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 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 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. However, a large majority of the Democrats 55 judgeships are in just two counties 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.
In 2017, the Alabama Legislature established the Judicial Resources Allocation Commission for the purpose of moving vacant circuit court seats between districts to meet demand. It reallocated a circuit court seat for the first time in 2023, moving Jefferson County's 14th seat to Madison County. In May 2023, Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill that increased the total number of circuit and district judges throughout the state, and forbade the Allocation Commission from reallocating vacant seats until January 1, 2027, after the 2026 general election.
List of elected judges
The following judges were elected in the 2020, 2022, and 2024 general elections:1st Circuit
Counties Served: Choctaw, Clarke, WashingtonCircuit Seats: Choctaw County Courthouse, Clarke County Courthouse, Washington County Courthouse
2nd Circuit
Counties Served: Butler, Crenshaw, LowndesDistrict Seats: Butler County Courthouse, Crenshaw County Courthouse, Lowndes County Courthouse
3rd Circuit
Counties Served: Barbour, BullockDistrict Seats: Barbour County Courthouse, Bullock County Courthouse
4th Circuit
Counties Served: Bibb, Dallas, Hale, Perry, WilcoxDistrict Seats: Bibb County Courthouse, Dallas County Courthouse, Hale County Courthouse Perry County Courthouse, Wilcox County Courthouse
5th Circuit
Counties Served: Chambers, Macon, Randolph, Tallapoosa6th Circuit
Counties Served: Tuscaloosa7th Circuit
Counties Served: Calhoun, Cleburne8th Circuit
Counties Served: Morgan9th Circuit
Counties Served: Cherokee, DeKalb10th Circuit
Counties Served: Jefferson11th Circuit
Counties Served: Lauderdale12th Circuit
Counties Served: Coffee, Pike13th Circuit
Counties Served: Mobile14th Circuit
Counties Served: Walker15th Circuit
Counties Served: Montgomery16th Circuit
Counties Served: Etowah17th Circuit
Counties Served: Greene, Marengo, SumterJudge Eddie Hardaway is the only Judge covering all three Counties
18th Circuit
Counties Served: Shelby19th Circuit
Counties Served: Autauga, Chilton, Elmore20th Circuit
Counties Served: Henry, Houston21st Circuit
Counties Served: Escambia22nd Circuit
Counties Served: Covington23rd Circuit
Counties Served: Madison24th Circuit
Judge: Sam JunkinCounties Served: Fayette, Lamar, and Pickens.
District Seats: Fayette Courthouse, Lamar Courthouse, Pickens Courthouse.
25th Circuit
Counties Served: Marion, Winston26th Circuit
Counties Served: Russell27th Circuit
Counties Served: Marshall28th Circuit
Counties Served: BaldwinCircuit Court Judges
Carmen Bosch,
Jody W. Bishop,
C. Joseph Norton,
Scott P. Taylor,
J. Clark Stankoski
29th Circuit
Counties Served: Talledega30th Circuit
Counties Served: St. Clair31st Circuit
Counties Served: Colbert32nd Circuit
Counties Served: Cullman33rd Circuit
Counties Served: Dale, Geneva34th Circuit
Counties Served: Franklin35th Circuit
Counties Served: Conecuh, Monroe36th Circuit
Counties Served: Lawrence37th Circuit
Counties Served: Lee38th Circuit
Counties Served: Jackson| Party | Title | Name | Term | Seat up | Source |
| Democratic | Presiding Circuit Judge | John Graham | 2006-Present | 2030 | |
| Republican | Circuit Judge | Brent Benson | 2020-Present | 2026 |