Alabama Federal Court Structure at a Glance
Court Locations in Alabama — 28 U.S.C. § 81
The district structure of Alabama is set by statute, quoted below from 28 U.S.C. § 81:
“Alabama is divided into three judicial districts to be known as the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Alabama.”
Court locations under the statute:
Court for the Northwestern Division shall be held at Florence.
Court for the Northeastern Division shall be held at Huntsville.
Court for the Southern Division shall be held at Birmingham.
Court for the Eastern Division shall be held at Anniston.
Court for the Western Division shall be held at Tuscaloosa.
Court for the Northern Division shall be held at Montgomery.
Court for the Southern Division shall be held at Dothan.
Court for the Eastern Division shall be held at Opelika.
Court for the Northern Division shall be held at Selma.
Court for the Southern Division shall be held at Mobile.
Federal White-Collar Cases in Alabama
Federal fraud offenses committed in Alabama are prosecuted in the district where the offense occurred. Jurisdiction is statutory: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.” (18 U.S.C. § 3231).
Circuit assignment is statutory as well. 28 U.S.C. § 41 provides:
“Eleventh Alabama, Florida, Georgia.”
The Eleventh Circuit hears appeals from the district courts in Alabama. The district courts listed above maintain public websites with local rules, judge information, and case-location details; the federal court finder at uscourts.gov also covers Alabama.
The principal federal fraud statutes — mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341), wire fraud (§ 1343), and bank fraud (§ 1344) — apply in every federal district. Bank fraud carries a statutory maximum of 30 years: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.” (18 U.S.C. § 1344).
This page is part of the White-Collar Case Law Research Desk reference library. Additional research notes are published as new court decisions are issued.
Primary sources
- 28 U.S.C. § 81 — Alabama (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Alabama is divided into three judicial districts to be known as the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Alabama.”
- 28 U.S.C. § 41 — Number and composition of circuits (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Eleventh Alabama, Florida, Georgia.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 3231 — District courts (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 1344 — Bank fraud (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.”
White-Collar Federal Defense Reference by State
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