Court Services
The Court Services Department, the public face of our court, is generally your first stop in our court. The Court Services Coordinators assist with opening your civil actions, help you with the public viewing terminal, accept payments, and provide general client support in many other areas.
Filing after hours
Should you need to file something after hours, and are unable to do so electronically, we have a drop box outside our courthouse on Church Street. You must stamp your pleadings using the meter before you place them in the box. If you fail to do so, they will be stamped the next business day that we're open -- don't miss a deadline because you failed to stamp your pleading.
Please be advised that all pleadings should be sent or brought to the Office of the Clerk. Do not mail your pleadings to our Dothan or Opelika courthouses; they are only open and staffed for trials.
Important Case-related Support Roles
Courtroom Deputies
The courtroom deputy or CRD, who is stationed in the Clerk’s Office, works hand-in-hand with the assigned judge, chambers staff, and counsel in each aspect of the courtroom proceeding. The role of the courtroom deputy is coordinate the day-to-day scheduling, responds to requests and inquiries from counsel, and works closely with the presiding judge in preparing each aspect of case administration, including hearings and trials. Courtroom. Deputy's contact information can be found on each of the Judge's individual pages or the court directory.
Case Administrator
Our civil docket clerks and courtroom deputies (CRDs) assist with day-to-day civil and criminal case administration, respectively. Both the civil and criminal division clerks perform vital functions – all orders are entered on the docket by them, all pleadings filed by attorneys and pro se litigants are reviewed once they’ve been filed on the record, and any corrections that are necessary are facilitated by the clerks. If you have case-specific questions regarding civil matters before our court, please contact the Office of the Clerk at (334) 954-3600, and we will assist you.
Court Reporters
Guardianship of the record of courtroom proceedings is a key and historic responsibility of the court. Each court session and proceeding designated by statute, court rule, general order, or by order of an individual judge is recorded verbatim by stenotype or electronic sound recording equipment.
The court reporters and court recorders play a significant role in ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the record. The Alabama Middle District has two court reporters. Please visit our Court Reporters section for more information.
Help Desk
For General Questions please call (334) 954-3600. If you require assistance with the electronic filing system, please call (334) 954-3935. All IT-related questions can be directed to (334) 954-3939.
Information Technology
Our Information Technology (IT) Department – handles all software, hardware, and network issues. Should you require training regarding our courtroom technology, the IT Staff will assist you. Please refer to our Training and Technology section for more information.
Finance
The Finance Department manages all monies involved in the operation of the District Court in the Middle District of Alabama. Payments are applied to fees and fines, and court ordered funds are disbursed from this department.
CVB/Ticket Payments
The Central Violations Bureau (CVB) is a national center charged with processing violation notices (tickets) issued and payments received for petty offenses committed on federal property. Visit their site to make on-line payments for federal tickets only.
Restitution Payments
There are two types of restitution: individual and joint & several. Individual is solely the responsibility of the one defendant. Joint and several is the responsibility of the one defendant and all the other defendants that are tied by the Judgment as joint and several.
Only a defendant, or the defendant's attorney, can contact the Financial Litigation Unit (FLU) at the U.S. Attorney's office for a balance.
We do not accept personal checks for criminal debt, nor will we accept credit/debit cards. We, however, do accept cash, official checks, money orders as payment. A receipt is handed to the person at the counter or if by mail, a receipt is mailed to the address on the money order or envelope.
When restitution is paid in full, the U.S. Attorney's Office will enter a Satisfaction of Judgment in the criminal case.