Search Butler County Court Records
Butler County does not offer a free county-only case search on the local court pages. The official online route for District and Circuit Court cases is Alacourt ACCESS, Alabama's paid public trial-court records portal. The portal covers criminal, civil, small claims, traffic, domestic relations, and child support records. Name and case number searches are offered, and the public portal description says case detail reports may include basic case information, case status, setting dates, party information, financial history, and a detailed case action summary.
Choose the custodian before paying for a search. District and Circuit Court records route through Circuit Clerk Mattie Gomillion and Alacourt ACCESS. Probate case and land records route through the Butler Judge of Probate online services. Sheriff's incident records, jail status, and law-enforcement records route to the Butler County Sheriff's Office. Appellate filings are separate and use the Alabama Appellate Courts Public Portal.
- Identify whether the file is Circuit Court, District Court, Probate Court, sheriff, traffic, or appellate.
- Use Alacourt ACCESS for state trial-court case records when a name or case number search is needed.
- Use the probate portal for Butler probate case records and land records.
- Contact the Circuit Clerk or Probate Office for certified copies, older files, or records not available online.
- Use the agency that created the record for non-court files, such as sheriff incident records or jail information.
Butler County Court Search Fields
The main trial-court portal is fee based, so search planning matters. Alacourt states that a no-match result can still count as a paid search. Case number searches are usually best when a citation, docket, or filing notice already gives the number. Name searches are broader and can be useful when the case number is unknown, but common names may return more possible matches.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Options / Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name Search | Search path | Paid search | Public page identifies name searching as an available trial-court search type. |
| Case Number Search | Search path | Paid search | Best when a notice, ticket, pleading, or docket entry supplies the number. |
| Account Sign Up | Account action | Sometimes | The portal offers account signup and subscriber-style access. |
| Document Images | Paid retrieval | After case selection | Images are priced apart from the search and case detail report. |
| Case Monitoring | Paid feature | Optional | Email monitoring is listed for future changes in District or Circuit cases. |
Butler County Court System
Butler County is part of Alabama's Second Judicial Circuit. The local trial court structure includes Circuit Court, District Court, Probate Court, and municipal courts for city matters. Circuit Court is the general-jurisdiction trial court and handles felony cases, domestic relations, circuit civil matters, and appeals from limited courts. District Court handles district civil, small claims, traffic, lower criminal, and juvenile division matters. Probate Court is separate and is led by the probate judge.
The Alabama Judicial System provides the statewide court framework behind these local offices. The local judiciary directory lists Circuit Judge Cleveland Poole, District Judge Nicki M. McFerrin, Circuit Clerk Mattie Gomillion, Probate Judge Ann Steiner Gregory, the jail, sheriff, district attorney, probation contacts, and drug court or court referral contact. The same county case can touch more than one office as it moves from arrest, filing, court setting, judgment, appeal, and collection.
The statewide judicial system is summarized on the Alabama Judicial System website.
That statewide structure explains why Butler County records may be local in custody but searched through Alabama court systems.
| Court or Office | Local Official | Role in Butler County Court Records |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court | Judge Cleveland Poole | Felony, domestic relations, circuit civil, and appeals from limited courts. |
| District Court | Judge Nicki M. McFerrin | District civil, small claims, traffic, lower criminal, and juvenile matters. |
| Circuit Clerk | Mattie Gomillion | Record keeper and business manager for District and Circuit Court cases. |
| Probate Court | Judge Ann Steiner Gregory | Estates, wills, adoptions, guardianships, conservatorships, marriage recording, and probate records. |
| Sheriff and Jail | David Scruggs | Law enforcement, jail custody, process service, and sheriff records. |
Butler County Court Record Types
Butler County court records include civil claims, small claims, criminal cases, court charge records, domestic relations, juvenile matters, probate filings, traffic tickets, warrants after service, and marriage or divorce records. The record type controls where the file is held and how it can be requested. A civil judgment in District Court, a felony case in Circuit Court, a probate estate file, and a jail custody question do not follow the same search path.
Several record types have local rules worth noting. Small claims is a District Court division for disputes up to the researched limit and has no jury. Domestic relations cases are Circuit Court matters, and certified divorce decree copies come from the Circuit Clerk. Juvenile records are confidential under Alabama law. Unserved arrest warrants are not public in Butler County. Georgiana Police Department tickets and Georgiana misdemeanors normally route to Georgiana Municipal Court unless a felony or unusual circumstance places the case elsewhere.
- Civil and small claims: statements of claim, service, answers, judgments, appeals, garnishments, and execution records.
- Criminal and charge records: complaints, warrants after service, bond, pleas, motions, disposition, sentence, fines, and costs.
- Domestic relations: divorce, custody-related filings, decrees, and certified divorce copies.
- Probate records: estates, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, adoptions, marriage recording, and land records.
- Traffic records: citations, violations, proof submissions, payments, dismissal status, late fees, and court dates.
Butler County Court Record Details
Alacourt's public description says a trial-court case detail report may show basic case information, court actions, case status, setting dates, party information, financial history, and a detailed case action summary. Butler's local court pages add practical detail. District civil records can show service dates, answer deadlines, default requests, appeal notices, garnishment, writs of execution, and certificates of judgment. Traffic records can show no-insurance proof handling, court costs, late fees, and whether a violation is payable before court.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case number | The assigned identifier used when contacting the clerk or searching the case. |
| Court and division | Whether the file is Circuit, District, traffic, domestic relations, juvenile, probate, or another division. |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, state and defendant, petitioner and respondent, or estate and interested parties. |
| Setting dates | Hearings, trials, payment deadlines, traffic court dates, or other scheduled court action. |
| Financial history | Filing fees, fines, court costs, restitution, garnishment, or payment information when public. |
| Disposition | The final result, such as judgment, dismissal, plea, conviction, acquittal, or sentence. |
Butler County Court Access Laws
Alabama law supports inspection and copying of public writings unless another law makes the record confidential. Court records still depend on the court, clerk, sealing orders, and specific confidentiality statutes. In Butler County, the Circuit Clerk keeps District and Circuit Court files, Probate keeps probate and recording records, and the Sheriff's Office keeps sheriff and jail records. Request paths should follow the office that created or maintains the file.
Key Alabama Statutes:
Alabama Code section 36-12-40 gives citizens the right to inspect and copy public writings unless another law restricts access.
Alabama Code section 36-12-44 sets procedures for public-records requests to public officers.
Alabama Code section 12-15-133 keeps juvenile court records confidential except for statutory access categories.
Alabama Code section 22-9A-22 governs certified vital records such as marriage and divorce certificates.
Restricted Butler County Court Records
Not every Butler County court record is public in the same way. Juvenile records involving delinquency, CHINS, and dependency are confidential. Adoption records handled by Probate Court are generally sealed. Expunged and sealed criminal records should not appear in ordinary public searches after a proper order. Personal identifiers, financial account numbers, minor identifiers, and other protected information may be redacted from public copies.
Warrants have a special local rule. Butler's magistrates and warrants guidance says an arrest warrant is not public until served. A person who suspects an outstanding warrant must appear at the Clerk's Office with valid ID, and warrant information is not released by phone. This makes Butler County warrant research different from generic online warrant-search claims.
Butler County Court Fees
The Circuit Clerk fee information is useful because many record searches lead to filing, service, copy, appeal, or collection steps. Amounts vary by case type, and the research file flags a few page-specific conflicts, so use the fee tied to the relevant office page before filing. The clerk cannot give legal advice, but the office can route questions by division and explain local filing steps.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small claims up to $1,500 | $52.00 | Listed on the small claims and civil fee materials. |
| Small claims $1,500.01 to $3,000 | $126.00 | Small claims is a District Court division. |
| Small claims $3,000.01 to $6,000 | $215.00 | The local maximum is listed at $6,000. |
| District civil $6,000.01 to $20,000 | $292.00 | Used for district civil claims in the researched range. |
| Domestic relations initial filing | $244.00 | Listed on domestic and civil fee materials. |
| Certified divorce decree copy | $5.00 | Requested from the Circuit Clerk, not ADPH, when the full decree is needed. |
Butler County Jail Records
The Butler County Sheriff's Office is separate from the courthouse record divisions. The official county sheriff page names Sheriff David Scruggs and gives the administrative office at 801 Walnut Street in Greenville. The jail phone listed in the local judiciary directory is (334) 382-3321. No official county web jail roster was located in the research, but the official sheriff page links to the Butler County Sheriff's Office mobile app through OCV.
The sheriff's official page links to the Butler County Sheriff's Office app download page.
The app is a sheriff access channel, while state prison custody is searched through ADOC and not through the county jail.
Butler County Sheriff's Office
801 Walnut Street
Greenville, AL 36037
(334) 382-6521
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Butler County Jail
Greenville, AL
(334) 382-3321
Call before traveling because no official visitation schedule was located.
Butler County Probate Records
Probate records in Butler County are handled by Probate Judge Ann Steiner Gregory and the Probate Office, not the Circuit Clerk. The office covers estates, wills, adoptions, guardianships, conservatorships, marriage recording, records, elections, and administrative functions such as vehicle and vessel registrations. The official online services page offers land records lookup, probate case records lookup, record account login, and account signup instructions.
The Butler County Probate Office page is available from the official county government website.
Probate access is important because marriage recording, estates, land records, and probate case records sit outside ordinary Circuit Clerk case search.
- Executor
- A person named to carry out a will and administer an estate.
- Intestate
- A case where a person dies without a valid will controlling estate distribution.
- Conservatorship
- A probate matter involving management of another person's financial affairs.
- Guardianship
- A probate matter involving care or decision-making for a minor or incapacitated adult.
Butler County Criminal Records
Criminal records should be read as a chain, not as one flat report. An incident may begin with sheriff, Greenville police, Georgiana police, or another agency. A magistrate may review probable cause for a warrant. The district attorney prosecutes state charges. Once filed, the court case can show charges, bond, arraignment, pleas, motions, hearings, disposition, sentence, fines, costs, probation, restitution, and appeal notices.
District Attorney Charlotte Tesmer is listed for the Second Judicial Circuit in Butler's judiciary directory. The district attorney represents the State in criminal prosecutions, while indigent defendants may receive appointed counsel through the court. Alabama expungement law can remove qualifying records from public access, but eligibility depends on charge type, result, and statutory conditions.
The Alabama District Attorneys Association county lookup provides current district attorney routing by county.
That state-level lookup is useful when confirming who prosecutes criminal cases connected to Butler County court records.
Butler County Traffic Records
Traffic records are often District Court records, but not every traffic ticket belongs to Butler District Court. The Butler traffic page says payable tickets may be resolved by guilty plea without appearance only when the violation is listed and the defendant has not had two or more traffic convictions in the prior twelve months. Mail payments must use a money order or cashier's check and include the name and ticket number. Online or phone card payments go through Alapay or the Alabama Traffic Service Center.
Proof-based tickets have special local handling. If proof of insurance existed by the court date for the vehicle driven, the defendant may avoid appearance. Proof before the court date can dismiss the case. Proof within 30 days after the court date can dismiss upon payment of court costs. Proof is not accepted after six months. Georgiana Police Department tickets generally go to Georgiana Municipal Court unless a felony or extraordinary circumstance changes the venue.
| Traffic Record Source | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Court traffic record | Ticket, charge, court date, plea, payment, proof, dismissal, warrant or late fee, and disposition. |
| State driver record | License status, convictions, suspensions, points or reporting consequences through driver licensing. |
Butler County Courthouse Access
The main court address is 700 Court Square, Greenville, Alabama 36037. The Circuit Clerk public phone is (334) 382-3521, and the local court site lists hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Presiding Circuit Judge Cleveland Poole is listed at Room 9, and District Judge Nicki M. McFerrin is listed at Room 18. Probate is also at 700 Court Square but uses its own phone and shorter Wednesday hours.
Courthouse visit details come from the jury materials. Jurors report to Courtroom 1, and the building opens for check-in before the court day begins. Parking is available around the courthouse with no posted charge. Entry includes a metal detector. The prohibited-items list is strict: no weapons, lighters, matches, knives, sharp items, pepper spray, mace, tasers, guns, cellphones, or recording devices. The clerk also warns that jury scam callers may ask for Social Security numbers or credit card numbers.
Butler County Courthouse
700 Court Square
Greenville, AL 36037
(334) 382-3521
District and Circuit Court records, hearings, jury service, and clerk access.
Butler County Probate Office
700 Court Square
Greenville, AL 36037
(334) 382-3512
Probate cases, marriage recording, land records, and probate administration.
Butler County Court History
Butler County's official seal shows December 13, 1819, and Greenville is the county seat. The courthouse address on Court Square reflects the traditional county-seat model in which court business anchors the downtown square. Official sources did not provide a courthouse construction year, architect, fire history, or famous-trial record, so local history should stay tied to the documented court infrastructure.
The more useful access history is technological. Butler court records now span Alacourt ACCESS, Alafile e-notice registration, juror.alacourt.gov, Alapay, the Alabama Traffic Service Center, ING Probate, ADOC, ALEA, the sheriff app, and federal PACER. That fragmentation is the main practical issue for public users. A good Butler County records search starts by choosing the right official system before entering a name, case number, citation number, or agency request.
Butler County Court Records FAQ
Is there a free Butler County court records search?
No free county-only trial court case search was found on official Butler court pages. Alacourt ACCESS is the official paid statewide trial-court search. Probate records use the ING Probate portal, and sheriff or jail records must be checked with the Sheriff's Office or jail.
Who keeps Butler County Circuit and District Court files?
Circuit Clerk Mattie Gomillion is the record keeper and business manager for District and Circuit Court proceedings. The office handles civil, criminal, domestic, child support, traffic, juvenile, warrants, notices, subpoenas, fines, fees, and jury functions.
Can Butler County warrant information be checked by phone?
No. The local warrants page says suspected warrant information is not released by phone. A person who suspects a warrant must appear in person at the Clerk's Office with valid ID. Unserved arrest warrants are not public records.
Where are divorce decrees requested?
Certified divorce decree copies are requested from the Circuit Clerk. Statewide divorce certificates are issued by ADPH, but a certificate is not the full court decree.
Are juvenile court records public?
Generally no. Alabama law treats juvenile court records as confidential except for specific access categories. Public case search should not be expected to show ordinary juvenile files.