Alabama Circuit Courts
# Alabama Circuit Courts

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. The Circuit Courts are the criminal trial courts for most felony charges, and for some misdemeanors and lesser included offenses. 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 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 smallest population 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. 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, a limited number of the circuits (i.e., 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.

## 1st Circuit

Counties Served: Choctaw, Clarke, Washington

Circuit Seats: Choctaw County Courthouse (Butler), Clarke County Courthouse (Grove Hill), Washington County Courthouse (Chatom)

Current Judges :

| Title | Name | Seat | Duty Station | Term | Seat Up |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Presiding Circuit Judge | Gaines C. McCorquodale | 1 | Grove Hill | 2009–present | 2022 |
| Circuit Judge | Charles R. Montgomery | 2 | Chatom | 2010–present | 2022 |

## 2nd Circuit

Counties Served: Butler, Crenshaw, Lowndes

District Seats: Butler County Courthouse (Greenville), Crenshaw County Courthouse (Luverne), Lowndes County Courthouse (Hayneville)

Current Judge :

| Title | Name | Duty Station | Term | Seat Up |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Presiding Circuit Judge | Terri Bozeman Lovell | Greenville | 2010–present | 2018 |

## 3rd Circuit

Counties Served: Barbour, Bullock

District Seats: Barbour County Courthouse (Clayton), Bullock County Courthouse (Union Springs)

Current Judge :

| Title | Name | Duty Station | Term | Seat Up |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Presiding Circuit Judge | Leon Bernard Smithart | Union Springs | 1999–present | 2022 |

## 4th Circuit

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)

Current Judges :

| Title | Name | Seat | Duty Station | Term | Seat Up |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Presiding Circuit Judge | Marvin W. Wiggins | 3 | Greensboro | 1999–present | 2022 |
| Circuit Judge | Collins Pettaway, Jr. | 1 | Selma | 2013–present | 2018 |
| Circuit Judge | Donald McMillan | 2 | | | |

## 5th Circuit

Counties Served: Chambers, Macon, Randolph, Tallapoosa

## 6th Circuit

Counties Served: Tuscaloosa

## 7th Circuit

Counties Served: Calhoun, Cleburne

## 8th Circuit

Counties Served: Morgan

## 9th Circuit

Counties Served: Cherokee, DeKalb

## 10th Circuit

Counties Served: Jefferson

## 11th Circuit

Counties Served: Lauderdale

## 12th Circuit

Counties Served: Coffee, Pike

## 13th Circuit

Counties Served: Mobile

## 14th Circuit

Counties Served: Walker

## 15th Circuit

Counties Served: Montgomery

## 16th Circuit

Counties Served: Etowah

## 17th Circuit

Counties Served: Greene, Marengo, Sumter

Judge Eddie Hardaway is the only Judge covering all three Counties

## 18th Circuit

Counties Served: Shelby

## 19th Circuit

Counties Served: Autauga, Chilton, Elmore

## 20th Circuit

Counties Served: Henry, Houston

## 21st Circuit

Counties Served: Escambia

## 22nd Circuit

Counties Served: Covington

## 23rd Circuit

Counties Served: Madison

## 24th Circuit

Counties Served: Fayette, Lamar, Pickens

## 25th Circuit

Counties Served: Marion, Winston

## 26th Circuit

Counties Served: Russell

Current Judges :

| 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 |

## 27th Circuit

Counties Served: Marshall

## 28th Circuit

Counties Served: Baldwin

Circuit Court Judges

Carmen Bosch, Jody W. Bishop, C. Joseph Norton, Scott P. Taylor, J. Clark Stankoski

## 29th Circuit

Counties Served: Talledega

## 30th Circuit

Counties Served: St. Clair

## 31st Circuit

Counties Served: Colbert

## 32nd Circuit

Counties Served: Cullman

## 33rd Circuit

Counties Served: Dale, Geneva

## 34th Circuit

Counties Served: Franklin

## 35th Circuit

Counties Served: Conecuh, Monroe

## 36th Circuit

Counties Served: Lawrence

## 37th Circuit

Counties Served: Lee

## 38th Circuit

Counties Served: Jackson

## 39th Circuit

Counties Served: Limestone

## 40th Circuit

Counties Served: Clay, Coosa

## 41st Circuit

Counties Served: Blount

