Where Madison County Criminal Records Live
Madison County criminal data sits in four main places. The Circuit Clerk's office holds the formal court file. The Sheriff's inmate roster holds live booking, charge, and bond data. ALEA holds the certified criminal-history record used for background checks and expungement. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama holds federal cases from Huntsville.
For a fast public lookup, start with the Sheriff roster for active bookings, then use AlaCourt Just One Look for court-case status. Use ALEA when you need a certified rap sheet for a job, a license, or an expungement petition. Use PACER when the case is federal.
Charges vs Convictions in Madison County
A charge is not a conviction. The Sheriff books a person on a charge after an arrest. The case then moves through District or Circuit Court. The court file and the disposition decide whether the charge becomes a conviction, a dismissal, or a nolle prosequi. The Madison County Sheriff jail page warns that charges and bond amounts can change after court appearances and may not be current.
| Type | What It Means | Where to Find It |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest / Booking | Law enforcement took the person into custody on a charge. | Sheriff inmate roster, ALEA history record. |
| Charge | Formal accusation filed by the prosecutor. | AlaCourt case file, Circuit Clerk docket. |
| Conviction | Court entered a guilty plea or guilty verdict and judgment. | AlaCourt disposition field, certified court order. |
| Dismissal / Nolle | Court closed the case without conviction. | AlaCourt disposition field. |
What a Madison County Criminal Court File Shows
The Circuit Clerk's electronic case file includes the parties, the charge list, the assigned judge, all docket events, and the final disposition. Criminal files add bond fields and any sentence imposed. Criminal Circuit filing fees include $487 for a felony case and $414 for a non-traffic Circuit criminal misdemeanor. District criminal fees vary by case type.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Circuit or District Court ID for the criminal case. |
| Charge / Statute | Plain-text description and the Alabama Code section charged. |
| Arresting Agency | Huntsville Police, Madison Police, Sheriff, ALEA, or federal. |
| Bond Type / Amount | Cash, surety, or property bond and dollar amount. |
| Plea | Guilty, not guilty, or no contest. |
| Disposition | Conviction, dismissal, nolle, deferred, or pending. |
| Sentence | Jail time, probation, fines, costs, and restitution. |
Madison County Sheriff Roster Charge Fields
The Sheriff inmate roster is the fastest source for live arrest data. Each profile shows a mugshot, a booking number, a booking time, gender, race, age, and a charge table. The charge table lists case number, statute, description, arresting agency, court type, disposition, bond type, and bond amount. A sample profile inspected on May 18, 2026 showed Booking Number 00JI54597 with a charge of 13A-8-5(28) Theft of Property 4th, Shoplifting.
- Open the Madison County inmate roster.
- Select Current to limit to active bookings, or Released for past bookings.
- Enter a first or last name in the search box.
- Click View Profile to see the full charge table and bond data.
- Call the jail at (256) 519-4800 to confirm current charges and bond.
For a full walkthrough of jail booking, mail, and visitation, see the Madison County inmate records page. For active warrants and capias details, see the warrant records page.
The Sheriff's inmate roster publishes current bookings with charge and bond fields.
Public Access Rules for Criminal Records
Alabama opens criminal court records to the public by default under Ala. Code § 36-12-40. The Alabama Rules of Court-Record Privacy and Confidentiality, in force since January 1, 2025, set what gets posted and what gets redacted. The Sheriff posts current bookings online without a fee. The Circuit Clerk charges $10 for a computerized search and $5 per certification.
Some classes stay closed. Juvenile case files are confidential under § 12-15-133. Sealed and expunged records do not appear in a public search. Grand jury proceedings remain confidential until indictment. Sensitive victim data may be redacted.
Note: ALEA's certified criminal-history record is the official source for background-check use, not a printout from the public roster.
Expungement of Madison County Criminal Records
Alabama's expungement framework lives in Title 15, Chapter 27. The starting definitions are at § 15-27-1. The eligibility rules are at § 15-27-2. The post-order handling rules are at § 15-27-5. Eligibility depends on the charge, the disposition, the waiting period, any pending charges, and unpaid restitution.
Step one is to pull a certified criminal-history record. ALEA's expungement page sets this out and links to the request form. Step two is to file a petition in the criminal division of the Madison County Circuit Court where the case began. The court may require notice to the prosecutor and any affected law-enforcement agencies. A granted order removes public access but allows some law-enforcement use to continue.
| Status | Public Access |
|---|---|
| Open / Pending | Available on AlaCourt and at the Clerk. |
| Convicted | Available unless statute closes the file. |
| Dismissed / Nolle | Available; may be eligible for expungement. |
| Sealed | Not visible without a court order. |
| Expunged | Removed from public access; agency-only use remains. |
Juvenile Criminal Records in Madison County
Juvenile cases are not public dockets. Under Ala. Code § 12-15-133, juvenile legal files, social records, DHR and DYS records, medical and psychological data, education records, detention records, and demographic identifiers are confidential. Access goes only to judges, juvenile staff, parties and their attorneys under set conditions, prosecutors in some proceedings, and listed agencies. The Circuit Clerk's Juvenile division does not appear in standard public searches.
Madison County Prosecution and Defense
The Madison County District Attorney is Rob Broussard, headquartered in Room 414 at 100 North Side Square. The county phone is (256) 532-3460. Broussard was appointed in May 2009 after 21 years as a career prosecutor. The DA's office runs Criminal, Victim Services, and specialized units. Federal prosecutions in Huntsville flow through the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama.
For people who cannot afford counsel, the Court Administrator's office keeps an indigent-defense list and assigns counsel as needed. Local reporting in 2026 has tracked plans for a Madison County Public Defender's Office, with the proposal stalled at the time of the latest report. Until that office opens, appointed counsel handles indigent defense in the 23rd Judicial Circuit.
State and Federal Inmate Searches
After sentencing, custody moves. The Alabama Department of Corrections inmate search covers state prisoners and uses the AIS number or a name. The Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator covers federal inmates from 1982 to present and shows release dates that may shift on resentencing. For release alerts on a Madison County case, register with VINELink Alabama.
For more on released-inmate searches, see the released inmates page. For jail population context, see the inmate population page. For the full Madison County court records portal walkthrough, return to the court records page.
For sex-offender records tied to a Madison County conviction, use the ALEA Sex Offender Registry or the Sheriff's sex-offender gateway. The state registry rules are set out at Ala. Code § 15-20A-8. For voting-rights restoration after a felony sentence, use the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles CERV process. The bureau also handles full pardons that restore broader civil rights.