Congress is moving forward with tough legislation to redistrict Alabama’s northern district

WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed Congressman Dale W. Strong’s (AL-05) bipartisan bill to improve the organization of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.

Specifically, H.R. 7177 will redraw county boundaries and assign districts to the counties with the closest courthouse. This ensures that Alabamians are assigned to the closest and most convenient federal courthouse to avoid unnecessary and burdensome travel costs.

“I will always look for ways to improve the lives of my constituents. This includes ensuring they are assigned to the nearest federal courthouse to try their cases or carry out their civic duties and serve on a jury. I am pleased that my colleagues have joined me in promoting the efficient administration of justice in North Alabama,” said Congressman Dale W. Strong.

H.R. 7177 amends Title 28 USC § 81 to reorganize the Northern District of Alabama by consolidating the current seven divisions into five divisions.

It will transfer the counties currently assigned to the Middle and Jasper divisions to the Eastern and Western divisions. There are no longer any courthouses in Middle and Jasper counties, so cases filed in those counties are already being handled by neighboring counties.

This legislation is supported not only by the United States Judicial Conference, but also by the District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, the affected public defender services, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices.

It was approved by the Judicial Council of the Eleventh Judicial District and on March 12, 2024, the Judicial Conference adopted a position in support of this law.