Choctaw County Circuit Court Overview
Choctaw County is part of Alabama's 1st Judicial Circuit with Clarke County and Washington County. Circuit Court is the primary general-jurisdiction trial court. Official county court material says Circuit Court has original jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters not vested exclusively in another court, all felony prosecutions, and disputes where the amount or damages exceed $10,000. It may also hear certain lower-court appeals.
District Court is still central to many Choctaw County records. The county page says District Court handles civil disputes above the small-claims level and below the Circuit Court threshold, criminal misdemeanors, and preliminary hearings in felony prosecutions. Traffic Court materials place state traffic citations before Choctaw County District Court unless a municipal case is routed elsewhere.
Most Circuit Court and District Court records are kept by Circuit Clerk Candace D. Jenkins at the Choctaw County Courthouse, Suite 10. The courthouse is the local point for filings, copy requests, payments, jury functions, and non-electronic record questions, while Alacourt and the county docket page provide statewide online access for many electronic records.
Choctaw County Circuit Court Table
The local court system uses one courthouse hub in Butler, but court roles differ by case type. The table follows the research map and keeps Circuit Court, District Court, Probate Court, Juvenile/Family Court, Small Claims Court, and municipal matters distinct.
| Court or office | Local role | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court, 1st Judicial Circuit | Felonies, higher civil claims, domestic/circuit matters, appeals from lower courts | Choctaw County Courthouse, 117 South Mulberry Ave., Suite 10, Butler, AL 36904 | Clerk: (205) 459-2155 |
| District Court | Misdemeanors, traffic citations, preliminary felony hearings, civil disputes above small claims and below circuit threshold | 117 South Mulberry, Butler, AL 36904 | Judge: (205) 459-3828 |
| Probate Court | Wills, estates, adoptions, guardianships, conservatorships, involuntary commitments, name changes, records and license office | 117 South Mulberry Ave., Suite 9, Butler, AL 36904-2557 | (205) 459-2414 |
| Juvenile / Family Court | Delinquency, children in need of supervision, neglected or abused children | 117 South Mulberry Ave., Suite 10, Butler, AL 36904 | (205) 459-2155 |
| Small Claims Court | Claims under $3,000 | 117 S. Mulberry St., Butler, AL 36904 | (205) 459-3828 |
| Municipal courts | City ordinance and municipal traffic matters if created by city | County-wide municipal court list not located | Contact issuing city |
Choctaw County Circuit Judges
The local Circuit Judges for the 1st Judicial Circuit are Hon. Charles R. Montgomery, Presiding Circuit Judge, P.O. Box 1418, Chatom, AL 36518, phone (251) 847-2304, and Hon. Perry Newton, Circuit Judge, P.O. Box 914, Grove Hill, AL 36451, phone (251) 275-8363. Their mailing addresses are outside Butler because the circuit covers three counties, but Choctaw County hearings and clerk functions remain tied to the courthouse in Butler.
The District Judge listed in official research is Hon. Joe H. Thompson at 117 South Mulberry, Butler, AL 36904, phone (205) 459-3828. District Court matters can include misdemeanors, traffic citations, preliminary felony hearings, and civil claims above small claims but below the Circuit Court level. Circuit Clerk staff are the record contact for both Circuit Court and District Court files.
Choctaw County Court Comparison
Alabama does not use the Texas-style County Court or Justice Court model shown in some generic templates. Choctaw County's practical comparison is Circuit Court, District Court, Probate Court, and Municipal Court. Each court has a different record custodian and search route.
| Point | Circuit Court | District Court | Probate / Municipal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil limit | Disputes above $10,000 or matters not vested elsewhere | More than $3,000 but less than $10,000 | Probate handles estates and listed probate duties; municipal civil role not published |
| Criminal role | Felony prosecutions and related circuit matters | Misdemeanors and felony preliminary hearings | Municipal courts may handle city ordinance and municipal traffic cases |
| Family and domestic | Domestic relations and divorce files route through Circuit Clerk | Lower trial-court role only when assigned by law | Probate handles adoption and guardianship duties, with restrictions |
| Traffic | Disposed criminal fine balances can appear in payment systems | State traffic citations are District Court matters | Municipal traffic depends on issuing city |
| Record custodian | Circuit Clerk | Circuit Clerk | Probate Judge / Probate Office or issuing municipality |
Choctaw County Case Movement
Criminal and civil cases move through different steps, and some matters start in District Court before reaching Circuit Court. A felony may begin with an arrest or complaint, involve a preliminary hearing in District Court, and then move to Circuit Court after indictment or other charging action. A misdemeanor may stay in District Court. A traffic citation usually starts in District Court unless it is a municipal case.
Criminal process: Arrest or complaint > first appearance or preliminary matter > indictment or charging decision > arraignment > pretrial motions > plea or trial > disposition > sentencing > appeal.
Civil process: Complaint or petition filed > service > answer > motions or discovery > hearing, mediation, or trial > judgment > post-judgment collection or appeal.
Traffic Court has its own local warning. The published court date on a ticket is not a trial date. A defendant who wants to plead not guilty and request a trial must appear on the court date to make that request. Failure to pay or dispose of the case before the court date, followed by failure to appear, may lead to a warrant, license suspension by ALEA, increased fine, and bond forfeiture.
Choctaw County Circuit Records
Alacourt ACCESS/Just One Look is the online route for many state trial-court records. It covers criminal, civil, small claims, state traffic, domestic relations, and child support. It offers paid name searches and paid case-number searches, and the case detail report can show basic case information, court action, case status, setting dates, party information, financial history, and a detailed case action summary. Document images cost extra when available.
The county 58 docket page is a separate current docket setting tool. It uses setting date and optional last name fields, and it warns that some cases may not appear electronically. For missing cases, sealed files, older records, or certification needs, the Circuit Clerk remains the proper fallback.
| Online route | Fields or controls | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Alacourt name search | Name search mode, account login, sign up | Case details when the case number is unknown |
| Alacourt case-number search | Case number search mode, account login | Case details when the exact case number is known |
| County 58 docket | Setting date and optional last name | Current docket settings, not full case files |
| Alapay | Ticket number, case number, date of birth, Social Security number in some routes | Traffic tickets and disposed fine balances |
Choctaw County Lower Courts
District Court is the county's high-volume lower trial court for misdemeanors, traffic citations, preliminary felony hearings, and mid-level civil disputes. Small Claims Court handles claims under $3,000. Juvenile/Family Court handles delinquency, children in need of supervision, and neglected or abused child matters, but juvenile records are generally confidential and should not be treated as an open public name search.
Probate Court is separate and is administered by Probate Judge Jason Sturdivant. Probate Court and the Probate Office handle wills, estates, adoptions, guardianships, conservatorships, involuntary commitments, name changes, records, license functions, and marriage certificate processing. Municipal courts may handle city ordinance and municipal traffic matters, but no official county-wide municipal court records portal was located in the research.
Small claims, District Court, and Circuit Court also differ by dollar threshold. Official county material places small claims below $3,000, District Court above $3,000 and below $10,000, and Circuit Court above $10,000 or in matters assigned to Circuit Court by law. That threshold helps decide where a civil record began, but later appeals or related filings can move the record path.
Choctaw County District Traffic Court
District Court is the key local court for state traffic citations. The Choctaw Traffic Court page says a citation is issued for the defendant to appear before Choctaw County District Court. Payment can be made by mail with a money order or cashier's check to Choctaw County Court, online through Alapay, or by card through the phone payment route. Traffic questions can also go through the Alabama Traffic Service Center.
Traffic records should not be confused with ALEA driver records. A court traffic record shows the ticket, case, court date, plea, payment, disposition, court costs, warrant or failure-to-appear activity, and defensive-driving request. A state driver record is maintained by ALEA and shows driver license, conviction, and reinstatement information. The court record is local trial-court material; the driver record is a state motor-vehicle record.
Choctaw County Court Appeals
Alabama appellate records are separate from Choctaw County trial-court lookup. The state has the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, and Alabama Supreme Court. The Alabama Appellate Courts Public Portal provides access to documents filed in or issued by Alabama appellate courts on or after March 20, 2022.
For a Choctaw County trial-court case, start with the Circuit Clerk, Alacourt, or the docket page. For appellate filings, use the statewide appellate portal instead. Federal cases are also separate and route through the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama or PACER, not through the Choctaw County Circuit Clerk.