Lamar County Jail Criminal Court Process

Last updated by Mark Miclette

Search for an Inmate or Active Arrest Warrant in Lamar County

Criminal Court Process for Lamar County Alabama

Vernon, the Lamar County seat, is home to the county's judicial center, where Circuit Court tries felonies and District Court takes state misdemeanors, traffic cases and early felony hearings. Vernon and Sulligent each run a city court for arrests made by their own officers. The District Attorney for the 24th Judicial Circuit, which spans Lamar, Fayette and Pickens counties, prosecutes state charges from a main office in Carrollton. Arrested adults are held in the Lamar County Jail, run by the Sheriff in Vernon, until bail is posted or a judge releases them.

Which court hears your case. Vernon and Sulligent police usually file city-ordinance and misdemeanor arrests in their own city court. When a deputy or state trooper makes the arrest, or the offense happens in Millport, Kennedy, Beaverton, Detroit or the countryside, the case goes to Lamar County District Court in Vernon. Felonies start in District Court and are tried in Circuit Court after the grand jury indicts. Neither city nor district court uses a jury, so a Lamar defendant convicted there has 14 days to ask Circuit Court for a new trial, jury optional.

Where pretrial inmates are held. Lamar County has one adult lockup, the Sheriff's jail on County Road 9 in Vernon, and both city departments bring arrestees there for booking. The Lamar Sheriff's Office, (205) 695-7470, answers custody and release questions.

Local courts in Lamar County (Vernon judicial center and two city courts)

Of Lamar County's six towns, only two have courts listed in court directories.

County courts

  • Circuit Court (felonies, jury trials, appeals), 330 1st St. NE, Vernon, (205) 695-7193
  • District Court (misdemeanors, traffic, juvenile and preliminary hearings), through the Circuit Clerk, (205) 695-7193

City courts

  • Vernon City Court, City Hall, 44425 Hwy 17, Vernon
  • Sulligent Municipal Court, Sulligent City Hall, (205) 698-9111

Towns without a court of their own

  • Millport, Kennedy, Beaverton and Detroit: deputies handle most arrests, and charges are filed in Lamar County District Court. Ask the Circuit Clerk for dates.

Lamar, Fayette and Pickens form one circuit without a public defender office, so Vernon judges assign state-paid private lawyers to eligible defendants in city or county court. All bonds are processed at the Lamar County Jail.

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Lamar misdemeanors like criminal trespass, third-degree assault, small marijuana cases or obstructing government

Most people booked at the Lamar County Jail on a misdemeanor go home after posting the scheduled bail, whether in cash, as a property bond or through a professional bondsman. A domestic violence arrestee waits for a judge or magistrate; if no hearing happens within 24 hours, bond must be permitted.

What to expect

  • A first court date in District Court or city court, where a plea is entered and counsel can be requested.
  • Diversion, a plea deal or a bench trial.

Lamar County misdemeanor penalties

  • Class A (third-degree assault, second-degree marijuana possession): a Lamar sentence can reach 12 months and $6,000.
  • Class C (second-degree criminal trespass): three months in jail and a $500 fine at most; Class B carries double that jail time and $3,000. Violations: 30 days, $200.
  • First DUI: up to one year, $600 to $2,100 in fines, and loss of license for 90 days unless an interlock is installed.

A Lamar defendant short on money can ask the judge for appointed counsel.

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Lamar felonies like stolen-identity trafficking, second-degree burglary, cocaine possession or first-degree criminal mischief

A felony arrestee remains at the Lamar County Jail until bond is made. Probable cause for an arrest without a warrant must be found by a judge or magistrate within 48 hours, and someone held on a warrant goes before a judge within 72 hours.

Steps in a Vernon felony case

  1. District Court preliminary hearing, if demanded within 30 days of arrest and before indictment.
  2. Lamar County grand jury; a defendant can waive indictment to plead on an information.
  3. Plea or trial; a year is typical, sometimes longer when the grand jury meets infrequently.

Felony sentencing

  • Class B (second-degree burglary of a dwelling, trafficking in stolen identities): two to twenty years, with a top fine of $30,000.
  • Class C (first-degree criminal mischief): 366 days up to 10 years and a fine of $15,000 or less.
  • Class D (cocaine possession): 366 days up to 5 years and a fine of $7,500 or less.

Lamar judges often send nonviolent Class C and D defendants to probation or community corrections under state standards, while prior felonies push the range up. People under 21 at the time of the crime can apply for youthful offender status, which keeps records closed and limits punishment to three years.

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Lamar violent felonies like first-degree sodomy, murder, second-degree domestic violence or first-degree robbery

Violent offense defendants are kept at the Lamar County Jail and may remain there until trial. Aniah's Law lets the 24th Circuit District Attorney ask a Vernon judge, after a hearing, to deny bail for murder, first-degree sodomy, first-degree robbery and other listed offenses. Under Amendment 1 (May 19, 2026), the list grew to cover attempted murder and firing into an occupied Lamar building or car.

Sentencing

  • Second-degree domestic violence: Class B, 2 to 20 years.
  • Murder, first-degree sodomy and first-degree robbery: Class A, ten years to life, and a weapon adds a 20-year minimum.
  • Capital murder in Lamar: life without parole or the death penalty.

Lamar defendants without funds receive qualified court-appointed lawyers; speak with counsel before discussing anything on a jail phone.

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Juveniles (under 18) arrested in Lamar County

The Lamar County District Judge sits as juvenile court in Vernon, and juvenile probation, (205) 695-7265, screens every Lamar complaint and picks between sending the child home, informal steps or a petition. There is no youth detention center in the county. Juvenile probation can say where a Lamar child is being held. Children do not post bail, and a Lamar youth who is held gets a detention hearing within 72 hours.

Possible outcomes

  • Informal adjustment, with no adjudication.
  • Juvenile probation in Lamar County.
  • Commitment to the Alabama Department of Youth Services in the most serious matters.

Teens in adult court

Under §12-15-204, 16- and 17-year-olds charged with capital offenses, Class A felonies, trafficking or felonies involving a deadly weapon, death or serious injury are automatically prosecuted as adults and may be held in the Lamar County Jail. After a hearing, a Lamar youth aged 14 or more may be moved to adult court under §12-15-203. Appointed lawyers represent children whose families cannot pay.

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

Lamar County is assigned to the Western Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, which sits at the federal courthouse at 2005 University Blvd., Tuscaloosa, (205) 561-1670.

The federal process

A magistrate judge conducts the first appearance. Federal court does not use bail bondsmen; release is decided under the Bail Reform Act, with release conditions or detention after a hearing. Pretrial detainees from west Alabama are commonly held at the Pickens County Detention Facility in Carrollton under a Marshals agreement and may appear on its roster. Look up sentenced prisoners with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

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Lamar courts, jail and contacts

Lamar County's state courts meet at the Judicial Center in Vernon:

  • Circuit Clerk (Circuit and District Court): 330 1st Street NE, Vernon, AL 35592, 205-695-7193; weekdays 8 to 4:30
  • District Attorney, 24th Judicial Circuit: 50 Court Square, Carrollton, 205-367-9915
  • Sulligent Municipal Court: Sulligent City Hall, 205-698-9111
  • Vernon City Court: Vernon City Hall, 44425 Highway 17
  • Lamar County Jail: 1118 County Road 9, Vernon, 205-695-7103
  • Sheriff's Office: 205-695-7470

Our Lamar bail guide explains bond steps, and the Alabama Rule 7.2 bail schedule (https://judicial.alabama.gov/docs/library/rules/cr7_2.pdf) has state ranges.

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Federal court for Lamar County

Lamar County federal cases belong to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama:

  • Courthouse: the federal courthouse in Tuscaloosa, 2005 University Boulevard, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, 205-561-1670
  • U.S. Marshals: U.S. Marshals Service, 1729 5th Avenue North, Room 240, Birmingham, AL 35203, 205-829-6611

A U.S. magistrate decides if a Lamar defendant stays in custody; the Marshals find the bed.

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Finding a Lamar County inmate

Our Lamar inmate page has more.

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ICE detainers in Lamar County

ICE can send County Road 9 a detainer; the extra hold it seeks for a Lamar inmate is capped at two business days.

  • 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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Lamar warrant and docket searches

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Lamar offices and steps can change; this overview is background only. A licensed Alabama defense attorney can weigh in on one person's situation. For a court-appointed lawyer, ask the Vernon judge or phone the Circuit Clerk at (205) 695-7193; the Lamar Sheriff's Office answers jail questions at (205) 695-7470.

Lamar dates can change, so call the Circuit Clerk at 205-695-7193 (or Sulligent City Hall at 205-698-9111 for that city's court) before going to Vernon, and confirm with the jail at 205-695-7103 that the person is still there.

Search for an Inmate or Active Arrest Warrant in Lamar County

Human-verified information Manually curated

Every detail on this page is checked by hand, not scraped. This unofficial directory helps friends and family of incarcerated individuals find critical information — inmate lists, locations, bail resources, visitation hours, rules, and text, phone, email, and mail services — for jails, detention centers, and prisons across the United States.