Lowndes County Circuit Court
Circuit Court is the primary general-jurisdiction trial court identified by the State Court Structure Map for this project. In Lowndes County, it handles felony criminal cases, larger civil disputes, domestic-relations matters, and appeals from District Court. The official Lowndes judiciary directory lists Circuit Judge Cleveland Poole, District Judge Adrian Johnson, Circuit Clerk Stephanie Jones, and Probate Judge LaShandra Myrick.
Lowndes County belongs to Alabama's Second Judicial Circuit with Butler and Crenshaw counties. That regional structure explains why the Circuit Judge's office is also listed at 700 Court Square, Room 9, Greenville, AL 36037, with telephone (334) 382-3621. Local records and clerk service remain tied to Lowndes County's courthouse in Hayneville.
The court names are not interchangeable. District Court is a lower limited-jurisdiction state trial court. Probate Court has its own judge and record office. Municipal courts handle certain city cases. The Circuit Clerk maintains Circuit and District Court files, while the Probate Office maintains probate and recording records.
State appellate courts sit above the trial courts. Depending on subject, an appeal may proceed to the Supreme Court of Alabama, the Court of Civil Appeals, or the Court of Criminal Appeals. That path is distinct from a District Civil appeal, which first goes to Circuit Court under the local instructions.
Lowndes Trial Courts and Offices
Lowndes County's research does not identify numbered Circuit Court branches. The complete local inventory therefore names the verified courts and related record offices instead of inventing court numbers. Circuit and District matters use the same Hayneville courthouse ecosystem, but their judges and jurisdiction differ.
| Court number | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not numbered | Lowndes County Circuit Court, Judge Cleveland Poole | Local matters at 1 South Washington Street, Hayneville; judge office also listed at 700 Court Square, Room 9, Greenville | (334) 382-3621 |
| Not numbered | Lowndes County District Court, Judge Adrian Johnson | 1 South Washington Street, Hayneville, AL 36040 | (334) 548-2591 |
| Not numbered | Lowndes County Circuit Clerk, Stephanie Jones | 1 South Washington Street, Hayneville, AL 36040 | (334) 548-2252 |
| Not numbered | Lowndes County Probate Court, Judge LaShandra Myrick | 1 South Washington Street, Hayneville, AL 36040 | 334-548-2365 or 334-548-2843 |
The courthouse and Circuit Clerk publish hours of 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Call the relevant office before traveling when a deadline, hearing, accommodation, interpreter need, or restricted record is involved. Official sources do not publish a complete parking or security rule set.
The Lowndes County Alabama Judicial System page is the local court landing source for courthouse information.
Lowndes Circuit and Lower Courts
Alabama's relevant comparison is Circuit Court versus District Court, Municipal Court, and Probate Court. The research map does not identify a separate Lowndes County Court or justice-of-the-peace court. The comparison below follows the actual local structure and avoids importing court names used in other states.
| Point | Circuit Court | District Court | Municipal or Probate Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main role | General-jurisdiction trial court | Limited-jurisdiction state trial court | City ordinance and misdemeanor matters, or separate probate functions |
| Civil work | Larger civil matters and District Court appeals | District Civil claims from $6,000.01 to $20,000; small claims through $6,000 | Probate handles estates and recorded documents, not ordinary civil suits |
| Criminal work | Felony cases | Misdemeanors and preliminary stages in some cases | Municipal cases within the city's authority; Probate has no ordinary criminal docket |
| Family or probate | Domestic relations and divorce | Not the principal domestic-relations court in the local map | Probate handles estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and commitments |
| Record custodian | Circuit Clerk for Circuit and District records | Municipal clerk for city cases; Probate Office for probate records | |
The venue may turn on both case type and location. The Lowndes warrant source says misdemeanor charges arising inside Hayneville and White Hall city limits go through their municipal courts unless the same incident involves a felony or an extraordinary circumstance. That local split matters for misdemeanor and warrant record searches.
Traffic can also sit at more than one level. A state citation set for Lowndes County District Court uses the state trial-court path, while a municipal matter may remain with the city court. The issuing agency and court information on the citation are therefore more reliable than a general assumption based only on where the driver lives.
Lowndes County Case Flow
A case does not enter Circuit Court in one fixed way. A felony may begin with an incident report, warrant, arrest, and early District Court stages before indictment and Circuit Court proceedings. A civil case begins with a claim or complaint and service. A District Civil judgment may be appealed to Circuit Court. Domestic-relations cases are filed in Circuit Court through the Circuit Clerk.
Felony flow: Incident report › Warrant or arrest › First appearance and preliminary stages › Indictment › Circuit Court arraignment › Pretrial › Plea or trial › Disposition and sentence › Appeal
District civil flow: Statement of claim › Service › Answer › Hearing or trial › Judgment › Circuit Court appeal
Probate flow: Petition or recording request › Probate Office review › Notice or hearing when required › Probate order or recorded instrument
The official District Civil instructions state that an appeal is filed with the clerk within 14 calendar days after judgment, or within 7 days for unlawful detainer, and is heard in Circuit Court. Those periods are specific and should be checked against the current instructions when a deadline is active.
Lowndes Circuit Court Divisions
Circuit Court's local work includes felony criminal files, higher-value civil matters, domestic relations, and appeals from District Court. A criminal file may show charges, motions, hearings, pleas, rulings, disposition, sentence, and financial entries. A civil file may include a complaint, service, answers, motions, orders, judgment, enforcement papers, and appeal entries. Domestic-relations files may include divorce pleadings, support or custody filings, and the decree, subject to sealing or protection of sensitive material.
District Court handles lower civil cases, small claims, traffic, misdemeanors, and warrant or magistrate matters. The local civil fee material places District Civil claims from $6,000.01 through $20,000 and separates small claims into tiers through $6,000. Traffic citations issued for Lowndes County District Court may use AlaPay for a payment search, but the payment tool is not the full court case file.
The Circuit Clerk's official profile lists Civil, Criminal, Domestic, Child Support, Traffic, Juvenile, Warrants, and jury management divisions. Court records are electronically imaged, and paid statewide access is available through Just One Look. For certified documents or non-online files, contact the Circuit Clerk rather than relying on a portal printout.
Lowndes Second Judicial Circuit
The Second Judicial Circuit covers Lowndes, Butler, and Crenshaw counties. Cleveland Poole is the Circuit Judge named by the local directory, and Charlotte Tesmer is listed as District Attorney for the circuit. The directory gives the District Attorney telephone as (334) 382-7444. District Judge Adrian Johnson serves Lowndes County's District Court.
Drug Court Information and Court Referral is listed under Elizabeth Pennington at (334) 403-7301 and (251) 401-0450. A state audit covers the Second Judicial Circuit Drug Court Fund for the three-county circuit for the period from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2024. A referral contact does not mean every defendant qualifies; eligibility and court orders control participation.
The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama division source confirms that Lowndes County also lies in the federal Northern Division.
The federal court is a separate system. Its inclusion clarifies that a federal case involving Lowndes County is not filed with the state Circuit Clerk or heard by Lowndes County Circuit Court.
Lowndes Magistrate and Appeals
Magistrates are part of the judicial branch and exercise independent judgment on probable cause for arrest warrants. The Lowndes Magistrates and Warrants source assigns local magistrate jurisdiction to misdemeanors outside Hayneville and White Hall city limits, felonies occurring in Lowndes County, county traffic offenses, and worthless checks received in the county.
A warrant request begins with an incident or offense report to the Sheriff's Department or the police department with jurisdiction. An officer or investigator then accompanies the complainant to the clerk or magistrate process. The complainant is put under oath, and the magistrate decides whether probable cause supports a warrant. This is a judicial screening function, not a separate justice-of-the-peace court.
After trial-court action, Alabama appeals may go to the Supreme Court of Alabama or to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals or Court of Criminal Appeals based on the case type. The Circuit Clerk handles local filings and records but cannot advise which appeal a party should pursue. Readers who need case documents can use the Lowndes County court records access information or contact the clerk directly.
Note: The fixed filename does not change the page identity; Circuit Court remains Lowndes County's primary general-jurisdiction trial court.