This legal citation refers to a specific location within the Alabama Reporter concerning unpublished memorandum opinions from the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. The ‘ala. r. app.’ portion signifies the Alabama Reporter for the Court of Criminal Appeals, while ‘p. 54’ indicates the specific page number. “Unpublished memorandum opinions” are court decisions not officially released for general publication in the bound volumes of the reporter. A hypothetical example would be a ruling on a motion to suppress evidence in a drug possession case, where the court’s reasoning and decision are documented but not formally published.
Access to these unpublished rulings is important for legal professionals for several reasons. While not binding precedent, they can offer valuable insights into the court’s thinking on similar issues, inform litigation strategy, and reveal trends in judicial decision-making. Historically, accessing such rulings was challenging, requiring direct requests to the court or specialized legal databases. The availability of these decisions, even in unpublished form, promotes transparency and allows for a more complete understanding of the court’s jurisprudence in criminal matters.