Tenth Judicial Circuit Court of Alabama

On behalf of the Judges of the Tenth Judicial Circuit, it is my privilege to welcome you to this website. You may find helpful information about Judges, Court personnel and jury service. The Tenth Judicial Circuit of Jefferson County is the largest circuit with the highest volume of ligation in the state. There are more than 659,000 citizens living in Jefferson County. The Jefferson County Court system consists of 26 circuit judges and 12 district judges in divisions for civil, domestic, criminal, juvenile and the Bessemer cutoff. In 2019, a total of 82,054 filings were made in Jefferson County. This includes cases in the circuit criminal, district criminal, traffic, circuit civil, district civil, domestic relations, child support, juvenile and small claims divisions. The Jefferson County judges are committed to being fair, impartial and efficient. As Presiding Judge, my focus is on protecting families, the constitutional rights of individuals, and the administration of justice.

Elisabeth French

Brief Bio:
Judge French is the Presiding Judge for the Tenth Judicial Circuit of Alabama. Judge French entered the private practice of law in 1997 and represented clients in the area of general civil litigation. In 1999, Judge French began litigating complex civil cases. As an attorney, she tried multiple civil jury trials. In November of 2010, she was elected as a Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge. She was re-elected in 2016. Judge French has disposed of thousands of cases during her tenure on the bench. Her responsibilities include presiding over jury trials, bench trials, hearings, motion dockets, status conferences and appeals from the Personnel Board, probate court and district court.

Judge French received the Judicial Award of Merit in 2019 from the Alabama State Bar Association. The Judicial Award of Merit is given to the Judge who has contributed significantly to the administration of justice in Alabama. Judge French is a member of the Court of the Judiciary which hears complaints regarding other judges. Judge French was elected by the Jefferson County Circuit Judges in 2020 as Presiding Judge of the Tenth Judicial Circuit. As Presiding Judge, she is responsible for assigning judges to established divisions, executing administrative duties of the Courts and having supervisory authority over Court officials to ensure that the Courts function properly.

Contact Information

Office Staff:

Brittany Wilkes - Judicial Assistant
Kaitlyn Puzzitiello - Court Attendant

Jefferson County Courthouse, Room 370
716 Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd. N.
Birmingham, AL 35203
Phone: (205) 325-5200