Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama

Format

Type

Century Schoolbook 14 pt, double-spaced

Margins

1-inch margins

Opening brief

14,000 words

Reply brief

7,000 words

What counts

Excludes cover, oral-argument statement, TOC, statement of jurisdiction, TOA, certificates, signature block, appendices. Pro se: 70 pages principal / 35 reply instead of words

Rules

Alabama Rules of Appellate Procedure — Ala. R. App. P. 32(a)(6)-(7); Ala. R. App. P. 28(j)(1)

Parts of the brief, in order

1. Cover — Required · Ala. R. App. P. 32(a)(2)-(3)
2. STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT — Required · Ala. R. App. P. 28(a)(1)
3. TABLE OF CONTENTS — Required · Ala. R. App. P. 28(a)(2)
4. STATEMENT OF JURISDICTION — Required · Ala. R. App. P. 28(a)(3) (not required in criminal cases)
5. TABLE OF AUTHORITIES — Required · Ala. R. App. P. 28(a)(4)
6. STATEMENT OF THE CASE — Required · Ala. R. App. P. 28(a)(5)
7. STATEMENT OF THE ISSUES — Required · Ala. R. App. P. 28(a)(6)
8. STATEMENT OF THE FACTS — Required · Ala. R. App. P. 28(a)(7)
9. STATEMENT OF THE STANDARD OF REVIEW — Required · Ala. R. App. P. 28(a)(8)
10. SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT — Required · Ala. R. App. P. 28(a)(9) (max 5 pages)
11. ARGUMENT — Required · Ala. R. App. P. 28(a)(10)
12. CONCLUSION — Required · Ala. R. App. P. 28(a)(11)
13. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE — Required · Ala. R. App. P. 28(a)(12), 32(d) (not required of pro se using page limits)
14. CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE — Required · Ala. R. App. P. 28(a)(13)

Argument headings: Argument supports each issue with citations to authority and to specific record pages (C. / R.); appellee may omit jurisdiction, case, issues, facts, standard-of-review statements unless dissatisfied (28(b)). Reply: TOC, TOA, summary, argument, certificate of service (28(c)).

Standard of review: Separate 'Statement of the Standard of Review' section, concise standard for each issue (28(a)(8))

Record citations: (C. 12) clerk's record; (R. 34) reporter's transcript

Appendix

Optional. Pages are numbered like A12.

Record is the clerk's record (C.) and reporter's transcript (R.) prepared below; no appendix requirement confirmed

Certificates

• Compliance: Certify the brief complies with font (Century Schoolbook 14) and word limit; state word count
• Service: List names/addresses of all attorneys and pro se parties served and method
• Font-substitution certificate if Century Schoolbook 14 not reasonably available (32(a)(7))

Good to know

• Century Schoolbook 14 required including footnotes; any other font needs a certificate
• Block quotes of legal authority >2 and <=25 lines may be single-spaced and indented
• Pro se litigants use page limits (70/35) and are exempt from compliance certificate
• Death-penalty cases: 16,000 principal / 8,000 reply words (28(j)(1))
• Rehearing briefs: 3,000 words (28(j))
• Statement of jurisdiction not required in criminal cases (28(a)(3))

Filing: Electronic filing through the Alabama appellate courts' e-filing system for attorneys (details not verified)