Search Lowndes County Court Records
Alacourt ACCESS, or Just One Look, provides paid on-demand access to Alabama trial court records. Its listed categories include criminal, civil, small claims, state traffic, domestic relations, and child support. A name search and a case-number search each cost $9.99. The case detail report can include status, setting dates, parties, court action, financial history, and a detailed case action summary. Probate and land records use a different local service.
Choose the custodian before searching. Circuit Clerk Stephanie Jones keeps Circuit and District Court proceedings. Probate Judge LaShandra Myrick and the Probate Office keep estates, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, recorded deeds and mortgages, name changes, and marriage certificate recordings. Sheriff and jail information comes from the Sheriff's Office, while state-prison custody uses ADOC.
- Identify the court and record type from a citation, notice, case number, or filing.
- Use Alacourt for Circuit or District cases and Lowndes Probate Online Services for probate or recorded documents.
- Search by the full case number when possible. A name search may return several people or spelling variations.
- Read the case action summary, status, settings, and disposition together.
- Contact the proper Lowndes County office for certified copies, older files, or records not shown online.
The assigned capture from the official Lowndes County government site establishes the county's primary government source.
Department pages reached through that official source help route requests to the Circuit Clerk, Probate Office, and Sheriff's Office.
Lowndes County Court System
Lowndes County belongs to Alabama's Second Judicial Circuit with Butler and Crenshaw counties. Circuit Court is the general-jurisdiction trial court. It handles felony criminal cases, larger civil disputes, domestic relations, and appeals from District Court. District Court handles state traffic citations, misdemeanors, small claims, lower-value civil matters, and some early criminal proceedings. Probate Court has a separate judge and record function.
Presiding Circuit Judge Cleveland Poole serves at the Circuit level. District Judge Adrian Johnson handles the county's District Court. Probate Judge LaShandra Myrick leads the Probate Office. District Attorney Charlotte Tesmer serves the multi-county circuit. Appeals beyond Circuit Court may route to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, Court of Criminal Appeals, or Supreme Court, depending on the matter.
Case flow: District Court → Circuit Court appeal → Alabama appellate court review when allowed.
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| Lowndes County Circuit Court | General trial jurisdiction | Felony, larger civil, domestic relations, District appeals |
| Lowndes County District Court | Limited trial jurisdiction | Traffic, misdemeanors, small claims, district civil |
| Lowndes County Probate Court | Probate and recording functions | Estates, wills, guardianships, recording, marriage certificates |
| Municipal Courts | City jurisdiction | Municipal traffic and misdemeanor matters |
Lowndes County Courthouse Offices
The Circuit Clerk and Probate Office both list 1 South Washington Street in Hayneville. They are separate custodians even though visitors use the same courthouse address. The Circuit Clerk's phone is (334) 548-2252. The Probate Office uses 334-548-2843 and 334-548-2365. Both offices publish weekday hours from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Call the relevant office before travel when a certified copy, accommodation, interpreter, or current courtroom rule is important.
Lowndes County Circuit Clerk
1 South Washington Street
Hayneville, AL 36040
(334) 548-2252
Lowndes County Probate Office
1 South Washington Street
Hayneville, AL 36040
334-548-2365
Lowndes County Jail
Confirm location before travel
Hayneville, AL
(334) 548-2222
Lowndes County Court Record Types
Lowndes County District Civil records can include statements of claim, answers, counterclaims, service returns, motions, subpoenas, trial notices, judgments, appeals, garnishments, and collection writs. Small claims are the lower-dollar District Court track. The broader Lowndes County court records resource explains the common access fields, while court dockets focus on the dated action log.
Criminal files preserve filed charges and later case events. The criminal court record follows pleas, hearings, disposition, and sentence. Traffic cases issued for District Court use official state tools, while the full case remains with the court. Probate files cover estates and related proceedings. Juvenile records are confidential rather than ordinary public lookups.
- Criminal records include charges, pleas, settings, rulings, disposition, sentence, and financial history.
- Civil records document claims, service, answers, motions, judgments, appeals, and collection.
- Family records include divorce and domestic relations filings, orders, and decrees where public.
- Probate records cover estates, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, and related matters.
- Traffic records show citations, court settings, plea or payment, costs, and disposition.
What Lowndes Court Records Show
Alacourt case reports may show basic case information, parties, status, setting dates, actions, rulings, financial history, and a detailed case action summary. The exact content depends on the division. A charge line states an allegation, not a conviction. A setting is scheduled, not proof that a hearing occurred. Read the dated entries through the disposition, judgment, or sentence.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Court, division, year, sequence, and extension identifying the filing. |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, petitioner and respondent, or State and defendant. |
| Setting Dates | Scheduled appearances and hearings, subject to later change. |
| Charges or Claim | The alleged offense or civil basis placed before the court. |
| Disposition | The outcome for a charge, claim, or full case. |
| Sentence or Judgment | Criminal terms after conviction or the civil court's final decision. |
Lowndes County Court Public Access
Alabama's broad public-record rule supports inspection and copying unless another law restricts the record. Court records also follow judicial rules and case orders. The office holding the file decides whether it can be inspected, copied, certified, redacted, or withheld. Online access is convenient, but the Circuit Clerk or Probate Office remains the source for certified local documents.
Key Statutes:
Alabama Code § 36-12-40 sets the broad public inspection and copying baseline.
Alabama Code § 12-15-133 makes juvenile legal and social records confidential except as allowed.
Alabama Code § 15-27-2 states eligibility conditions for felony expungement.
Restricted Lowndes Court Records
Juvenile files are confidential under state law. Adoption and involuntary commitment matters are also sensitive. Sealed and expunged records may be missing or limited in a public search. Public systems may redact Social Security numbers, account data, dates of birth, minor names, and protected addresses. A search credential is not a public display field.
Alabama courts grant expungements, not ALEA. Eligible applicants identify the filing court, obtain the certified criminal history required by ALEA guidance, and use the AOC petition process. The Circuit Clerk can receive filings but cannot decide eligibility or give legal advice.
Lowndes County Drug Court
The confirmed local specialty program is the Second Judicial Circuit Drug Court, a regional program serving Butler, Crenshaw, and Lowndes counties. Drug Court Information and Court Referral is listed through Elizabeth Pennington at (334) 403-7301 and (251) 401-0450. A state examination covered the Drug Court Fund from October 2022 through September 2024. Official research did not confirm a separate Lowndes veterans, mental health, or reentry court, so those programs should not be assumed.
Lowndes County Sheriff and Jail
Sheriff Christopher S. West leads the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office. The official county page lists office phone (334) 548-6151 and promotes the Lowndes County Sheriff app for current information, forms, tips, agency news, and other assistance. The local judiciary directory lists the Lowndes County Jail at (334) 548-2222. No official county web jail roster was found.
The official app is available through the Apple App Store and Google Play. Its listings do not verify a jail-roster or warrant-search tool, so users should check current app features without assuming those tools exist. The Lowndes County inmate information uses jail phone and app fallbacks, while the warrant search follows the magistrate's public-access limits.
The assigned capture from the Alabama District Attorneys Association directory supports the local prosecution routing.
Lowndes County is served by District Attorney Charlotte Tesmer within the Second Judicial Circuit.
Lowndes Marriage Divorce and Probate
The Probate Office records Alabama marriage certificates and handles estates, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, name changes, and related functions. The Lowndes County Probate Court uses online and direct office channels. Divorce decrees and court files route through Circuit Court Domestic Relations and the Circuit Clerk, while marriage and divorce records also include statewide certificate options. A divorce certificate proves the event but is not the decree.
- Testator
- A person who made a will.
- Executor
- A person appointed to administer an estate under a will.
- Conservator
- A person appointed to manage another person's financial affairs.
Lowndes County Court Record Fees
Alacourt charges for searches and images. Local filing fees differ from copy charges and depend on the matter. The Circuit Clerk should confirm current copy, certification, payment, and mail-return requirements. The published local civil fee sheet provides useful examples of filing costs, but these amounts do not buy a court-record search.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Alacourt name search | $9.99 |
| Alacourt case-number search | $9.99 |
| Document images | $5 first 20 pages, then $0.50 per page |
| Small claim up to $1,500 | $67, including sheriff's fee |
| District Civil $6,000.01-$20,000 | $262, including sheriff's fee |
| Domestic Relations uncontested | $194, including sheriff's fee |
Interpret Lowndes County Court Records
A plaintiff files a civil claim, while a defendant responds to or defends against it. A petitioner asks for relief, and a respondent answers a petition. A motion asks the judge to act. An order records the judge's decision. Disposition means the outcome of a charge or case. Judgment is the civil court's final decision. Continuance means a setting moved to a later date. None of these terms should be read without the surrounding dated entries.
Criminal records require the clearest distinction. A filed charge is an allegation. A plea or verdict addresses guilt. A disposition records the outcome. A sentence states punishment after conviction. Bond concerns pretrial release, not guilt. When a code is unclear, request the linked order or ask the clerk which document controls.
Lowndes Court Record Limits
Online court data can lag behind a new filing or hearing. The Traffic Service Center says a ticket may take up to ten business days to enter the system. Name searches can miss a spelling variation or combine people with similar names. A municipal case may not appear where a county District case is expected. Certified copies and current settings should be confirmed with the originating clerk.
Note: Confirm deadlines, court settings, and certified document needs with the office that created the Lowndes County record.
The assigned image from Alabama's Office of Indigent Defense Services identifies the state framework for appointed-counsel support.
A person who cannot afford counsel should ask the court about appointed-counsel procedures rather than assume a separate county public defender office exists.
Lowndes County Courthouse History
The National Park Service dates the Lowndes County Courthouse to 1856 and describes its Greek Revival design. It is one of four Alabama courthouses still standing from before the Civil War and the oldest of those buildings. The historic courthouse remains a working public location for Circuit Clerk and Probate Office business, linking the county's long civic history with current electronic imaging and statewide court search systems.
The assigned image from the National Park Service courthouse history shows the authoritative historical source.
The building's historic status does not change which office holds each modern record.
Federal Court Records for Lowndes
Federal court records follow a separate path from Lowndes County Court records. Lowndes County lies in the Northern Division of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. The division is served from Montgomery, where the federal district clerk maintains federal civil and criminal proceedings. A local arrest or dispute does not become a federal case unless a matter is actually charged or filed in federal court. The Lowndes County Circuit Clerk cannot supply those federal files.
Use the Middle District courthouse information to confirm the federal clerk location and the official PACER court lookup for electronic federal case access. Bankruptcy proceedings use the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Alabama, not Lowndes County Probate Court. The word probate concerns estates and related county proceedings, while bankruptcy is a federal debt-relief court process.
The federal courthouse is the Frank M. Johnson Jr. U.S. Courthouse Complex at One Church Street, Montgomery, AL 36104. PACER lists the district court phone as 334-954-3600. Those details are useful when a name appears in both state and federal systems. Always match the case number, court name, and filing jurisdiction before assuming the records describe the same proceeding.
Route Lowndes County Record Requests
Several Lowndes County offices work from the same courthouse setting, but their duties do not overlap completely. The Circuit Clerk holds Circuit and District court case files. The Probate Office holds probate cases, marriage certificate recordings, deeds, mortgages, judgments recorded in that office, and other probate functions. The Sheriff's Office and jail handle active custody, incident reports, public-safety records, and agency information. ADOC handles current state-prison inmates, not every person in the county jail.
Municipal boundaries create another local routing issue. The official warrant magistrate material says misdemeanor charges inside Hayneville and White Hall city limits must be handled through their municipal court unless a felony is part of the same incident or an extraordinary circumstance applies. Traffic matters can also involve state troopers, county deputies, Fort Deposit Police Department, or Mosses Police Department. Check the issuing agency and the court printed on the citation before using a county payment or record channel.
Alabama AOC publishes statewide ADA accommodation and interpreter resources. The local District Civil instructions also state that reasonable accommodations can be made when a physical limitation prevents someone from completing needed forms. Court staff may explain procedure but cannot give legal advice. Calling before a courthouse visit helps confirm the right office, current form, accepted payment, and any accommodation or language service that must be arranged.
Lowndes County Court Questions
Where are Circuit and District records kept?
The Lowndes County Circuit Clerk keeps both Circuit and District Court proceedings. Alacourt provides paid online case access, while the clerk handles certified copies and local files that are not available through the portal.
Are probate cases in Alacourt?
Probate records use the Probate Office and Lowndes Probate Online Services. That service has separate modules for probate cases, land records, account access, and older historical records.
Does Lowndes County publish a jail roster?
No official Lowndes County, Alabama web jail roster was located. Call the jail at (334) 548-2222, contact the Sheriff's Office, and check the official sheriff app for current agency information.
Are juvenile court files public?
No. Alabama law treats juvenile legal and social files as confidential except where a statutory rule permits access. A public portal should not be expected to show an ordinary juvenile case file.
How are federal cases searched?
Lowndes County is in the Northern Division of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. Federal civil, criminal, and bankruptcy records use federal clerk systems and PACER, not the Lowndes County Circuit Clerk.
Can the clerk give legal advice?
No. The clerk can explain filing and record procedures but cannot advise which claim, defense, petition, or legal strategy to use. Court users should consult an attorney for legal advice.