Covington County Jail Criminal Court Process

Local courts in Covington County (circuit, district, seven municipal courts and juvenile)

State courts

• Circuit Court and District Court, Covington County Courthouse, 1 Court Square, Andalusia, (334) 428-2520
• Juvenile court: youth cases heard at the courthouse, with juvenile probation handling intake

Municipal courts

• Andalusia Municipal Court, 102 Opp Ave., (334) 222-3299
• Opp Municipal Court, 101 N. Main St., Opp, (334) 493-1831
• Florala Municipal Court, 22975 Seventh Ave., Florala, (334) 858-2791
• Gantt, Lockhart, Red Level, River Falls and the smaller towns: ask the circuit clerk where the case is filed

In the 22nd Circuit, judges appoint local attorneys, paid by the state, for people who qualify. Inmates in the Covington County Jail on a city warrant need that city's bail or must pay its fines to be released on that charge.

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Misdemeanor (for example, DUI in Andalusia, third-degree domestic violence, possession of marijuana for personal use, shoplifting)

A misdemeanor arrest in Covington County normally means a trip to the Hillcrest Drive jail, booking, and release once bail is posted; a Class A misdemeanor bond falls between $300 and $6,000 on the state schedule. A domestic violence arrestee cannot bond out until a judge or magistrate sets conditions, or until 24 hours have passed. For anyone held longer, the law requires a probable-cause finding within 48 hours of a warrantless arrest and a court appearance within 72 hours on a warrant.

• First appearance in Covington County District Court or a municipal court; the judge asks whether you need appointed counsel.
• Most cases close within a few months through a plea, dismissal, diversion or a bench trial.
• In Covington County, shoplifting under $500 is fourth-degree theft and personal-use marijuana is second-degree possession, each a Class A misdemeanor punishable by as much as 12 months and $6,000.
• Third-degree domestic violence: Class A; a third conviction becomes a Class C felony.
• A first DUI can bring 12 months in jail, a $600 to $2,100 fine and loss of the license.

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Felony (such as felony DUI, burglary in the second degree, vehicle theft, or selling a controlled substance)

Felony defendants are held at the Covington County Jail until they post bail or a judge changes the terms.

1. Initial appearance in District Court, with counsel appointed for those who qualify.
2. Preliminary hearing on demand, if requested within 30 days and before the grand jury acts.
3. Indictment by a Covington County grand jury; defendants may waive indictment to plead.
4. Circuit Court arraignment and motions, then a plea bargain or jury trial, frequently six months to a year after arrest.

Covington County penalty ranges: distribution of a controlled substance is a Class B felony (2 to 20 years); second-degree burglary is Class B; stealing a vehicle of any value is first-degree theft, Class B; a fourth DUI within 10 years is a Class C felony (a year and a day to 10 years, with at least 10 days in jail). Under the presumptive sentencing standards, many nonviolent Class C and D convictions end in probation or community corrections, while the Habitual Felony Offender Act lengthens sentences for people with earlier felony convictions. A defendant who was under 21 when the crime happened can request youthful offender status, keeping the record private and the sentence at no more than three years.

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Violent felony (such as murder, attempted murder, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree sodomy)

People charged with violent felonies are jailed at the Covington County Jail while the case is pending in Andalusia. Under Aniah's Law, the 22nd Circuit District Attorney may seek a detention hearing before trial, and the judge can then refuse bail in cases like murder, first-degree kidnapping and first-degree sodomy. Voters added attempted murder, conspiracy or solicitation to commit murder, and shooting into an occupied dwelling or vehicle to that list in May 2026.

• Murder and first-degree kidnapping: Class A felonies, 10 to 99 years or life; at least 20 years if a firearm or deadly weapon was used.
• First-degree sodomy: Class A, with sex offender registration after conviction.
• Capital murder: punished by execution or life with no parole; at least 10 of 12 jurors must agree on death.

Trials in these cases are often more than a year away, and the circuit court appoints qualified counsel for defendants who cannot pay.

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Juveniles (under 18) arrested in Covington County

When a Covington County child is taken into custody, juvenile probation at the courthouse chooses between a petition, detention or neither; reach the office through the clerk at (334) 428-2520. Lacking its own youth detention center, Covington sends detained children to a contracted regional site, the Montgomery County Youth Facility or the Baldwin County Juvenile Detention Center in Bay Minette, depending on space. No bail is set in juvenile court; children held in detention get a hearing inside 72 hours (Ala. Code §12-15-207).

• Informal adjustment.
• Probation after the judge finds the child delinquent.
• Commitment to the Alabama Department of Youth Services, for serious offenses or repeated violations.

Youths aged 16 or 17 charged with a capital offense, a Class A felony, a felony using a deadly weapon, a felony causing death or serious physical injury, or drug trafficking goes straight to adult court (§12-15-204) and is held at the Covington County Jail. The District Attorney may also seek transfer of a child 14 or older after a hearing (§12-15-203). A child whose family can't pay gets a lawyer named by the juvenile judge.

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Federal cases (U.S. District Court) from Covington County

Covington County is part of the Northern Division of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, so its federal cases are heard in Montgomery at the federal courthouse, One Church St., (334) 954-3600, not in Dothan. The Conecuh National Forest covers much of southern Covington County, and crimes on forest land can be investigated by U.S. Forest Service officers and charged federally.

Instead of a posted bail, federal release turns on a detention hearing before a magistrate judge under the Bail Reform Act. Prosecutors must indict within 30 days, and the Speedy Trial Act sets a 70-day trial window that is frequently extended. Federal judges use the Sentencing Guidelines. With parole abolished, about 85% of the term is spent in the Bureau of Prisons before supervised release begins. The Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta takes appeals. Marshals detainees in contract county jails can appear on those rosters; after sentencing, locate them with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

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Covington courts, jail and key numbers

State courts meet in the Andalusia courthouse on Court Square:

• Circuit and District Court clerk: 1-K North Court Square, Andalusia, AL 36420, 334-428-2520
• Andalusia Municipal Court: 102 Opp Avenue, Andalusia, 334-222-3299
• Opp Municipal Court: 101 North Main Street, Opp, 334-493-1831
• Florala Municipal Court: 22975 Seventh Avenue, Florala, 334-858-2791
• District Attorney, 22nd Judicial Circuit: 1 North Court Square, Andalusia, 334-222-2513
• Covington County Jail: 290 Hillcrest Drive, Andalusia, AL 36420, 334-428-2640; Sheriff's Office at 260 Hillcrest Drive, 334-428-2641

For bonds, read our Covington bail guide; the Alabama Rule 7.2 bail schedule (https://judicial.alabama.gov/docs/library/rules/cr7_2.pdf) gives the ranges.

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Federal court for Covington County

Covington belongs to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama:

• Courthouse: the federal courthouse in Montgomery, One Church Street, Montgomery, AL 36104, 334-954-3600
• U.S. Marshals: U.S. Marshals Service, 1 Church Street, Suite A-100, Montgomery, AL 36104, 334-922-6960

A magistrate rules on release; housing is up to the Marshals.

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Searching for a Covington inmate

• Andalusia jail roster: Covington County Inmate Search
• State prisons: Alabama Department of Corrections Inmate Search (https://www.doc.alabama.gov/inmate/inmate-search/)
• Federal prisons: Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/); not yet sentenced, 334-922-6960
• VINE: VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/). Set Alabama, look up the name, and sign up for alerts.

Our Covington inmate page goes into more detail.

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ICE detainers in Covington County

Through a detainer, ICE can seek up to two added business days of custody at the Andalusia jail.

• Field office: ICE New Orleans Field Office, 181 James Drive W, St. Rose, LA 70087, 504-318-2360
• Alabama short-stay jails: Baldwin County Correctional Center in Bay Minette, Etowah County Jail in Gadsden and Pickens County Detention Center in Carrollton
• Locator: ICE Online Detainee Locator System (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/)

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Covington warrant and case lookups

• Alacourt: Alacourt Access public search (https://pa.alacourt.com/); a $9.99 name search includes a single case.
• Clerk site: covington.alacourt.gov
• Sheriff: 334-428-2641 for warrants.

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