Pickens County Circuit Court Overview
Pickens County belongs to Alabama's 24th Judicial Circuit with Fayette and Lamar counties. The Circuit Court is the general-jurisdiction trial court. It handles felony criminal cases, major civil cases, domestic relations, and appeals from District Court. Presiding Circuit Judge Samuel Junkin is listed through the Fayette office. Pickens County Circuit Clerk Keith "Booty" Cox maintains the local Circuit Court file and serves as the key contact for records, copies, and filing procedure.
The local court hub is at 20 Phoenix Avenue in Carrollton. Circuit Court shares that Pickens County address with District Court functions, but their jurisdiction differs. Probate Court is separate at 50 Courthouse Square, Suite 106. Sheriff Jordan Powell's office supports law enforcement and court functions, while the District Attorney prosecutes felony and many misdemeanor cases for the 24th Circuit. Each office has a role, yet the judicial record itself remains with the court and its clerk.
The official Pickens County jury information describes the courthouse, trial roles, reporting process, and security.
Its local instructions place juror check-in with the Circuit Clerk and show how Circuit Court jury work operates at the Carrollton judicial center.
Pickens County Circuit Court Directory
Pickens County does not publish a list of separately numbered Circuit Courts. The local structure map identifies one county Circuit Court within the 24th Judicial Circuit, plus District Court and Probate Court. The full local court and judge directory below preserves those distinct roles and gives the published contact points.
| Court Number | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24th Judicial Circuit | Pickens County Circuit Court: felony, major civil, domestic relations, District Court appeals | 20 Phoenix Avenue, P.O. Box 418, Carrollton, AL 35447 | Clerk: (205) 367-2050 |
| 24th Judicial Circuit | Presiding Circuit Judge Samuel Junkin | 103 North Temple Avenue, P.O. Box 778, Fayette, AL 35555 | (205) 932-3169 |
| Pickens District Court | District civil, small claims, traffic, misdemeanor and preliminary felony work | 20 Phoenix Avenue, Carrollton, AL 35447 | Clerk: (205) 367-2050 |
| Pickens District Court | District Judge David L. Bailey | 20 Phoenix Avenue, P.O. Box 426, Carrollton, AL 35447 | (205) 367-2076 |
| Pickens Probate Court | Estate, guardianship, land, deed, and marriage certificate matters | 50 Courthouse Square, Suite 106, Carrollton, AL 35447 | (205) 367-2010 |
The Circuit Clerk's office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with a noon to 1:00 p.m. lunch closure. Parking is available around the courthouse square. Visitors should allow time for the metal detector, bring no weapon, and call before travel if they need a specific file, accommodation, or courtroom detail.
Pickens County Circuit vs Lower Courts
Alabama does not use a separate county-court-at-law or justice-of-the-peace system in Pickens County. The useful comparison is Circuit Court against District Court and Municipal Court. Magistrates are judicial officers who evaluate warrant requests, but they do not form a separate justice court.
| Point | Circuit Court | District Court | Municipal Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main civil role | Major civil matters; local fee chart begins above $20,000 for listed Circuit Civil tiers | District civil, including local $6,000.01-$20,000 fee tier; Small Claims up to $6,000 | No local civil scope published in the research |
| Criminal role | Felony prosecutions and related jury trials | Many misdemeanors, traffic, initial and preliminary felony work | Municipal offenses and local misdemeanors in the city or police jurisdiction |
| Family role | Domestic Relations, chiefly divorce and child-related orders | No general Domestic Relations division identified | No family role identified |
| Review path | Appeals move to the appropriate Alabama appellate court | Small Claims and other eligible appeals move to Circuit Court | Follow the municipal and state appeal procedure for that case |
Gordo and Reform are especially important in the local municipal split. The Pickens warrant page says misdemeanor matters inside those police jurisdictions or town limits generally go through municipal court, unless a felony is involved in the same incident or an extraordinary circumstance exists.
Pickens County Circuit Case Flow
A case path depends on subject and jurisdiction. A felony may begin with an incident report, warrant, arrest, or lower-court appearance before formal Circuit Court prosecution. A District Civil or Small Claims matter begins with a complaint and service. An eligible lower-court judgment can then be appealed to Circuit Court. The clerk's docket records each filed step, setting, order, and result.
Felony flow: Report or Arrest › Magistrate and District Court Work › Grand Jury or Formal Charge › Circuit Court Arraignment › Pretrial › Plea or Trial › Disposition and Sentence › Appellate Review
Civil flow: Complaint Filed › Service › Answer › Motions and Other Pretrial Work › Trial or Resolution › Judgment › Appeal
Small Claims appeal flow: District Court Claim › Hearing and Judgment › Timely Appeal › Pickens County Circuit Court
These are record paths, not deadlines for a specific case. A party should use the case number and current court notice, then ask the Circuit Clerk about procedure or counsel about legal strategy.
Each route creates a different set of Pickens County Circuit Court entries, notices, and review points.
Pickens County Circuit Court Divisions
Circuit Civil includes complaints, answers, service, motions, subpoenas, defaults, judgments, garnishments, executions, attachments, writs of possession, counterclaims, and appeals. The local fee page separates filings of $20,000.01 to $50,000 from those of $50,000.01 or more or an unspecified value. A jury demand carries a separate published fee.
Domestic Relations is the Circuit Court family division and is used mainly for divorce. Its files may contain a complaint, answer or waiver, settlement terms, income and child-support forms, withholding orders, enforcement filings, settings, and a final decree. Local instructions say 30 days must pass after filing before a judge can sign an uncontested divorce decree if all documents are in order. Contested matters are assigned and set for trial.
Felony case files may record a complaint, served warrant, indictment or information, plea, bond, motions, rulings, trial result, sentence, restitution, fines, costs, probation, and appeal. The 24th Judicial Circuit District Attorney represents the State. The Circuit Clerk maintains the file but does not decide charges or provide legal advice. Public Defender questions may be directed to the listed office at (205) 660-6377.
Search Pickens County Circuit Records
Alacourt ACCESS is the official statewide on-demand search for Alabama trial-court files. It covers criminal, civil, small claims, state traffic, domestic relations, and child-support records. Name and case-number searches are each listed at $9.99. Case detail can include basic case information, court action, status, settings, parties, financial history, and a case action summary. Document images cost more.
For an older file, missing image, certified copy, or a record not available online, call the Pickens County Circuit Clerk at (205) 367-2050, mail P.O. Box 418, or visit 20 Phoenix Avenue. Give the case number when known. Party names, case type, and an approximate date help when the number is missing. The Pickens County court docket route is useful when the goal is to follow settings and case actions rather than obtain a full file.
Public access has limits. Juvenile, sealed, expunged, adoption, mental-health, and youthful-offender files may be restricted. Sensitive personal data can be redacted. An unserved arrest warrant is not public under the local warrant page. A missing search result may reflect one of those limits, an older paper file, or an indexing issue.
Pickens County Lower Court Work
District Court handles District Civil cases, evictions and unlawful detainers, Small Claims, traffic, many misdemeanors, and preliminary felony work. Small Claims is informal, has no jury, and covers disputes up to $6,000 in the local source. A party may appeal a Small Claims judgment to Circuit Court. District Judge David L. Bailey is the published Pickens County District Judge.
The official Pickens traffic instructions show how District Court handles citations, pleas, payments, proof of insurance, court appearances, and defensive-driving requests.
Traffic case records stay in the lower court unless later proceedings or an appeal move the matter into another file.
The Pickens magistrate and warrant page explains that magistrates act as independent judicial officers when they assess probable cause.
The magistrate has local authority over county felonies, county traffic matters, worthless checks received in Pickens County, and misdemeanors outside the Gordo and Reform municipal jurisdictions.
Pickens County Circuit Court Jury
Jurors use the Alabama online juror registration portal and report to the Circuit Clerk's check-in table in the lobby when summoned. Local instructions set an 8:30 a.m. reporting time and tell jurors to allow time for parking and the metal detector. Weapons and smoking are barred inside. The source does not publish a total cell-phone ban, so jurors should follow the summons and ask staff about devices or recording equipment.
The portal handles registration, while the Pickens County jury page and summons control local reporting duties.
Juror pay is listed as $10 per day plus $0.05 per mile for each day's round trip. Local jury duty normally lasts one to five days. The clerk warns that the court will not call and ask for Social Security numbers or credit card details. Anyone receiving such a request should not treat it as a valid Circuit Court records or jury call.
Note: Court visitors should allow time for parking and screening and should call the Circuit Clerk before bringing recording gear or uncommon equipment.