Morgan County Jail Criminal Court Process
Criminal Court Process for Morgan County Alabama
Decatur, on the Tennessee River, is the Morgan County seat. Morgan deputies, troopers and most town police bring adult arrests to the Morgan County Jail on Lee Street NE, run by Sheriff Ron Puckett. Felonies are tried in Circuit Court, state misdemeanors and preliminary hearings sit in District Court, and Decatur, Hartselle, Priceville and a few smaller towns hold their own municipal courts. State charges belong to the 8th Circuit District Attorney, while Decatur and the other Morgan cities bring their own ordinance cases. A judge or magistrate sets the bond that controls release. When an arrest happened overnight, confirm the booking on Morgan County Inmate Search.
- Morgan County Circuit Clerk (Circuit and District Court), Morgan County Courthouse, 302 Lee St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601, (256) 351-4790
- District Attorney, 8th Judicial Circuit, Morgan County Courthouse, 302 Lee St. NE, Decatur, (256) 351-4610
- Morgan County Sheriff's Office, 119 Lee St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601, (256) 351-4800; Sheriff Ron Puckett; Morgan County 911 non-emergency dispatch (256) 350-4613
- Morgan County Jail, 119 Lee St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601, (256) 351-4825
- Appointed counsel, requested through the Circuit Clerk, (256) 351-4790
- Decatur Police Department, 402 Lee St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601, (256) 341-4600
- Hartselle Police Department, 150 Chestnut St. NW, Hartselle, AL 35640, (256) 773-8264
- Morgan County Juvenile Probation, Morgan County Courthouse, third floor, 302 Lee St. NE, Decatur, (256) 351-4715
Which court hears your case. A Decatur or Hartselle officer writing a ticket for shoplifting, harassment or a first DUI sends it to that city's own court. A Morgan deputy or state trooper making the same arrest files it in Morgan County District Court. Convictions in either court can be appealed to Circuit Court for a new trial. Felonies open in District Court for a possible preliminary hearing and then move up to Circuit Court once a grand jury indicts. Juveniles go to juvenile court in the same building, and every court appoints counsel for defendants who qualify.
Where Morgan pretrial inmates are held. The county keeps one adult lockup, the Morgan County Jail, beside the Sheriff's Office at 119 Lee St. NE, (256) 351-4825. Decatur city prisoners are housed there too, and Hartselle, Priceville and the smaller Morgan towns send their arrests to the same Lee Street building. Ask the jail line about a hold, a visit or a release time.
1. Morgan courts: circuit, district, Decatur, Hartselle and towns
State-level criminal cases in Morgan County are heard in one courthouse in downtown Decatur. Municipal courts sit in the cities and larger towns; a small town with no court of its own sends arrests to Morgan County District Court. People held at the Morgan County Jail on city charges post bond through the jail, and municipal judges appoint lawyers for qualifying defendants.
County and state courts
- Morgan County Circuit Court (felonies, jury trials, appeals), 302 Lee St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601, (256) 351-4790
- Morgan County District Court (misdemeanors, traffic, preliminary hearings, juvenile), 302 Lee St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601, (256) 351-4790
- District Attorney, 8th Judicial Circuit, 302 Lee St. NE, Decatur, (256) 351-4610
- Morgan County Community Corrections, Courthouse first floor, 302 Lee St. NE, Decatur, (256) 351-4739
Municipal courts
- Decatur Municipal Court, City Hall, 402 Lee St. NE (annex at 300 Cain St. NE), Decatur, AL 35601, (256) 341-4676
- Hartselle Municipal Court, clerk's office in the Hartselle Municipal Building, 611 Chestnut St. NW, Hartselle, AL 35640; court sessions meet at 200 Sparkman St. NW, (256) 773-2703
- Priceville Municipal Court, 242 Marco Dr., Priceville, AL 35603, (256) 355-5476
- Falkville, Trinity and Somerville town court cases: ask the town hall or the Circuit Clerk, (256) 351-4790, where a charge is set.
- Eva has no listed municipal court, so an arrest there is filed in Morgan County District Court.
In Decatur Municipal Court, a person who wants a free lawyer fills out a sworn, notarized form at the Cain Street annex.
2. Morgan misdemeanors: DUI, small theft, harassment, marijuana
A Morgan misdemeanor arrest means booking at the Morgan County Jail, a bail amount drawn from the state chart, and release once cash, property or a bondsman's bond is posted. A person who cannot pay gets a probable-cause review within 48 hours of an arrest without a warrant, or sees a judge within 72 hours on a warrant, and the judge can lower the amount. Under Alabama law, a domestic violence arrestee waits 24 hours before any bail in Morgan County.
The first court date in District Court or a Decatur, Hartselle or town municipal court is an arraignment, where the Morgan defendant enters a plea and can ask the judge for a free lawyer. Common results are dismissal, diversion, a reduced charge, or a plea with fines and probation; trials are before the judge alone.
Morgan County misdemeanor ranges: Class A (fourth-degree theft under $500, third-degree domestic violence, or marijuana in the second degree) bring as much as 12 months and $6,000; Class B brings as much as 6 months and $3,000; Class C, 3 months and $500. A first Morgan DUI can mean 12 months behind bars and fines from $600 to $2,100, and a fourth DUI within ten years becomes a Class C felony. A conviction can be appealed within 14 days to Circuit Court for a jury trial, with appointed counsel for indigent defendants.
3. Morgan felonies: drug possession, burglary, theft
After a Morgan felony arrest, the person stays at the Morgan County Jail until a bond is set and posted. At the first appearance, often held by video, the judge reviews the bond and names counsel for any Morgan defendant who cannot afford one.
The case then sits in Morgan County District Court, where the defense may ask for a preliminary hearing on probable cause. The 8th Circuit District Attorney takes the case to a Morgan grand jury. An indictment moves it up to Circuit Court where arraignment, discovery and a trial or plea date follow on the Lee Street docket.
Sentencing depends on the class. In Morgan County a Class D felony, like drug possession or theft of $500 to $1,499, ranges from 366 days to 5 years; Class C crimes like burglary in the third degree or theft in the second degree range from 366 days to 10 years; Class B is two to 20 years. Alabama's presumptive standards push plenty of nonviolent Morgan Class C and D cases to probation, split sentences or Morgan County Community Corrections, while prior felonies raise ranges under the Habitual Felony Offender Act. A Decatur defendant younger than 21 on the date of the crime can seek youthful offender treatment, which caps the sentence at three years and seals the record.
4. Morgan violent felonies: robbery, assault, murder
Violent cases in Morgan County follow the same District-to-Circuit path, but getting out is harder. Aniah's Law gives 8th Circuit prosecutors a way to seek denial of bail at a Morgan hearing on murder, first-degree robbery, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree rape and similar listed charges, and the May 19, 2026, Amendment 1 vote stretched that list to attempted murder and Morgan shootings at an occupied home or vehicle. A bond that is set can be steep and may carry GPS or no-contact terms. Anyone denied bond stays at the Morgan County Jail as the case moves.
Murder and first-degree robbery are Class A felonies carrying 10 to 99 years or life, and using a gun or deadly weapon adds a mandatory minimum. Second-degree assault is a Class C felony. Capital murder in Morgan County carries death or life without parole. A Morgan capital defendant's appointed lawyer needs added trial experience.
5. Morgan youths under 18
Morgan juvenile cases are heard at 302 Lee St. NE, and intake runs through the juvenile probation office on the courthouse third floor, (256) 351-4715. Probation staff choose between sending the child home, settling it informally or filing a petition. A detained Morgan child can be placed at the Tennessee Valley Juvenile Detention Center, 2216 Missouri St., Tuscumbia, (256) 381-3520, and juvenile probation can confirm where a child is held.
A child placed in detention gets a detention hearing within 72 hours under Ala. Code § 12-15-207. Juveniles do not post adult bail; the judge decides on release. Every Morgan child may have a lawyer, paid by the state when the family lacks funds. Outcomes include informal adjustment, probation, counseling or treatment, or commitment to the Alabama Department of Youth Services.
Sixteen- and 17-year-olds charged with capital offenses, Class A felonies, felonies involving a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, felonies causing death or serious physical injury, or drug trafficking go straight to adult court under § 12-15-204 and would be held at the Morgan County Jail. Prosecutors may seek transfer of youths 14 and older under § 12-15-203.
6. Morgan federal charges in Huntsville
Morgan County belongs to the Northeastern Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, heard at the federal courthouse at 660 Gallatin St. SW, Huntsville, (256) 534-6495. A Morgan case goes federal for things like a felon caught with a gun, drug conspiracies, fraud and child exploitation, or for conduct on federal land such as Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. The U.S. Marshals for the Northern District answer at (205) 829-6611.
A Morgan federal arrestee first goes before a Huntsville magistrate judge, who orders release on conditions or detention. Federal bail turns on flight risk and danger under the Bail Reform Act, not a money chart. Federal defenders or CJA panel attorneys represent those who cannot pay, and the federal guidelines drive sentencing without parole.
A federal defendant held under a U.S. Marshals contract may show up on the Morgan County Jail roster or another north Alabama jail. Sentenced prisoners appear in the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
7. Lee Street, Cain Street and Chestnut Street numbers
State cases from Morgan County go through the Lee Street courthouse in Decatur, and city cases go to each city's court:
- Circuit Clerk: 302 Lee Street NE, Decatur, AL 35601, 256-351-4790
- District Attorney, 8th Judicial Circuit: 256-351-4610
- Decatur Municipal Court: 300 Cain Street NE, 256-341-4676
- Hartselle Municipal Court: 611 Chestnut Street NW, 256-773-2703
- Morgan County Jail: 119 Lee Street NE, 256-351-4825
The Morgan County bail guide covers where to pay in Decatur, and the Alabama Rule 7.2 bail schedule (https://judicial.alabama.gov/docs/library/rules/cr7_2.pdf) sets out each band.
8. Morgan County federal cases
Federal charges from Morgan County go to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama:
- Clerk: the federal courthouse in Huntsville, 660 Gallatin Street SW, Huntsville, AL 35801, 256-534-6495
- U.S. Marshals: U.S. Marshals Service, 1729 5th Avenue North, Room 240, Birmingham, AL 35203, 205-829-6611
A Huntsville magistrate judge rules on release for a Morgan defendant, and the Marshals choose the jail.
9. Finding a Morgan County inmate
- County jail roster: Morgan County Inmate Search
- State prison search: Alabama Department of Corrections Inmate Search (https://www.doc.alabama.gov/inmate/inmate-search/)
- Federal prison search: Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/); before sentencing, 205-829-6611
- VINE: VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/). Choose Alabama, pick the Morgan County listing and sign up.
Our Morgan County inmate page has more links.
10. ICE detainers at the Decatur jail
At the Lee Street jail, an ICE detainer adds two working days at most after Morgan County would release the person.
- 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. How do I check on a Morgan County warrant?
The Sheriff's Office, 119 Lee Street NE, Decatur, AL 35601, 256-351-4800, serves warrants and publishes a warrants list behind a short disclaimer. For other counties, the ALEA wanted list names people sought. Morgan case history is viewable through Alacourt Access, priced at $9.99 each. A lawyer can set up surrender at the jail in that Lee Street building, 256-351-4825, with bond ready. Rescheduling means seeing the clerk at 302 Lee Street NE, Decatur, AL 35601, with copies and dates handled at 256-351-4790. For a Hartselle ticket, the Municipal Court is at 611 Chestnut Street NW, Hartselle, AL 35640, 256-773-2703. Once someone is booked, our inmate tool shows it.
Nothing in this Morgan guide is legal advice, and Decatur numbers sometimes change. Ask an Alabama defense attorney about your own charge. For an appointed lawyer, call the Circuit Clerk at (256) 351-4790; for someone in the county jail, call (256) 351-4825.
Morgan County court dates can move, so call the clerk at 256-351-4790 or the city court before driving to Decatur, and ask the jail at 256-351-4825 whether the person is still on Lee Street.
