Gov Docs: Alabama: Judicial

Federal Circuit covering Alabama, Florida and Georgia

AOC is dedicated to serving the courts of Alabama and to enabling all court officials to enhance their skills, for there is so much at stake. Lives and liberty hang in the balance. We are the guardians of justice.

Appellate courts do not try cases, have juries, witnesses, or court reporters. They review actions or decisions of the trial courts by reviewing the record on questions of law or allegations of procedural error.

The Court of Civil Appeals consists of five judges, the most senior judge serving as the presiding judge. This court has original appellate jurisdiction in all civil appeals where the amount in controversy does not exceed $50,000. The Supreme Court may transfer to the Court of Civil Appeals civil cases appealed to the Supreme Court and within its appellate jurisdiction, with some exceptions.

This court is composed of five judges, one of whom is elected by the members of the court to serve as presiding judge. The Court of Criminal Appeals hears all appeals of felony and misdemeanor cases, including violations of city ordinances and all post-conviction writs in criminal cases.

Alabama's Unified Judicial System is one of the oldest in the nation. Our Justices, Judges and staff share the sentiments of former United States Chief Justice Earl Warren when he stated that, "The success of any legal system is measured by its fidelity to the universal ideal of justice." Simply stated, our mission is to be the most successful judicial system in the nation.

he Library has approximately 200,000 volumes in its collection, exclusive of microforms, making it one of the largest law libraries in the state. The Library is also one of the oldest U.S. Government Depository libraries in the United States, having been designated a depository in 1884. The current law library occupies approximately 38,000 square feet. It has a staff of 16 employees.

The Supreme Court of Alabama is composed of a chief justice and eight associate justices. As the highest state court, the Supreme Court has both judicial and administrative responsibilities.