Judge Maria Fortune serves as a District Judge in the criminal division. She currently is the presiding Judge for the Drug Court Program in Jefferson County, Birmingham Division. Judge Maria Fortune received her B.S. from the University of Northern Colorado and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver College of Law.
Prior to taking the bench, Judge Fortune had her own law practice specializing in a variety of areas of law. She also practiced as a Deputy Public Defender and an Assistant City Attorney. She served the citizens of Jefferson County as a Special Circuit Court Judge in Family and Criminal Court and a Daily Master in Domestic Relations Court in the Birmingham Division of Jefferson County.
Judge Fortune is a member of the Alabama State Bar, Colorado State Bar and Washington DC State Bar, the Women’s Lawyers Section and the Criminal Justice Section of the Birmingham Bar Association. She currently serves on the board for the Jefferson County Family Resource Center. She has previously served as the President of the Criminal Justice Section of the Birmingham Bar Association and Indigent Defense Advisory Committee for Jefferson County.