SB331 Alabama 2019 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Greg AlbrittonSenator
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2019
Title: Baldwin Co., judge of probate authorized to exercise equity jurisdiction under certain conditions, const. amend.
Summary: A constitutional amendment would let Baldwin County's Judge of Probate, if they are an Alabama State Bar member, handle certain civil cases with the same authority as a circuit court judge by sharing equity jurisdiction.
What This Bill Does
If passed, the Baldwin County Judge of Probate could exercise equity jurisdiction concurrent with the circuit court for cases originally filed in Baldwin County Probate Court. The judge would have the power and authority of a circuit court judge for those cases, and the cases would be treated as if filed in circuit court. The Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure would apply to these cases unless a different law says otherwise. The amendment is self-executing, and the Legislature can pass additional laws to implement it if needed.

Who It Affects
The Baldwin County Judge of Probate, but only if they are a member of the Alabama State Bar, who would gain equity-jurisdiction authority.
People with cases originally filed in Baldwin County Probate Court that would fall under the new equity-jurisdiction arrangement, whose cases could be heard with circuit-court authority and procedural rules.

Key Provisions
Allows the Baldwin County Judge of Probate to exercise equity jurisdiction concurrent with the circuit court in cases originally filed in the Baldwin County Probate Court, if the judge is a member of the Alabama State Bar.
In such cases, the probate judge has the power and authority of a circuit court judge trying the case and the case is treated as if filed in circuit court.
The Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure apply to these cases unless otherwise provided by law.
The amendment is self-executing, but the Legislature may enact additional laws to implement it if needed.
An election will be held to vote on the proposed amendment, with ballot language describing the amendment.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Baldwin County