Rosie Robinson
Director of Courts
For almost 30 years, Rosie Robinson has worked for the City of Alabaster. Starting out as a communications clerk for the Alabaster Water Board in 1995, Robinson was promoted to magistrate in 2000 and was named Director of Courts in December 2021. “I’ve seen a lot of growth in Alabaster,” Robinson says. Born and raised in Brent, Robinson graduated from Bibb County High School and got a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Stillman College. “I envisioned working at a financial institution,” Robinson recalls, but “life went a different way.”
As Director of Courts, Robinson supervises a staff of six (five magistrates and a part-time warrant officer) and runs the municipal court proceedings in the city. “We have a good group ranging in age from 27 to 55,” Robinson says. “I’m so thankful for them.”
Trials are held on the first Wednesday of the month in Council Chambers and Docket days are on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, with two sessions each day. “We hold multiple trials in a day, and there are usually anywhere from 500 to 600 cases on the docket,” Robinson says. In Alabama, magistrates are appointed and perform limited judicial functions such as issuing warrants and subpoenas, approving surety bonds, receiving cash bail, and setting bail in misdemeanor and municipal cases, in addition to other administrative duties. “My job is very fulfilling,” Robinson says. In addition to still performing some magistrate duties, Robinson is in charge of the staff and financial reporting for the municipal court. “You’ve got to love what you do,” she continues. “I do classes and training to stay up on latest issues.”
But the part of the job that Robinson enjoys most is the opportunity to help people when they are at a low point. “We get to make a difference in people’s lives,” she says. “Over the 23 years, people have come back and expressed their appreciation for how we handled their situations. You feel good when someone comes back and says that you’ve helped them.” Robinson has goals for the municipal courts under her leadership: “We’re trying to go paperless as much as possible, and we’re trying to implement new technology in order to streamline day-to-day operations,” she says. She’s also making sure her team gets their training so they can be best prepared for their individual roles. “I’m not going anywhere ‘til I’m hanging it up,” she says with a laugh.
Robinson lives in Center Point with her husband, James Robinson, who is the pastor of Joshua Generation Church of God, and her twin 16-year-old granddaughters. “I’m always right there with him (her husband), and I enjoy time with my family,” she says.