Chilton County
Chilton County was established in 1868 as Baker County but renamed in 1874 to honor William Parish Chilton, former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. It covers about 693 square miles of land in central Alabama and has a population of 46,140 residents. The county's most populous city and government seat is Clanton.
Chilton County's trial courts include the Circuit, District, Probate, and Municipal Courts. The Circuit Court in Chilton County has general jurisdiction over felony criminal cases, civil disputes exceeding $10,000, and family law matters like divorce and child custody. This court handles cases that the other courts have no jurisdiction over.
Meanwhile, the District Court handles civil cases involving $10,000 or less, misdemeanors, small claims disputes involving $3000 or less, and traffic violations. The Probate Court oversees cases involving wills, estates, and guardianships. Chilton County has Municipal Courts in Clanton, Jemison, and other major cities. Municipal Court judges preside over ordinance violations, juvenile cases, and civil violations.
The Chilton County Circuit Clerk often creates and maintains public court records during court proceedings. These records contain details of judicial processes in the county's trial courts, including case filings, court dockets, complaints, names of parties involved, and judgments. Per Alabama Code § 36-12-40, members of the public can access court records such as:
- Criminal court records
- Property records
- Civil records
- Traffic records
- Family law records
- Probate records
Public access to these court documents often promotes accountability, public trust, and transparency. However, state law prohibits access to confidential court records such as adoption and substance abuse case files. Individuals interested in confidential documents must obtain special permission from Chilton County courts. To get copies of court documents, requesters can contact the court clerk by call or in person at:
Chilton County Circuit Court Clerk
500 2nd Avenue North
Clanton, AL 35046
Phone: (205) 755-4275
Requesters can also find Chilton County public court records online via the Alacourt ACCESS V2.0 tool. Note that performing case number or name searches on the state's portal costs $9.99 per search.
