Circuit courts are provided by the Alabama state constitution and organized by statute. They are required to be held in each county in the state at least twice in every year. Five judicial circuits were created in 1819, each including several counties. More circuits were created after 1819, and now there are twenty, with Mobile County comprising the thirteenth. At various times during the nineteenth century, however, Mobile County was in the same judicial circuit as Baldwin and Washington counties, and some cases from these counties may be found in the records. Circuit courts have original jurisdiction in all matters civil and criminal in the state. Equity jurisdiction was vested in the circuit courts from 1819 to 1839, and then in the courts of chancery until 1915. At that time it was transferred to the circuit courts with the reorganization of the state judicial system. The records of the Mobile County chancery court are included in the circuit court materials. The growth of population and the development of cities necessitated increased court facilities. This need was met by the creation of county and city courts. County courts had jurisdiction concurrent with the circuit courts of all misdemeanors, however, county courts judges determined both the law and the facts, and awarded the punishment without the intervention of a jury. City courts (sometimes called law and equity courts) had the jurisdiction of the circuit courts, or of the circuit and chancery courts, or in some cases of the criminal jurisdiction of the circuit court only. Prior to the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1906, persons could also apply for citizenship in any court of record. These inferior courts were eliminated by the state legislature in the consolidation act of 1915, and their records are included in the circuit court materials. For a brief history of the circuit and chancery courts in Alabama, see Thomas MacAdory Owen 's History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography (1921; reprint, Spartanburg, S.C., 1978).
Circuit Court Index (Criminal) , 1846-1938 Circuit Court Indexes (Civil): Circuit Court Minute Books (Criminal), 1917-20 Circuit Court Minutes (Civil), 1833-1914 (Microfilmed 1833-1907) 1828-30
Case # 2451-1474, 2590-7319 Circuit Court Naturalization Records, 1903-06 (microfilmed)
Law & Equity Indexes, 1907-17, Direct & Reverse (microfilmed) Law & Equity General Docket, 1907-16 Law & Equity Motion Docket, 1907-15 Law & Equity Execution Docket, 1898-1903, 1907-26 Law & Equity (in Equity) Trial Docket, 1909-13 Law & Equity (in Equity) Commission Docket, 1908-13 Equity City Tax Docket, 1916-18 Law & Equity (in Equity) Order Books, 1907-17 Law & Equity (in Law) Minute Book, 1909-11 Law & Equity Minute Books, 1911-16 Law & Equity (in Law) Final Record Books, 1907-08 Law & Equity (in Equity) Final Record Books, 1906-16 Equity Record Books, 1909-17 Law & Equity Case Files: 1907-19 (In Law)
City Court Index (Civil), 1851-1916 City Court Criminal Minute Books: 1846-1902
(microfilmed) City Court Civil Minute Books, 1840-42, 1868-89, 1895-16 City Court Final Records and Judgments (Criminal) 1854-58
Case # 1589-2469 City Court Final Record Books (Civil) : 1838-41
Case # 7188-7435 City Court Naturalization Records, 1891-1906 (microfilmed) City Court (Civil) Case Files, 1851-1916 (no criminal case files)
Chancery Court Indexes: 1829-1880
Direct & Reverse Chancery Court Minute Books, 1831-38 Chancery Court Final Record Books: Chancery Court Writ and Bond Record Book, 1882-99 Chancery Court Order Books, 1892-1916 Chancery Court Subpoena Docket, 1905-08 Chancery Court Commission Docket, 1889-1906 Chancery Court General Docket: 1852-98
Vols. B-D Case # 1746-6256 Chancery Court General Docket (Equity), 1857-73 Chancery Court Delinquet Taxes City of Mobile, 1912-15 Chancery Court Case Files, 1833-1918
County Court General Index, 1838-40 (Direct & Reverse) County Court Admiralty Records, 1842, 1847-69 County Court (Civil) Case Files, 1837-46
City & Special Tax Book, 1912-16 City Fee Ledger, 1917-19 Court Register's Fee Books, 1900 & 1904
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