Etowah County
Created in 1868, Etowah County‘s land area of 535 square miles makes it the smallest county in Alabama by land area. As of the 2020 US census, over 103,000 persons reside in the county. Its County seat and largest city is Gadsden.
The Etowah County court system comprises Circuit, District, Probate, and Municipal Courts. The Etowah County Circuit Court has jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases but normally hears cases outside the purview of other county courts. All felonies, some misdemeanors, juvenile cases, probate cases, and domestic relations cases are heard by it. Civil cases with claims over $10,000 fall under its exclusive jurisdiction, while it shares jurisdiction over civil cases with claims between $6,000 and $10,000. It also hears appeals from District, Probate, and municipal courts. The Etowah County District Court deals with minor claims, certain juvenile cases, misdemeanors, and probate cases. It also hears traffic infractions and violations of municipal ordinances in cities lacking municipal courts. Additionally, it manages civil proceedings with claims under $10,000 and has exclusive jurisdiction over civil cases under $6,000.
Wills, conservatorships, guardianships, adoptions, name changes, involuntary commitment to mental health facilities, and estate administration are handled by the Etowah County Probate Court. The eight municipal courts in Etowah County handle traffic infractions and municipal ordinance offenses within their jurisdictions. There are municipal courts in Altoona, Gadsden, Attalla, Glencoe, Hokes Bluff, Rainbow City, Southside, and Sardis City.
In Etowah County, public court records include warrants, court transcripts, court filings, writs, depositions, motions, court proceedings, orders, and court decisions generated by the county's courts. These records are generally available to the public except made confidential by law or court orders. The Circuit and District Court records are kept by the Etowah County Circuit Clerk. Records of other county courts are kept up to date by their respective clerks.
In Etowah County, the following kinds of court records are open to the public unless they are sealed by court order:
- Probate Case Records
- Traffic Violation Records
- Criminal Case Records
- Family Law Case Records
- Civil Case Records
Anyone can visit county courts to examine and request their public court records. They can also pay to obtain nonconfidential court records from Etowah County by registering and using the Alabama Court Records portal.
