Lawrence County Jail Criminal Court Process
Criminal Court Process for Lawrence County Alabama
Moulton is the Lawrence County seat, and its Judicial and Administrative Annex on Market Street holds the Circuit Court and District Court. Moulton, Town Creek, Courtland, Hillsboro and North Courtland each list a municipal court for city charges. The 36th Circuit, a one-county circuit, has its district attorney handle Lawrence state charges. Grown-up arrestees go to the Lawrence County Jail on Parker Road, where a schedule or a judge fixes bail.
- Lawrence County Circuit Clerk (Circuit and District Court), Judicial and Administrative Annex, 14451 Market Street, Moulton, AL 35650, (256) 974-2438
- District Attorney, 36th Judicial Circuit, Moulton, (256) 974-2446
- Lawrence County Sheriff's Office, 242 Parker Road, Moulton, AL 35650, (256) 974-2500
- Lawrence County Jail, 242 Parker Road, Moulton, (256) 974-2550
- Moulton Police Department, 720 Seminary Street, Moulton, AL 35650
- Juvenile intake: Lawrence County juvenile probation, through the circuit clerk at (256) 974-2438
Which court hears your case. Tickets and misdemeanors from Moulton, Town Creek, Courtland, Hillsboro or North Courtland police mostly stay in that town's court. Deputies and state troopers bring their misdemeanors to Lawrence County District Court. Felony cases begin in District Court and, after indictment, move to Circuit Court. Children under 18 go before the juvenile judge. A Lawrence city or District Court conviction may be appealed within 14 days to Circuit Court for a brand-new trial, jury optional.
Who sits in the Parker Road jail. The Parker Road jail keeps almost every Lawrence arrestee awaiting trial, town police arrests included. Call the sheriff at (256) 974-2500 to confirm custody. No money for a lawyer? Request one from the Moulton judge at the first hearing.
- Local courts in Lawrence County (Moulton, Town Creek, Courtland, Hillsboro and North Courtland)
- Lawrence misdemeanors like DUI, menacing, fourth-degree theft or third-degree assault
- Lawrence felonies such as drug possession, first-degree criminal mischief, third-degree theft or vehicle theft
- Lawrence violent felonies like attempted murder, armed robbery or first-degree domestic violence
- Juveniles (under 18) arrested in Lawrence County
- Federal cases (U.S. District Court) from Lawrence County
- Who to call at the Moulton annex and jail
- Federal court for Lawrence County
- Locating a Lawrence County prisoner
- ICE detainers at the Lawrence jail
- Lawrence warrant and docket lookups
1. Local courts in Lawrence County (Moulton, Town Creek, Courtland, Hillsboro and North Courtland)
Every incorporated town in Lawrence County is listed with a municipal court, though the smaller ones meet only a few times a month and share judges or prosecutors with other towns. City sentences and municipal warrant holds are normally served at the Lawrence County Jail. A municipal judge sets bond on city cases and appoints a lawyer for an indigent defendant who faces jail.
State courts
- Lawrence County Circuit Court, 14451 Market Street, Moulton, (256) 974-2438
- Lawrence County District Court, same annex and clerk, (256) 974-2438
Municipal courts
- Moulton Municipal Court, 720 Seminary Street, Moulton, AL 35650, (256) 974-1074
- Town Creek Municipal Court
- Courtland Municipal Court, 361 College Street, Courtland, AL 35618, (256) 637-2707
- Hillsboro Municipal Court
- North Courtland Municipal Court
Arrests in unincorporated places such as Mount Hope, Speake or Landersville go to District Court in Moulton.
2. Lawrence misdemeanors like DUI, menacing, fourth-degree theft or third-degree assault
Someone booked on a Lawrence County misdemeanor can usually leave once bail is covered by cash, a licensed Lawrence bonding firm or pledged land. A person who remains in the Lawrence County Jail must be brought before a judge or magistrate within 48 hours (warrantless arrest) or 72 hours (arrest warrant). After a domestic violence arrest, release waits for that judge's review unless 24 hours go by without it.
Arraignment comes next, in city court or District Court, and that is the time to ask for an appointed lawyer. Trials are decided by the judge. Moulton misdemeanors can close with a dismissal, diversion, fine and costs, probation or a suspended term. First-offense DUI means $600 to $2,100 and a suspended license.
How far penalties can go
- Class A, such as DUI, fourth-degree theft or third-degree assault: as much as 1 year and $6,000
- Class B (menacing): up to 6 months and $3,000
- Class C: up to 3 months and $500
- Violation: up to 30 days, $200 fine
Want a jury? Appeal the bench verdict to Lawrence County Circuit Court within 14 days, and the case is heard anew.
3. Lawrence felonies such as drug possession, first-degree criminal mischief, third-degree theft or vehicle theft
Felony arrestees in Lawrence County are booked at the Lawrence County Jail and brought before a District Court judge, who reviews bond and checks whether the Lawrence defendant qualifies for a state-paid lawyer.
Felony stages in Moulton
- An optional preliminary hearing before the district judge, testing whether probable cause exists
- Grand jury review by 36th Circuit prosecutors; an indictment, or a waiver of one, puts the case in Circuit Court
- Circuit Court arraignment, discovery and plea discussions
- Resolution by plea, trial verdict or dismissal, then sentencing
In Alabama, stealing $500 to $1,499 is Class D third-degree theft, while taking any vehicle counts as first-degree theft, Class B, 2 to 20 years. Class C felonies carry up to 10 years, and Class A carries 10 to 99 years or life. Many nonviolent Class C and D offenses fall under presumptive sentencing standards that lean toward probation or community corrections. The Habitual Felony Offender Act increases ranges for repeat felons. Defendants who were under 21 at the time may ask for youthful offender status, which seals the Moulton file and limits the term to 3 years.
4. Lawrence violent felonies like attempted murder, armed robbery or first-degree domestic violence
A violent Lawrence charge may keep someone a long while at the Lawrence County Jail. Under Aniah's Law, a Moulton prosecutor can ask a judge, at a hearing, to refuse bail for murder, first-degree robbery or domestic violence, attempted murder and other listed counts. Amendment 1 (May 19, 2026) widened that list to attempted murder and shooting into an occupied Lawrence building or car.
Each of those three Lawrence charges is Class A, with 10 to 99 years or life; using a gun or deadly weapon makes the minimum 20 years. Capital murder is sentenced to life without parole or death. These cases go to a Lawrence grand jury. Appointed counsel must meet experience requirements for serious felonies.
5. Juveniles (under 18) arrested in Lawrence County
A Lawrence County judge sitting as juvenile court hears delinquency cases privately. Juvenile probation officers take the referral, meet with the family and decide whether to file a petition or handle the matter informally.
Youths who need secure detention go to the Tennessee Valley Juvenile Detention Center, 2216 Missouri Street, Tuscumbia, (256) 381-3520; the probation office can confirm placement. A detention hearing is required within 72 hours. Juvenile court does not ordinarily use bond, relying instead on release to a parent with conditions. A Lawrence family short on money can request an appointed lawyer.
Possible results are informal adjustment, probation, a treatment or community program, or commitment to the Alabama Department of Youth Services. A Lawrence 16- or 17-year-old accused of a capital crime, Class A felony, trafficking, or a felony with a deadly weapon, a death or serious injury is tried as an adult from the start. Prosecutors may seek a transfer hearing for other cases involving children 14 or older.
6. Federal cases (U.S. District Court) from Lawrence County
The Northwestern Division of Alabama's Northern District takes Lawrence federal cases, at 210 North Seminary Street, Florence, (256) 760-8415; nobody staffs that clerk office, so call (205) 278-1700.
A magistrate judge handles the first appearance and decides on bail or detention, with contested hearings under the Bail Reform Act. A federal prisoner rented a Parker Road bed might appear on the Lawrence roster. Find federal prisoners with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
7. Who to call at the Moulton annex and jail
Lawrence County's state courts meet in the Market Street annex in Moulton:
- Circuit Clerk (Circuit and District Court): 14451 Market Street, Suite 300, Moulton, AL 35650, either 256-974-2432 or 256-974-2438
- District Attorney, 36th Judicial Circuit: 256-974-2446
- Moulton Municipal Court: 720 Seminary Street, 256-974-1074
- Lawrence County Detention Center: 242 Parker Road, Moulton, 256-974-2550
- Sheriff's Office: 256-974-2500
Our Lawrence bail guide covers the $35 fee and bond steps; the Alabama Rule 7.2 bail schedule (https://judicial.alabama.gov/docs/library/rules/cr7_2.pdf) has state ranges.
8. Federal court for Lawrence County
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama takes Lawrence County federal cases:
- Courthouse: the federal building in Florence, 210 North Seminary Street, Room 202, Florence, AL 35630 (unstaffed office), 256-760-8415
- U.S. Marshals: U.S. Marshals Service, 1729 5th Avenue North, Room 240, Birmingham, AL 35203, 205-829-6611
Whether a Lawrence defendant stays jailed is a magistrate's call; the Marshals pick the lockup.
9. Locating a Lawrence County prisoner
- Parker Road jail roster: Lawrence County Inmate Search
- State prison lookup: Alabama Department of Corrections Inmate Search (https://www.doc.alabama.gov/inmate/inmate-search/)
- Federal prison lookup: Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/); ahead of sentencing, 205-829-6611
- VINE: VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/). Choose Alabama, open the Lawrence record and turn on alerts.
See our Lawrence inmate page for more.
10. ICE detainers at the Lawrence jail
ICE detainers at Parker Road ask jailers to wait up to two working days after a Lawrence release date.
- 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/)
11. Lawrence warrant and docket lookups
- Alacourt: Alacourt Access public search (https://pa.alacourt.com/); each Lawrence name search is $9.99 per case.
- Clerk site: lawrence.alacourt.gov
- Sheriff: 256-974-2500 about a Lawrence warrant.
Moulton laws and contacts shift, and this guide is background, not legal advice. Hire an Alabama defense attorney for one person's case. Appointed-lawyer questions go to the court or the Market Street clerk at (256) 974-2438. For jail questions, call the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office at (256) 974-2500.
Lawrence hearing dates can move, so phone the Circuit Clerk (256-974-2432 or 256-974-2438) or Moulton Municipal Court (256-974-1074) before heading to Market Street, and ask the jail at 256-974-2550 if the person is still there.
