Locate Jefferson County District Court

Alabama District Court Role

Alabama District Court is a trial court with limited jurisdiction. It is one step below Circuit Court in the state hierarchy. The Tenth Judicial Circuit's District Court page cites Alabama Code Sections 12-12-30 and 12-12-32 for its statutory authority. District Court handles fast-moving case types: small civil disputes, evictions, misdemeanor charges, and the early steps in felony cases.

District Court appeals move to Circuit Court for de novo review, which means a new trial rather than a paper review of the lower court's record. Some appeals jump directly to the Court of Civil Appeals or Court of Criminal Appeals under specific rules.

Civil Jurisdiction Up to $20,000

District Court has original civil jurisdiction up to $20,000. That covers small claims, debt collection, simple contract disputes, and small personal injury cases. It also covers eviction (unlawful detainer) actions filed by landlords against tenants, which is one of the most active District Court case types.

Cases between $6,000 and $20,000 are concurrent with Circuit Court; the parties can sometimes choose. Anything above $20,000 has to be filed in Circuit Court. District Court cannot exercise jurisdiction over equitable matters, probate or municipal appeals, and other exceptions stated on the official page.

Eviction (Unlawful Detainer)

Unlawful detainer is the statutory name for an eviction action in Alabama. The case starts in District Court with a complaint by the landlord. The tenant has a fixed time to answer; failure to answer can result in a default judgment for possession. Appeals from a District Court eviction can move to Circuit Court for de novo review under specific procedural rules.

Note: Tenant rights and timing rules are detailed. Eviction is a legal case with deadlines; missing a deadline is harder to fix than meeting one.

Misdemeanor Jurisdiction

District Court hears misdemeanors except those in municipal court, misdemeanors tied to felony cases, and misdemeanors already indicted by a grand jury. Misdemeanor cases include many traffic offenses, driving offenses, simple assault, theft of property at the lower thresholds, and lower-level drug charges.

For traffic specifically, the Tenth Judicial Circuit runs a separate Traffic Court set of pages with payment instructions, costs, ticket processing, defensive driving school, and Online Traffic Resolution. Not every traffic citation requires a court appearance.

Felony Preliminary Hearings

District Court holds preliminary hearings in felony cases. A preliminary hearing tests whether there is probable cause for the felony charge. If the court finds probable cause, the case is bound over for grand jury consideration and then Circuit Court for trial. If not, the felony charge is dismissed at that step.

District Court can also accept guilty pleas in some non-capital felony cases. The result is a circuit-level felony conviction even though the plea was entered in district court.

Jefferson County District Court Judges

The Tenth Judicial Circuit publishes the district judge roster in three lists. The civil division is led by Honorable Debra Weston-Pickens. The criminal division is led by Honorable William A. Bell. The family-court division also has district judges assigned.

Jefferson County District Court Locations

District Court business runs from three main buildings in downtown Birmingham plus the Bessemer courthouse complex. The main courthouse holds civil and domestic courtrooms. The Mel Bailey Criminal Justice Center holds criminal courtrooms. Family Court has its own building.

The official District Court page cites the Alabama Code provisions that set out the court's jurisdiction.

How Jefferson County District Court Fits the State Hierarchy

The Alabama court hierarchy has a clear top-to-bottom order. Knowing where District Court sits helps users understand why a case may move from one bench to another.

Case flow: Municipal or District Court › Circuit Court › Court of Civil Appeals or Court of Criminal Appeals › Supreme Court of Alabama.

District Court vs. Circuit Court vs. Municipal Court

Three trial-level Alabama courts can hear a case from Jefferson County. The comparison below shows the cut lines.

District Civil Filing Fees

District civil filings have their own fee table on the local Tenth Judicial Circuit site. The most common items are small claims and unlawful detainer fees. Confirm the current amount with the Circuit Clerk before filing.

The fee page is the source for current amounts and includes service-of-process notes.

Appeals from District to Circuit Court

An appeal from District Court goes to Circuit Court for de novo review. The case is tried as if it never happened in the lower court. Appeals carry their own deadlines and fees; the local circuit civil fee page lists $251.00 for most appeals such as driver's license, tax, and unemployment matters. A jury demand at appeal carries an additional $100.00.

For a circuit-court bench overview, the Tenth Judicial Circuit lists Honorable Elisabeth A. French as Presiding Circuit Judge. Felony cases that move out of District Court after a preliminary hearing land on the Circuit Criminal docket under Presiding Judge Honorable Michael Streety.

District Court in the Bessemer Cutoff

Bessemer Cutoff has its own District Court alongside its own Circuit Clerk site at bessemer.alacourt.gov. Honorable Chuantae Brown is the district criminal judge listed in the Bessemer division. District Court filings tied to a Bessemer Cutoff case should go to the Bessemer Division clerk, not the Birmingham office.

Sending a Bessemer Cutoff filing to Birmingham (or the other way around) can stall a case. Confirm which division handled the underlying matter before filing a new pleading or paying a fee.

Related Jefferson County Records

For trial-court file searches, see court records. For courtroom assignments, see court dockets. For the Circuit Clerk that holds district files, see Clerk of Court. For arrest and warrant information, see arrest records and warrant records.