts are papers or electronic contents containing verbatim court proceedings records. These records are valuable evidence for a motion or when requesting an appeal. Alabama does not prepare transcripts without an explicit request.

Evidence

Physical and document-based evidence is recorded from police reports and introduced by both legal sides during arguments.

Court Minutes

These documents contain information about the exact start and end times of a trial. They serve as a detailed summary of all the occurrences during court proceedings, including recesses, testimonies, and official statements.

Pleadings

These statements describe each party's requests to the court, such as complaints, plea bargains, or motions.

Briefs

These are arguments written by legal counsel and submitted to the court to support their client's (either the plaintiff or defendant) claim in a trial.

Types of Court Cases

In Alabama, court cases are classified into civil and criminal categories. Although distinct, both types of cases aim to determine fault and demand adherence to the same standards of courtroom decorum.

Civil Cases

Alabama civil cases are legal actions between individuals and organizations seeking an impartial settlement of a dispute. If someone loses a case in civil court, they may be required to compensate the other party based on legal provisions. Common examples of civil cases include:

Family Law
Property Disputes
Landlord and tenant Disputes

In Alabama, a civil action is initiated when an individual or organization, known as the plaintiff, lodges a formal complaint in a court of law, alleging harm or wrongdoing by another party, known as the defendant. The plaintiff and defendant are responsible for presenting compelling and verifiable evidence to substantiate their respective claims and defenses. Within the framework of Alabama civil litigation, the prevailing standard is that of the "preponderance of evidence," which means that the evidence has to be enough to convince the jury that one side's claim is more likely to be true. Most Alabama civil actions end with monetary compensation or the loss of certain privileges, like visitation rights in divorce court.

Criminal Cases

In criminal cases, the plaintiff is a government agency representing "The People." These cases are not intended to compensate victims but to uphold the law and maintain social order. Most Alabama criminal cases progress to the trial phase, during which a judge in a bench trial or a jury in a jury trial will review the evidence and the law to determine whether they believe the defendant is guilty or not guilty. If a criminal defendant is found guilty, they will be sentenced for the criminal offense. Alabama law allows for various penalties for criminal convictions, including:

Fines
Jail or prison time
Unsupervised or supervised probation
Community service
Educational or treatment programs
Electronic monitoring

A defense attorney can argue for a minimal sentence at the sentencing hearing. All criminal defendants are entitled to appeal a guilty verdict up to at least one level of the appellate court. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals is the mid-level court system that examines cases. The highest court in Alabama is the Alabama Supreme Court. Common examples of criminal cases include:

Murder
Domestic Violence
Burglary

What Are the Different Courts in Alabama?

Since 2019, the state of Alabama has allocated an annual budget of over $160 million to sustain the operations of its court system. The court system in Alabama is structured into distinct tiers, each serving specific functions within the judicial process.

Courts of Appellate Jurisdiction

Alabama has three courts of appellate jurisdiction: the Supreme Court, the Court of Civil Appeals, and the Court of Criminal Appeals. The appellate courts generally review legal matters for errors only after they have been decided by one of the lower courts of limited or general jurisdiction.

Supreme Court

As the highest judicial body in Alabama, the Supreme Court has the authority to review decisions made by Alabama's lower courts. It also handles matters where the amount in dispute exceeds $50,000 and where no other court in Alabama has jurisdiction. This court also makes rules governing Alabama courts' administration, practice, and procedures. The Supreme Court chief justice also serves as the administrative head of the Alabama unified judicial system.

Court of Civil Appeals

The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals has jurisdiction over civil appeals where the amount in dispute does not exceed $50,000. The court also hears appeals from certain state administrative agencies, including matters related to workers' compensation. Additionally, the court handles appeals relating to decisions in domestic relations cases, such as divorce, alimony, child support, adoption, and child custody.

Court of Criminal Appeals

The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals reviews and rules on appeals from misdemeanor and felony trials or convictions. This includes decisions made in Municipal Courts throughout the state.

Courts of Limited Jurisdiction

Alabama courts of limited jurisdiction include municipal courts, probate courts, small claims courts, juvenile courts, and district courts.

Municipal Courts

Municipal courts in Alabama, known as city courts, handle infractions against city ordinances and criminal misdemeanor offenses within a designated city's police jurisdiction. These courts typically encompass distinct divisions over varied case types within their jurisdictions.

Probate Courts

Alabama probate courts have jurisdiction to hear legal controversies related to wills, estates, real property, mental illness, and adoption. Each county in Alabama has a probate court.

Small Claims Courts

Alabama small claims courts have jurisdiction over civil disputes with a monetary value of $3,000 or less. Each county in Alabama has a small claims court, and individuals can represent themselves in small claims cases.

Juvenile Courts

The juvenile courts handle civil and criminal cases involving individuals under the age of 18. This includes matters where a child is alleged to be delinquent, dependent, or in need of supervision. It is important to note that the majority of proceedings in juvenile court are confidential.

District Courts

Alabama district courts handle criminal misdemeanor offenses and conduct preliminary hearings for felony prosecutions. They also address disputes involving money or property valued between $3,000 and $10,000. It is important to note that each county in Alabama has its district court.

Court of General Jurisdiction

The circuit courts in Alabama serve as the state's primary trial courts and have jurisdiction over a wide range of legal matters.

Circuit Courts

These courts handle all criminal cases involving felony prosecutions and adjudicate civil disputes where the amount exceeds $10,000. Additionally, the circuit courts preside over matters originating from the district and juvenile courts and cases where the amount in controversy exceeds $3,000. Note that each of Alabama's 67 counties houses a circuit court, and a presiding judge, appointed to oversee the courts within their respective circuit, leads each judicial circuit comprising one or more counties.

How Many Federal Courts Are in Alabama?

Alabama has three Federal district courts with 12 active judges. Currently, 11 seats are held by the Republican party, with only one Democratic judge. Appeals from this court are sent to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, which has limited jurisdiction and can only hear specific cases. The U.S. Constitution sets this restriction to check the Federal government’s power. Federal Courts can only hear cases that raise a Federal Question or involve parties from other states or countries.

How Many Court Cases Are Filed Each Year in Alabama?

An estimated 800,000 cases are filed across all case groups annually in Alabama. The prevalent offenses primarily involve parking and traffic violations, which resulted in over 330,000 new cases in the state. As per government reports, the following offers a breakdown of the estimated number of cases filed in Alabama courts each year:

Domestic Relations: Some 38,969 domestic relations cases are filed. The largest share of these cases involved divorces, with domestic abuse coming in second.
Juvenile: Over 14,278 juvenile delinquency and protection cases are filed yearly.
Civil: Over 68,000 minor civil cases are filed annually. Civil Judgments and Conciliation made up about 75 percent of cases.
Criminal: Over 200,000 major criminal cases are filed in Alabama yearly. Misdemeanor DWI, gross misdemeanors, and drug offenses are the most common case types.
Small Claims: Around 79,000 small claims cases are heard across Alabama annually.

How Do I Look Up Court Cases in Alabama?

Court records are legal documents that include detailed case information, transcripts of court proceedings, important events, and official court judgments. In Alabama, court records are maintained by each court location in the state's various judicial districts. Appellate documents can be accessed through the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, or the State Supreme Court if a case has been appealed. The most convenient method to order court records is through the statewide Alacourt system, which allows on-demand access to all trial court records in the state. This includes criminal, civil, small claims, domestic relations, and child support records. This system allows users to search for cases using the names of parties in the case or the case number.

To access other types of court records, interested individuals can visit the courthouse where the case was handled and make requests at the courthouse counter. The court clerk at each court location in the state's various judicial districts will let you know if the record you seek is available for public inspection and will provide the necessary forms and requirements for obtaining the records. Once your request is reviewed and approved, the court records will be made available to you. Some records may take longer to process, which could impede the usual one-day turnaround time. Notably, transcripts have a special request process, as they are not prepared alongside other court records. Before a request for an original transcript copy can be granted, the court reporter must be paid $4.50 per page for preparing the document. If you wish to receive the transcript on the same day the request was made, a different fee must be agreed upon in writing by the court reporter and the requester. It's important to note that the per-page fee should not exceed $15.00 for rush or expedited requests or $25.00 for daily requests. Lastly, in some cases, you may be able to submit a mail request for court records by downloading, completing, and submitting the appropriate request form. It's worth noting that this option is not available in all counties across the state, so it's crucial to ascertain what is applicable in the county where the case was handled.

What Court Records Are Not Available to the Public in Alabama?

While most Alabama court records are deemed "open" and may be accessed by members of the public, some may be restricted, exempted, or sealed following a court order, either to protect the privacy of the parties in the case or because they do not affect the state's commitment to privacy or accountability. Most sealed or exempted records contain information deemed confidential by law or court order. Records in this category typically include:

The personal information of minors
Details of juvenile court proceedings
All information about mental and psychological evaluation
Financial information, including Social Security and account numbers
The personal information of assault victims and domestic violence protection order files