§ 12-11-30 — Generally

Alabama § 12-11-30

• Jurisdiction: Alabama
• Title 12: Courts
• Ch. 11: Circuit Courts
• Art. 2: Jurisdiction

Text

(1) CIVIL. The circuit court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction of all civil actions in which the matter in controversy exceeds twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), exclusive of interest and costs, and shall exercise original jurisdiction concurrent with the district court in all civil actions in which the matter in controversy exceeds six thousand dollars ($6,000), exclusive of interest and costs.
(2) CRIMINAL. The circuit court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction of all felony prosecutions and of misdemeanor or ordinance violations which are lesser included offenses within a felony charge or which arise from the same incident as a felony charge; except, that the district court shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit court to receive pleas of guilty in felony cases not punishable by sentence of death. The circuit court may, on conviction of a defendant, upon a showing of inability to make immediate payment of fine and costs, continue the case from time to time to permit the fine and costs to be paid.
(3) APPELLATE. The circuit court shall have appellate jurisdiction of civil, criminal, and juvenile cases in district court and prosecutions for ordinance violations in municipal courts, except in cases in which direct appeal to the Courts of Civil or Criminal Appeals is provided by law or rule. Appeals to the circuit court shall be tried de novo, with or without a jury, as provided by law.
(4) SUPERINTENDENCE OF DISTRICT, MUNICIPAL AND PROBATE COURTS. The circuit court shall exercise a general superintendence over all district courts, municipal courts, and probate courts.
(5) CONTEMPTS. The circuit court may punish contempts by fines not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100) and by imprisonment not exceeding five days. The power of the circuit court to enforce its orders and judgments by determinations of civil contempt shall be unaffected by this section.
(6) GENERAL. The circuit court shall have other powers as provided by law.

Legislative History

(Code 1852, §§381, 628; Code 1867, §§746, 3929; Code 1876, §§657, 4627; Code 1886, §§756, 4196; Code 1896, §§918, 4591; Code 1907, §§3255, 6694; Acts 1915, No. 539, p. 608; Code 1923, §§3799, 6676; Code 1940, T. 13, §126; Acts 1975, No. 1205, p. 2384, §2-104; Acts 1990, No. 90-382, p. 513, §1; Acts 1995, No. 95-606, p. 1278, §1; Acts 1996, No. 96-752, p. 1323, §1; Act 2015-224, p. 658, §1; Act 2019-405, §1.)