Randolph County District Court Overview
District Court is a limited-jurisdiction Alabama trial court. In Randolph County, it handles traffic citations assigned to the county court, misdemeanors, preliminary felony proceedings, small claims, some civil matters, and child-support work. District Judge Amy M. Newsome serves locally. Chris May is the unified Circuit Clerk for both District and Circuit Court records.
Randolph County is part of the Fifth Judicial Circuit with Chambers, Macon, and Tallapoosa counties. District Court is local to the county even though the wider circuit covers four counties. A felony can begin in District Court at a warrant, initial appearance, bond, or probable-cause stage and later move to the grand jury and Circuit Court.
The official magistrate and warrant source explains neutral review and local jurisdiction.
That local process connects an offense report and sworn deposition to a magistrate's probable-cause decision.
Randolph County District Court Location
Official sources identify one countywide District Court and one local District Judge rather than several numbered district courts. The District Judge uses the Randolph County Courthouse and a separate post-office box. The Circuit Clerk's public counter is in the same courthouse, which lets case, payment, certified-copy, and hearing questions begin at one court location.
| Court number | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Countywide, not numbered | District Court: traffic, criminal, small claims, civil, child support | 1 Main Street / P.O. Box 267, Wedowee, AL 36278 | (256) 357-4921 |
District Court records are handled by the Randolph County Circuit Clerk at 1 Main Street South, P.O. Box 328, Wedowee, AL 36278, (256) 357-4551. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a noon to 1:00 p.m. closure.
Randolph District Court Compared
Alabama does not use a separate general “County Court” or justice-of-the-peace court in Randolph County. The useful comparison is among District, Circuit, municipal, and Probate courts. The source set does not provide jurisdictional dollar limits or jury-size rules, so those details are not inferred.
| Point | District Court | Circuit Court | Municipal or Probate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Role | Limited-jurisdiction state trial court | General-jurisdiction state trial court | City ordinance court or separate county probate court |
| Criminal work | Misdemeanors and preliminary felony matters | Felony cases and lower-court review where allowed | City misdemeanors and ordinances in municipal court |
| Civil or family | Small claims, some civil, child support | Major civil, domestic, and other general-jurisdiction matters | Estates, guardianships, conservatorships, adoptions in Probate |
| Records | Circuit Clerk and AlaCourt ACCESS | City court or Probate Judge and probate portal | |
Randolph County District Case Flow
A case follows the track tied to its type. A misdemeanor can remain in District Court through plea, trial, and disposition. A felony often begins with a warrant, arrest, first appearance, bond, and probable-cause review before moving toward the grand jury and Circuit Court. A traffic defendant may pay an eligible ticket, seek online resolution or driving school, or appear and request a trial. A small-claims or civil case begins with a filing and service, then moves through response, settings, and judgment.
Felony pathway: Report › Warrant or arrest › Initial appearance and bond › District probable-cause stage › Grand jury › Circuit Court › Appeal.
District civil pathway: Claim filed › Service › Response › Hearing or trial › Judgment › Circuit review when allowed.
Traffic pathway: Citation › Payment, online resolution, or court date › Trial if requested › Disposition › Driver-agency reporting when applicable.
Randolph County District Court Divisions
The Circuit Clerk divides local work into Civil, Criminal, Domestic, Child Support, Traffic, Juvenile, and Warrants, among other operations. Those labels describe record and service functions, not separate numbered courtrooms. Public case details may be available through paid AlaCourt ACCESS. Name and case-number searches cost $9.99, District case monitoring costs $19.99, and document-image charges begin at $5 for the first 20 pages.
Small claims and some civil disputes produce party, filing, service, hearing, judgment, garnishment, and payment entries. Criminal matters can show a complaint, charge, bond, settings, plea, disposition, costs, and a case action summary. Child-support filings receive a case number and court date after processing, while juvenile records are confidential except for access authorized by law or court order.
The official Protection from Abuse source documents a specialized family safety filing process.
PFA files may omit a victim's location and contact details even when other case information is accessible.
Randolph District Traffic Court
Randolph's traffic instructions state that a citation requires the defendant to appear before District Court. An eligible ticket may be paid by mail with a signed guilty plea and a money order or cashier's check, through AlaPay, or by approved phone card payment. No personal checks are accepted. Online Traffic Resolution supports eligible pre-court-date resolutions and driving-school requests.
The court date on the ticket is not a trial date. A defendant who wants to plead not guilty must appear on that date to request trial. Failure to pay or dispose of the case and then failure to appear can lead to a warrant, an ALEA license suspension, a higher fine, and forfeiture of posted bond.
The official Randolph traffic source gives the local payment, proof, appearance, and failure-to-appear rules.
The court file records the citation outcome, while ALEA maintains the separate driver-license record.
Randolph Fifth Judicial Circuit
Randolph County sits in the Fifth Judicial Circuit. Presiding Circuit Judge William Isaac Whorton serves with Circuit Judges James Luke Farmer and Kevin M. Hall. District Judge Amy M. Newsome serves Randolph locally. Criminal appeals from state trial courts go to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. Civil or family appeals may go to the Court of Civil Appeals or Supreme Court according to subject and jurisdiction.
Federal cases do not belong in Randolph District Court records. Randolph County is in the Eastern Division of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, and federal records use PACER or the federal clerk rather than AlaCourt.
Randolph County District Court Magistrates
Magistrates are judicial officers who must remain neutral and detached from law enforcement when deciding whether probable cause supports an arrest warrant. Local jurisdiction covers misdemeanors outside Roanoke and Wedowee city limits, felonies throughout Randolph County, certain traffic matters written by state troopers, county deputies, and Wadley police, and worthless checks received in the county.
A complainant first makes an incident report with the sheriff or correct city police department. The complainant then brings the report, takes an oath, and completes a deposition. The magistrate decides probable cause. There is no cost to obtain a warrant through this process. Unserved arrest warrants are not public records, and a person who suspects a warrant must appear in person at the Sheriff's Department.
Access Randolph District Records
Public District Court records can be searched through paid AlaCourt ACCESS, requested at the Circuit Clerk counter, discussed by phone, or requested by mail. The online report may show case information, status, settings, parties, financial history, court actions, rulings, and a case action summary. Older records, certified copies, and restricted-access questions should go directly to the clerk.
Ala. Code § 36-12-40 states the general inspection right for public records.
Court rules and orders still control confidential, sealed, juvenile, victim, and personal information.
Ala. Code § 36-12-41 addresses copies of public records after request and lawful payment.
The exact Randolph clerk copy and certification rates should be confirmed before submitting payment.
Visit Randolph District Court
The courthouse is at 1 Main Street South in downtown Wedowee. The post-renovation notice directs visitors to the rear entrance at 5 1st Street East. Parking around the courthouse is free, and the current county update says streets and parking are open. Allow time for a metal detector. Weapons are prohibited, and jurors may not bring cell phones.
The 2025 renovation added a better security-clearance area, a new elevator, second-floor ADA restrooms, a fire-rated staircase, a fire alarm, and renovated clerk and court offices. No official public transit route or courthouse shuttle was found in local sources.
The Alabama juror portal is the registration source named in Randolph jury instructions.
Jurors should also follow the local summons and clerk instructions for reporting time, courtroom, security, and phone restrictions.