Access Montgomery Criminal Court Records

If you live in Montgomery and got hit with a charge, your file sits with the county court folks at the Phelps-Price Justice Center. The big court handles the hard crimes. The small court takes care of the lesser ones. The city court only deals with tickets and local law breaks. It can't touch real state crimes at all. Every sheet from your case, from the first charge form to the final order the judge signed, lives at 251 S. Lawrence Street with the Circuit Clerk. You can search for your case on the web if you know how, or you can just show up in person and ask them to pull it for you. Both ways work fine, so do what fits your day best.

Montgomery County Criminal Courts

This city sits in Montgomery County and also happens to be the state capital, which means a lot of government buildings are packed in here. If you got charged with a crime, your case goes through the county court system. The Phelps-Price Justice Center is where both the big court and the small court sit. So whether you're dealing with a felony or a misdemeanor, you'll end up at the same building, just in different courtrooms depending on what they charged you with.

Alabama Code § 12-11-30 grants the Circuit Court exclusive original jurisdiction over felony prosecutions. Alabama Code § 12-12-32 provides the District Court with jurisdiction over misdemeanor prosecutions. Criminal court records are maintained by the Circuit Clerk's office.

Montgomery County Circuit Court (Felony Criminal Cases)

Montgomery County District Court (Misdemeanor Criminal Cases)

Montgomery County Court System website

The Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court maintains court records for multiple court types. All criminal case filings, documents, and orders are maintained at the courthouse and accessible through the Circuit Clerk's office.

Montgomery Municipal Court

The city court here handles tickets and local rule breaks, nothing more than that. If you got charged with a felony or a misdemeanor under state law, this court has no power over your case. What shows up here are violations of the rules the city itself made. You parked wrong, you made too much noise, you broke some local code. That's Municipal Court territory. State crimes go somewhere else entirely, so don't waste your time looking for those files at the city court.

Montgomery Municipal Court website

Real crimes go to county court. The city court can't touch them. What the city court does offer is a way to pay your ticket online or check if you have a warrant for some city law you broke. That's helpful if you just need to settle a fine fast without showing up in person. But again, that's only for city stuff, not state crimes.

How to Access Montgomery Criminal Court Records

You got more than one way to get your hands on court files. The county has an online system if you like to search from home. Or you can walk into the courthouse and ask the clerk to pull what you need in person. Both paths work. Some folks find the web search faster. Other folks like talking to a real person who can help them find the right file. Do what makes sense for your situation and how much time you have.

Online Search Options

The Montgomery County court system website at montgomery.alacourt.gov provides access to criminal court records. The statewide Alabama court records system allows searches by case number, party name, or other identifying information.

The Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court maintains online records for criminal cases filed in Montgomery County. Users can search for case information, view case status, and access court documents through the online portal.

In-Person Record Requests

Criminal court records can be requested in person at the Montgomery County Courthouse. The Circuit Clerk's office is located at 251 S. Lawrence Street, Montgomery, AL 36104. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Interested parties can request case files, court documents, and certified copies at the Circuit Clerk's counter. Proper identification and case information will facilitate the search process.

Public Records Requests

Public records requests can be submitted through the City Clerk's office. Requests can be made online at montgomeryal.gov/government/city-government/city-departments/city-clerk-s-office/request-for-public-records.

Processing times for FOIA police reports may take up to 10 business days for verification, with departments having up to 15 business days to respond. Simple routine requests may be available within 25 business days total.

What Information to Provide

When searching for criminal court records, provide the defendant's full name, date of birth, case number (if known), and approximate date of arrest or offense. The more specific the information provided, the faster the search can be completed.

Montgomery Police Records

The cops keep their own files, not the courts. If you want an arrest form or a crime report, you can't get that from the court clerk. You have to go through the City Clerk instead, which is where they process all the public records requests for police stuff. It's a different building, different people, different process. So know where to start or you'll just be sent from one office to another.

Police records must be requested separately from court records. The City Clerk processes all public records requests for city documents, including police reports.

Legal Framework Governing Criminal Court Records

Alabama Code § 36-12-40 establishes the right of citizens to inspect and copy public records. This statute provides that every resident has a right to inspect and take a copy of any public record of this state, except as otherwise expressly provided by applicable law. Criminal court records are generally public under this statute.

The Alabama Rules of Court-Record Privacy and Confidentiality became effective January 1, 2025. These Rules apply to all Alabama courts and establish procedures for balancing public access to court records with individual privacy interests.

Alabama Code § 12-17-94 requires circuit court clerks to keep consolidated docket sheets of criminal cases and maintain all court papers and records with care and security. Clerks must also monitor compliance with court orders that assess court costs, fines, and other court-ordered money against criminal defendants.

Expungement of Criminal Records

Alabama Code § 15-27-1 governs expungement of misdemeanor records. Persons charged with misdemeanors may petition to expunge records when charges are dismissed with prejudice, no billed by a grand jury, the person is found not guilty, or charges are nolle prossed without conditions and not refiled. Persons convicted of nonviolent misdemeanors may qualify for expungement if all probation requirements have been completed, all fines or fees paid in full, and three years have elapsed from the date of conviction.

Alabama Code § 15-27-2 addresses felony record expungement. Expungement is available when felony charges are dismissed with prejudice after 90 days, the charge has been no billed by a grand jury after 90 days, the person has been found not guilty after 90 days, or the charge has been nolle prossed without conditions and not refiled after 90 days. For convicted felons, expungement requires a certificate of pardon with restoration of civil and political rights from the Board of Pardons and Paroles.

The administrative filing fee for expungement petitions is $500, as established by Alabama Code § 15-27-4. The court may waive fees if it made a clear judicial finding that the arrest had no foundation of probable cause.

Fees for Criminal Court Records

If you want an official stamped copy of a court record, the county is going to charge you for it. How much depends on what you ask for and how thick the file is. A single page runs less than a full case file. The clerk desk has the full price list if you want to know the exact cost before they start pulling files and making copies. That way you won't get hit with a surprise bill at the end.

Payment methods typically include cash, check, money order, and credit cards. Some basic records searches may be available at no charge, while certified copies and extensive document requests require payment of applicable fees.

Indigent persons may request fee waivers by demonstrating financial hardship through appropriate court procedures.

Federal Criminal Cases in Montgomery

Federal criminal cases involving Montgomery residents are handled by the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. The Montgomery Division is housed in the historic Frank M. Johnson Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse.

The federal courthouse was renamed in 1992 to honor Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr., one of the country's most distinguished judges who presided there for nearly three decades. The courthouse has two entrances on Lee Street and Church Street, both with access ramps.

Federal criminal cases include prosecutions under federal law such as drug trafficking, firearms offenses, fraud, and other federal crimes. Federal court records are available through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system at pacer.uscourts.gov.

The federal court has shaped regional justice through landmark cases since 1839. The 2002 annex features a radial design compatible with the original 1933 building.

Legal Aid and Resources in Montgomery

Several organizations provide free or low-cost legal assistance to Montgomery residents.

Legal Services Alabama - Montgomery Office

Montgomery Volunteer Lawyers Program

Alabama State Bar Volunteer Lawyers Program

Additional Resources

• Alabama Free Legal Answers (online Q&A with lawyers)
• Alabama Legal Help website (self-help forms and information)
• Alabama Access to Justice Commission website
• Montgomery Bar Association

Most legal aid organizations focus on civil legal matters. Criminal defendants who cannot afford an attorney are entitled to court-appointed counsel under the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The court will appoint an attorney for defendants who qualify financially.

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