The Alabama Circuit Courts are the state trial courts of general jurisdiction in the State of Alabama. The Circuit Courts have jurisdiction to hear civil and criminal cases. For civil cases, the courts has authority to try cases with an amount in controversy of more than $3,000 and has exclusive original jurisdiction over claims for more than $10,000.[1] The Circuit Courts are the criminal trial courts for most felony charges,[2] and for some misdemeanors and lesser included offenses.[1] The Circuit Courts also have appellate jurisdiction over certain cases arising from the Alabama District Courts (the trial courts of limited jurisdiction in Alabama).
The state has 148 Circuit Court judges divided among 41 judicial circuits[3] with the number of judges to each circuit set by acts of the Alabama Legislature. The legislature distribution is roughly based upon caseloads of the various circuits. The largest circuit in the state is the 10th Judicial Circuit which encompasses Jefferson County (approximately 20% of the state's population) and is the seat of 27 of the judges. The smallest circuits are the 2nd, 3rd, 24th, 34th, 35th, 36th, 40th, and 41st which each contain just a single judge and represent many of the least populous counties in the state.
Circuit Judges are elected to six-year terms in partisan elections with no limit on the number of terms. Judges may not seek re-election upon turning seventy years of age. The partisan alignment of the Circuit Judges following the 2018 general election is 92 Republicans, 55 Democrats, and 1 Independent.[4] However, a large majority (35) of the Democrats 55 judgeships are in just two counties (Jefferson and Montgomery) while the Republican judgeships are spread among 45 different counties. In the event of a vacancy during a term of office, the Governor of Alabama usually has the authority to fill the unexpired terms. However, the 10th, 18th, 28th Circuits have judicial commissions which submit nominees from which the Governor is obligated to choose. Upon retirement judges may choose to become active retired where they serve as special judges when called upon and are still held to the cannon of ethics. Judges may also serve as special judges outside of their respective circuit while holding office when called upon.
Counties Served: Choctaw, Clarke, Washington
Circuit Seats: Choctaw County Courthouse (Butler), Clarke County Courthouse (Grove Hill), Washington County Courthouse (Chatom)
| Title | Name | Seat | Duty Station | Term | Seat Up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presiding Circuit Judge | Gaines C. McCorquodale | 1 | 2009–present | 2022 | ||
| Circuit Judge | Charles R. Montgomery | 2 | Chatom | 2010–present | 2022 |
Counties Served: Butler, Crenshaw, Lowndes
District Seats: Butler County Courthouse (Greenville), Crenshaw County Courthouse (Luverne), Lowndes County Courthouse (Hayneville)
Counties Served: Barbour, Bullock
District Seats: Barbour County Courthouse (Clayton), Bullock County Courthouse (Union Springs)
Counties Served: Bibb, Dallas, Hale, Perry, Wilcox
District Seats: Bibb County Courthouse (Centreville), Dallas County Courthouse (Selma), Hale County Courthouse (Greensboro) Perry County Courthouse (Marion), Wilcox County Courthouse (Camden)
| Title | Name | Seat | Duty Station | Term | Seat Up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presiding Circuit Judge | Marvin W. Wiggins | 3 | 1999–present | 2022 | ||
| Circuit Judge | Collins Pettaway, Jr. | 1 | 2013–present | 2018 | ||
| Circuit Judge | Donald McMillan | 2 |
Counties Served: Tuscaloosa
Counties Served: Morgan
Counties Served: Cherokee, DeKalb
Counties Served: Jefferson
Counties Served: Lauderdale
Counties Served: Mobile
Counties Served: Walker
Counties Served: Montgomery
Counties Served: Etowah
Judge Eddie Hardaway is the only Judge covering all three Counties
Counties Served: Shelby
Counties Served: Autauga, Chilton, Elmore
Counties Served: Escambia
Counties Served: Covington
Counties Served: Madison
Counties Served: Fayette, Lamar, Pickens
Counties Served: Marion, Winston
Counties Served: Russell
| Party | Title | Name | Seat | Duty Station | Term | Seat Up | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Presiding Circuit Judge | Michael Bellamy | 1 | Phenix City | 2013–present | 2022 | |
| Democratic | Circuit Judge | Albert David Johnson | 2 | Phenix City | 2014–present | 2026 |
Counties Served: Marshall
Counties Served: Baldwin
Circuit Court Judges
Carmen Bosch,Jody W. Bishop,C. Joseph Norton,Scott P. Taylor,J. Clark Stankoski
Counties Served: Talledega
Counties Served: St. Clair
Counties Served: Colbert
Counties Served: Cullman
Counties Served: Franklin
Counties Served: Conecuh, Monroe
Counties Served: Lawrence
Counties Served: Lee
Counties Served: Jackson
Counties Served: Limestone
Counties Served: Blount