Alabama 13th Judicial Circuit
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The Alabama 13th Judicial Circuit resides in Alabama. Click on the links below to learn more about the court's...
Jurisdiction
This court holds the following jurisdiction:[1]
| “ | Alabama’s circuit courts have general jurisdiction over the majority of legal matters. Circuit courts have jurisdiction over all criminal matters involving felony prosecutions. Circuit courts may also exercise jurisdiction over legal matters filed in Alabama’s district and juvenile courts, and in matters where the amount in controversy exceeds $3,000.
Circuit courts have exclusive jurisdiction over matters where the amount in controversy exceeds $10,000. Circuit courts also have appellate jurisdiction over certain legal matters that may be appealed directly to the circuit court from the courts of limited jurisdiction. Each of Alabama’s 67 counties has a circuit court. Each judicial circuit (consisting of one or more Alabama counties) also has a presiding judge who exercises general supervision of the courts in his or her circuit.[2] |
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Selection method
- See also: Judicial selection in the states
- See also: Partisan elections
There are 144 judges on the Alabama Circuit Courts, each elected to six-year terms. They appear on partisan election ballots statewide and must face re-election if they wish to serve again. The chief judge of a circuit court is selected by peer vote and serves a three-year term.[3]
Only voters residing in a particular circuit may vote for the circuit judge of that region.[3]
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a judge must be:
- licensed to practice law for at least five years;
- a resident of his or her circuit for at least one year;
- under the age of 70 at the time of election (judges who turn 70 in office may serve until their term expires)[3][4]
Judicial elections in Alabama
- See also: Alabama judicial elections
Alabama is one of 11 states that uses partisan elections to select judges and does not use retention elections for subsequent terms. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.
Primary election
Candidates for judge or justice who wish to run on a party ticket must qualify to run in an open primary by obtaining the legally required number of signatures to get on the ballot.[5] Primary elections in years without a presidential primary are held on the first Tuesday in June.[6] Candidates can only qualify for one party. The winners from each party proceed to a general election in November.
If no candidate in a race wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff determines who will advance to the general election. The top two vote recipients in the primary advance to the runoff. Primary runoffs are held six weeks after the primary election.[7][8]
If a candidate qualifies on a party ticket and is unopposed, their name is not placed on the primary ticket, but instead is placed automatically on the general election ballot.[9] Political parties can make rules restricting who participates in primaries, and residents can only vote in a single party's primary.[10]
General election
Alabama general elections are held on the first Tuesday in November of every even-numbered year. If a victory margin is within 0.5 percent, an automatic recount will take place unless the defeated candidate waives his or her right to the recount.[11]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Alabama State Bar Association, "Alabama's Court System," accessed May 10, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Alabama," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Judicial Retirement Laws, "Alabama: Mandatory Retirement Provisions Applicable Generally," accessed March 31, 2016
- ↑ Fairvote.org, "Congressional and Presidential Primaries: Open, Closed, Semi-Closed, and 'Top Two,'" accessed April 29, 2014
- ↑ The Code of Alabama, "§17-13-3," accessed September 20, 2017
- ↑ Alabama Election Code, "§17-14-6," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ The Code of Alabama, "§17-13-3," accessed September 24, 2017
- ↑ Alabama Election Code, "§17-13-5(c)," accessed April 29, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Election Code, "§17-13-7," accessed April 29, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Election Code, "§17-16-20," accessed April 29, 2014
Federal courts:
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Alabama, Middle District of Alabama, Southern District of Alabama
State courts:
Alabama Supreme Court • Alabama Court of Civil Appeals • Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals • Alabama Circuit Courts • Alabama District Courts • Alabama Juvenile Courts • Alabama Municipal Courts • Alabama Probate Courts • Alabama Small Claims Courts
State resources:
Courts in Alabama • Alabama judicial elections • Judicial selection in Alabama
