B. Chadwick Wise at a glance
- Current role
- Circuit Court Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Alabama · State
- Judicial service
- Active
B. Chadwick Wise
Circuit Court Judge · Alabama Thirty-Ninth Judicial Circuit Court
Biography
Professional career
- From 1997 until January 2017, Wise practiced general law before being elected to his first term as Circuit Judge Limestone County, Alabama.
- Listed as an active judge on the Thirty-Ninth Judicial Circuit
- The Circuit Court Judge for the 39th Judicial Circuit in Limestone County, Alabama
- Judge Wise is a lifelong resident of Athens and Limestone County
Education
- University of Alabama in Limestone County, Alabama — J.D. (1997)
- Bachelor’s degree in Political Science magna cum laude from the University of Alabama in Huntsville Limestone County, Alabama.
Additional information
- He graduated from Athens High School in 1990
- Wise has been named as a defendant in a 42 U.S.C.. 1983 civil rights action filed by inmate Derrick Lynn Defoe, challenging actions taken in his criminal child abuse cases before Wise’s court.
- The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama transferred the case to that jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C.. 1406(a).
- Alabama Rule of Criminal Procedure 9.4 governs the televising or photographing of proceedings in his court.
- Certain civil actions where the claim exceeds $10,000
- The court is located at 200 W. Washington St., Athens, AL 35611 Limestone County, Alabama.
- All criminal felony cases
- overseeing felony criminal cases, major civil actions, and domestic relations matters.
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Alabama Rule of Criminal Procedure 9.4 permits televising, photographing, or radio broadcasting of judicial proceedings only as provided by Alabama judicial ethics canons, law, or another court rule.
The taking of television pictures or other photographs in or of the courtroom during the progress of judicial proceedings or the radio broadcasting of judicial proceedings may be permitted as provided in Canon 3(A)(7) and (7B), Canons of Judicial Ethics, promulgated by the Alabama Supreme Court, or as otherwise may be permitted by law or other rule of court.Alabama Rule of Criminal Procedure 9.4: Televising, photographing, or radio broadcasting of judicial proceedings ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Alabama Rule of Criminal Procedure 9.4: Televising, photographing, or radio broadcasting of judicial proceedings
Alabama Thirty-Ninth Judicial Circuit Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Criminal proceedings only. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked July 29, 2026.
Biography sources checked July 29, 2026.
Alabama Administrative Office of Courts official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked July 29, 2026
View Alabama Administrative Office of Courts official judicial roster ↗Alabama Rule of Criminal Procedure 9.4: Televising, photographing, or radio broadcasting of judicial proceedings
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Alabama Rule of Criminal Procedure 9.4: Televising, photographing, or radio broadcasting of judicial proceedings ↗