Code of Alabama
Article 1 - General Provisions.
Section 12-15-133 - Filing and Inspection of Records.

(a) The following records, reports, and information acquired or generated in juvenile courts concerning children shall be confidential and shall not be released to any person, department, agency, or entity, except as provided elsewhere in this section:
(1) Juvenile legal files (including formal documents as petitions, notices, motions, legal memoranda, orders, and decrees).
(2) Social records, including but not limited to:
a. Records of juvenile probation officers.
b. Records of the Department of Human Resources.
c. Records of the Department of Youth Services.
d. Medical records.
e. Psychiatric or psychological records.
f. Reports of preliminary inquiries and predisposition studies.
g. Supervision records.
h. Birth certificates.
i. Individualized service plans.
j. Education records, including, but not limited to, individualized education plans.
k. Detention records.
l. Demographic information that identifies a child or the family of a child.
(3) State Criminal Justice Information System records.
(4) Juvenile criminal sex offender notification records.
(b) The records, reports, and information described in subsection (a) shall be filed separately from other files and records of the court. The juvenile legal files described in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) shall be maintained in a separate file from all other juvenile records, reports, and information.
(c) Subject to applicable federal law, the records, reports, and information described in subsection (a) shall be open to inspection and copying only by the following, under the specified circumstances:
(1) The judge, juvenile probation officers, and professional staff assigned to serve or contracted for service to the juvenile court.
(2) Representatives of a public or private agency or department providing supervision or having legal custody of the child.
(3) The parent (except when parental rights have been terminated), the legal guardian of the child, and the legal custodian of the child.
(4) The subject of the proceedings and his or her counsel and guardian ad litem. As used in this section, the term counsel means a child's attorney and an attorney for a criminal defendant who was formerly a child subject to proceedings in juvenile court.
(5) The judge, probation, prosecutor, and other professional staff serving a court handling criminal cases for investigating or considering youthful offender applications for an individual, who, prior thereto, had been the subject of proceedings in juvenile court.
(6) The judge, probation, and other professional staff, including the prosecutor and the attorney for the defendant, serving a court handling criminal cases for completing sentencing standards worksheets and considering the sentence upon a person charged with a criminal offense who, prior thereto, had been the subject of proceedings in juvenile court.
(7) The principal of the school in which the child is enrolled, or the representative of the principal, upon written petition to the juvenile court setting forth the reasons why the safety or welfare, or both, of the school, its students, or personnel, necessitate production of the information and without which the safety and welfare of the school, its students, and personnel, would be threatened; provided, however, certain information concerning children adjudicated delinquent of certain offenses shall be provided as set forth in Section 12-15-217.
(8) The Alabama Sentencing Commission, as set forth in Section 12-25-11.
(9) In any criminal proceeding, including a criminal proceeding in which a person is adjudicated a youthful offender, as well as any juvenile proceeding pursuant to Section 12-15-105, the prosecutor representing the State of Alabama shall have access to all juvenile legal files specified in subdivision (a)(1) on that person regardless of the jurisdiction from which the files originate.
(d) Upon determining a legitimate need for access, and subject to applicable federal law, the juvenile court may also grant access to specific records, reports, and information to a prosecutor representing the State of Alabama, department, entity, or agency. The determination of legitimate need by the juvenile court shall be based upon a written request filed with the juvenile court stating the following:
(1) The reason the person, department, entity, or agency is requesting the information.
(2) The use to be made of the information.
(3) The names of those persons or entities that will have access to the information.
(e) Petitions, motions, juvenile court notices, or dispositions shall be open to inspection and copying by the victim.
(f) Subject to applicable confidentiality disclosure and case restrictions imposed by federal or state law, confidential juvenile legal files, as described in subdivision (1) of subsection (a), may be placed on an automated information sharing system to be shared with the child's counsel and guardian ad litem, prosecutors,departments, agencies, or entities who are entitled to access pursuant to this section.
(g) Except for the purposes permitted and in the manner provided by this section, whoever discloses or makes use of or knowingly permits the use of information identifying a child, or the family of a child, who is or was under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, where this information is directly or indirectly derived from the records of the juvenile court or acquired in the course of official duties, upon conviction thereof, shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court and also may be subject to civil sanctions. Provided, however, that nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit or otherwise limit counsel from disclosing confidential information obtained from the juvenile court file of the child as needed to investigate the case of the client or prepare a defense for that client, provided that the disclosure is in furtherance of counsel's representation of the party.
(h) Anytime that a child commits a violent offense and is adjudicated delinquent, if that child as an adult commits the same or a similar offense, the court records pertaining to the juvenile offense may be used in the prosecution of the adult offense.

Structure Code of Alabama

Code of Alabama

Title 12 - Courts.

Chapter 15 - Juvenile Proceedings.

Article 1 - General Provisions.

Section 12-15-101 - Purpose of the Alabama Juvenile Justice Act; Short Title; Goals for the Juvenile Court.

Section 12-15-102 - Definitions.

Section 12-15-103 - Juvenile Court Judges May Be Circuit or District Court Judges; Maintenance of Separate Juvenile Case Action Summaries; Promulgation of Rules of Procedure for Juvenile Courts; Powers of Judges of Juvenile Courts as to Issuance of W...

Section 12-15-104 - Advisory Boards.

Section 12-15-105 - Exercise of Authority by District Attorneys in Juvenile Court Proceedings Generally; Assistance by District Attorneys in the Juvenile Courts; Representation of the State by District Attorneys in Cases Appealed From Juvenile Courts...

Section 12-15-106 - Juvenile Court Referees' Qualifications and Appointment; Conduct of Hearings of Cases by Juvenile Court Referees; Transmission of Findings and Recommendations for Disposition of Juvenile Court Referees to Juvenile Court Judges; Pr...

Section 12-15-107 - Juvenile Probation Officers - Duties of Juvenile Probation Officers Generally; Powers of Juvenile Probation Officers as to Taking Into Custody and Placing in Shelter or Detention Care of Children Generally; Procedure Upon Taking I...

Section 12-15-108 - Liability of Counties for Expenses of Maintenance and Care of Children Under the Jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court Pursuant to This Chapter; Reimbursement.

Section 12-15-109 - Issuance of Orders to Parents for Payment of Court Costs, Fees of Attorneys, and Expenses for Support, Treatment of Children Under the Jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court Pursuant to This Chapter; Manner of Payment; Proceedings Upo...

Section 12-15-110 - Punishment for Contempt of Court of Persons Disobeying Orders of the Juvenile Court Generally.

Section 12-15-111 - Contributing to the Delinquency, Dependency, or Need of Supervision of Children.

Section 12-15-112 - Interference With Performance of Duties by Juvenile Probation Officers.

Section 12-15-113 - Jurisdiction to Make a Parent or Parents, Legal Guardians, or Legal Custodians Parties to Juvenile Court Proceedings.

Section 12-15-114 - Original Jurisdiction - Juvenile.

Section 12-15-115 - Original Jurisdiction - Civil.

Section 12-15-116 - Original Jurisdiction - Criminal.

Section 12-15-117 - Retention and Termination of Jurisdiction Generally.

Section 12-15-117.1 - Continuing Jurisdiction of Juvenile Court to Modify and Enforce Judgments.

Section 12-15-118 - Duties of Juvenile Court Intake Officers.

Section 12-15-119 - Informal Adjustment of Certain Cases Prior to Filing of Juvenile Petition.

Section 12-15-120 - Cases Initiated by Filing of Petitions by Juvenile Court Intake Officers.

Section 12-15-121 - Form, Contents, and Execution of Juvenile Petitions.

Section 12-15-122 - Issuance and Service of Summonses Generally; Waiver of Service of Summonses.

Section 12-15-123 - Manner of Service of Summons.

Section 12-15-124 - Authority of Juvenile Court to Make Interlocutory or Final Dispositional Orders in Cases Where Parties Served by Publication.

Section 12-15-125 - Taking Into Custody of Children Generally.

Section 12-15-126 - Issuance of Pick-Up Order for Taking Into Custody.

Section 12-15-127 - Release, Delivery to Detention or Shelter Care Facility, Medical Facility of Children Taken Into Custody Generally.

Section 12-15-128 - Authority and Criteria for Continuation of Detention or Shelter Care of Children Taken Into Custody Beyond 72 Hours.

Section 12-15-129 - Conduct of Hearings Generally.

Section 12-15-130 - Ordering, Conduct, and Certification of Findings of Mental and Physical Examinations of Children; Minors or Children Believed to Be Individuals With a Mental Illness or an Intellectual Disability; Treatment or Care for Children; P...

Section 12-15-131 - Issuance of Orders Restraining Conduct of Parties to Proceedings.

Section 12-15-132 - Proceedings Against Children Violating Terms of Probation or Aftercare; Disposition of These Children.

Section 12-15-133 - Filing and Inspection of Records.

Section 12-15-134 - Maintenance and Inspection of Law Enforcement Records.

Section 12-15-135 - Taking and Disposition of Fingerprints, Photographs, Blood Samples.

Section 12-15-136 - Proceedings for Sealing Legal and Social Files and Records of Courts, Pertaining to Certain Persons and Effect Thereof.

Section 12-15-137 - Proceedings for Destruction of Legal and Social Files and Records of Juvenile Courts Pertaining to Certain Persons and Effect Thereof.

Section 12-15-138 - Power of Juvenile Courts to Enter Protection or Restraint Ex Parte Order; When Order May Be Entered; Purpose of Order.

Section 12-15-139 - Requisites for Order; Notice and Hearing; Evidentiary Standard; Showing of Necessity to Protect Health or Safety of Child Subject to a Juvenile Court Proceeding, Best Interests of the Child.

Section 12-15-140 - Content of Order; Order May Set Forth Reasonable Conditions of Behavior for Parents, Persons Responsible for Care; Enumeration of Certain Specific Requirements Which May Be Included in Order.

Section 12-15-141 - Emergency Ex Parte Orders Authorized Upon Showing of Verified Evidence of Abuse or Neglect; Evidence Required; Hearing Required Within 72 Hours of Issuance of Order.

Section 12-15-142 - Modification, Extension, or Termination of Order After Notice and Hearing for Person Subject Thereto; Findings Required Concerning Best Interests of the Child Subject to a Juvenile Court Proceeding.

Section 12-15-143 - Violations of Orders Punished as Contempt; Willful Conduct Rendering Violator Responsible for Court Costs and Attorney Fees.

Section 12-15-144 - Construction of Sections; Sections to Be Read in Pari Materia With Certain Other Laws.