3. Courts.

1. All Alabama courts and judicial system bodies are presumptively subject to the Public Records Law, although the Law itself is silent on this point. Court decisions have applied the law, or common law prior to enactment of the 1923 Public Records Law, to the following judicial system entities or officers, among others:

a. Circuit court clerk: Subpoena docket of witnesses. Jackson v. Mobley, 157 Ala. 408, 47 So. 590 (1908). Case-action-summary sheets, indictments, plea agreements, explanation-of-rights forms, and sentencing orders. Ex parte Perch, 17 So. 3d 649 (Ala. 2009).

b. County probate judge: Petition for liquor referendum, State ex rel. Kernells v. Ezell, 291 Ala. 440, 282 So. 2d 266 (1973); license tags for state vehicles, Birmingham News Co. v. Hobbie, 12 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1687 (Cir. Ct. of Montgomery County, Ala., Dec. 20, 1985).

c. Municipal courts: Judicial records, Mobile Press Register, Inc. v. Lackey, 938 So. 2d 398 (Ala. 2006).

d. State courts: Judicial records, Byrd v. First Real Estate Corp., No. CV-95-N-3087-S (N.D.Ala. 1998) (action to open court record that included documents relating to a settlement agreement); Holland v. Eads, 614 So. 2d 1012 (Ala. 1993) (action to open court file sealed pursuant to settlement agreement); Duck Head Apparel Co. v. Hoots, 659 So. 2d 897 (Ala. 1995) (challenge to protective order sealing entire record in order to keep financial data submitted at post trial hearing confidential); see also the following First Amendment judicial records access cases: Ex parte Consolidated Publishing Co., 601 So. 2d 423 (Ala. 1992); Ex parte Birmingham News Co., 624 So. 2d 1117 (Ala. Crim. App. 1993).

2. Alabama Attorney General opinions have applied the Public Records Law to the following judicial system entities or officers, among others:

a. County circuit court: Jury lists for criminal cases. 200 Op. Att'y Gen. Ala. 16 (July 22, 1985).

b. County circuit court register's office: Register's office records. 190 Op. Att'y Gen. Ala. 33 (Mar. 7, 1983); see also Ala. Code §  12-17-119 (1995) (registers' records open).

c. County district court clerk's office: Executed search warrants and arrest warrants. 197 Op. Att'y Gen. Ala. 13 (Oct. 10, 1984).

d. Municipal court: Municipal court records. 208 Op. Att'y Gen. Ala. 28 (Sept. 2, 1987). Executed arrest warrants. Op. Att'y Gen. Ala. No. 2008-030, 2007 Ala. AG LEXIS 97 (Dec. 28, 2007).

e. Probate judge's office: County voting lists and applications, 202 Op. Att'y Gen. Ala. 19 (Jan. 24, 1986); lists from which poll workers are appointed, 210 Op. Att'y Gen. Ala. 45 (June 3, 1988); military discharge certificates filed in probate court, Op. Att'y Gen. Ala. No. 2002-331, 2002 Ala. AG LEXIS 241 (Sept. 5, 2002).