Perry County District Court Role
Alabama's District Courts are limited-jurisdiction trial courts. In Perry County, the District Court handles small claims, district civil disputes, unlawful detainers and evictions, many traffic cases, misdemeanors, and juvenile proceedings. It works alongside Circuit Court, which handles felony prosecutions, domestic relations, workers' compensation, larger civil matters, and appeals from lower courts.
The county is part of Alabama's Fourth Judicial Circuit. The District Court and Circuit Court records are managed through the Circuit Clerk's Office. Probate matters are separate. Municipal ordinance and city misdemeanor cases may be heard in Municipal Court. This structure is why a party should identify the case division before searching or filing.
View the official Perry County District Judge source.
The court page identifies District Judge Robert Bryant and the Marion court location.
Perry County District Court Offices
The source material does not show a series of numbered local District Courts. The full table therefore lists the court and related offices that serve District Court users, rather than inventing court numbers.
| Court or Office | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County District Court | Limited-jurisdiction trial court | 300 Washington St., Marion, AL 36756 | District Judge: (334) 683-4664 |
| Circuit Clerk | District and Circuit records and filings | 300 Washington St., Suite 110, Marion, AL 36756 | (334) 683-6106 |
| Juvenile Division | District Court juvenile matters | 300 Washington St., Marion, AL 36756 | Probation Officer: (334) 683-7120 |
| Marion Municipal Court | City municipal matters | 123 E. Jefferson St., Marion, AL 36756 | (334) 683-8969 |
District Judge Robert Bryant also has a mailing address of P.O. Box 355, Marion, Alabama 36756. Court records and filings ordinarily go through the Circuit Clerk, not directly to the judge's mailing box unless an official instruction says otherwise.
Perry County District Case Types
Small Claims is a District Court division for claims up to $6,000. The local court describes its process as simple, informal, and without a jury at that level. District Civil covers disputes above the small-claims range through $20,000, as reflected in the published filing categories, along with evictions and unlawful detainers.
- Small claims: Civil claims up to $6,000, with an appeal available to Circuit Court.
- District civil: Civil claims in the district range, including eviction and unlawful-detainer matters.
- Traffic: State Trooper and County Deputy citations identified by Perry County as District Court cases.
- Misdemeanors: Lower-level criminal matters within District Court jurisdiction.
- Juvenile: Delinquency, Child in Need of Supervision, and dependency matters involving children under eighteen.
Juvenile records are confidential and should not be treated like an ordinary public civil or traffic file.
District, Circuit, and Municipal Courts
Alabama does not place a generic County Court or Justice of the Peace court between these local levels. The relevant comparison for Perry County is District Court, Circuit Court, and Municipal Court, with Probate Court handling a separate subject area.
| Feature | District Court | Circuit Court | Municipal Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil work | Small claims, district civil, evictions | Larger civil cases and workers' compensation | Not identified as the county civil-record channel |
| Criminal work | Misdemeanors and lower-court stages | Felony prosecutions | City ordinance and municipal matters |
| Traffic | State Trooper and County Deputy citations | Appeal or related higher-court work | City-issued matters |
| Family and juvenile | Juvenile division | Domestic relations and divorce | Not the identified family-record channel |
| Record office | Perry County Circuit Clerk | Municipal court clerk | |
This comparison prevents a common filing error. The courthouse can house several public offices while each office still keeps a different record set.
Perry County District Civil Cases
District Civil includes cases in the local district-court range and unlawful detainer or eviction proceedings. Perry County's fee sheet lists $307 for District Civil cases from $6,000.01 through $20,000 and $307 for unlawful detainers or evictions. Filing fees can change, and service or added-party costs may affect the amount.
A plaintiff must use the correct forms and service information. The clerk manages filings but cannot give legal advice or fill out forms. Alabama AOC forms are available through the official e-forms portal. Parties should keep the case number and copies of filed documents, since online case detail may not include every attachment without a separate charge.
Review Perry County's District Civil instructions and forms.
The local source ties district civil procedure to the correct Perry County trial-court division.
Perry County Small Claims
Perry County publishes unusually detailed small-claims instructions. The correct address for the defendant or the defendant's employment is needed for service. Filing fees are nonrefundable. Certified-mail service requires restricted delivery and postage. Once served, the defendant has 14 calendar days to answer.
If an answer is filed, Perry County says trial is normally set six to eight weeks after the answer is received. A default request must be notarized. An appeal must be filed within 14 calendar days after judgment. The published appeal fee is $306 for a non-jury trial or $406 for a jury trial. The appeal goes to Circuit Court for a new trial, known as a trial de novo.
- Service
- Formal delivery of the claim and court papers.
- Default judgment
- A judgment requested when the defendant does not answer or appear as required.
- Trial de novo
- A new Circuit Court trial after a qualifying lower-court appeal.
Perry County Juvenile Court
Juvenile Court is a division of District Court. Perry County identifies delinquency, Child in Need of Supervision, often called CHINS, and dependency as its main case classes for children under eighteen. A case begins by complaint or petition. Juvenile Probation Officer Jamaal Turner is listed at 300 Washington Street with phone (334) 683-7120.
See the official Perry County Juvenile Court source.
The juvenile page confirms both the District Court division and the local probation contact.
Juvenile court and law-enforcement records are confidential under Alabama law. Public case-search expectations used for District Civil or traffic records should not be applied to juvenile files.
Perry County District Case Flow
Case flow varies by division, but each matter starts with a filing, complaint, petition, or citation and ends with a court action that may be subject to review. The following paths reflect Perry County's published structure without claiming that every case has every step.
Civil flow: Claim Filed › Service › Answer or Default Request › Setting › Trial › Judgment › Circuit Court Appeal
Traffic flow: Citation › Payment Before Court or Appearance › Trial if Contested › Disposition › Failure-to-Appear Action or Appeal when applicable
Juvenile flow: Complaint or Petition › Juvenile Court Review › Hearing and Orders, subject to confidential procedures
Appeal rights and deadlines depend on the case type. The small-claims page provides a specific 14-day deadline, but that number should not be generalized to every District Court case.
Perry County Fourth Circuit
The Fourth Judicial Circuit includes Perry County. Official Perry County pages list Presiding Circuit Judge Marvin W. Wiggins in Greensboro, Circuit Judge Donald L. McMillan at the Perry County Courthouse in Marion, and Circuit Judge Robert Bryan Jones in Selma. District Judge Robert Bryant serves from Marion.
See the Fourth Judicial Circuit judge listing serving Perry County.
The circuit listing shows that Perry County's court system is local in access but regional in judicial organization.
Access Perry County District Records
Alacourt Access provides paid name and case-number searches for state trial-court records. Perry County's public docket page separately supports a setting date and an optional last name, but warns that some cases may not appear. When a case seems missing or a court date is uncertain, call the Circuit Clerk at (334) 683-6106 or visit Suite 110.
Circuit Clerk Mia Jacobs-Turner’s hours at the Perry County Courthouse are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Alacourt case detail can include basic case information, status, setting dates, parties, financial history, court actions, and a detailed case action summary. Document images cost extra. For certified or older records, ask the clerk rather than relying only on the online entry. Sheriff Roy Fikes’s office handles the law-enforcement record, not the District Court file. More search detail is available with Perry County court record access.
Federal Courts Serving Perry County
Federal court should not be confused with Perry County District Court. Perry County lies in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama, and federal dockets use PACER. The federal court publishes Mobile and Selma court locations and public-terminal hours.
Review Southern District of Alabama court locations.
The federal location list directs federal record users away from the Perry County state clerk.
Bankruptcy cases use the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Alabama. The regional Bankruptcy Administrator is a separate federal office.
See the U.S. Bankruptcy Administrator source for the Southern District of Alabama.
That office relates to federal bankruptcy administration, not Perry County District Court filings.