The doctrines Alabama courts name when they cite: mined from the sentence each citation lives in, keyed on the citing court, counted by distinct opinions. Entry by issue, not by case: pick one to see the cases on each side.
| # | Issue | Most-cited case | Opinions | Courts | Years | Last 5y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ore tenus rule | Hall v. Mazzone | 1,323 | 3 | 1974–2026 | 73 |
| 2 | affirmative defense | Robinson v. Morse | 569 | 4 | 1846–2026 | 34 |
| 3 | fundamental rule | League of Women Voters v. Renfro | 485 | 4 | 1876–2026 | 11 |
| 4 | plain error | United States v. Young | 475 | 4 | 1852–2026 | 24 |
| 5 | Batson motion | Ex Parte Branch | 432 | 3 | 1987–2026 | 7 |
| 6 | due process clause | Lanzetta v. New Jersey | 395 | 4 | 1915–2025 | 4 |
| 7 | Miranda warning | Miranda v. Arizona | 390 | 4 | 1968–2024 | 1 |
| 8 | harmless error | Chapman v. California | 387 | 4 | 1909–2026 | 17 |
| 9 | hearsay rule | Ohio v. Roberts | 276 | 4 | 1908–2026 | 7 |
| 10 | McLendon standard | Ex Parte McLendon | 273 | 2 | 1985–2026 | 16 |
| 11 | prima facie presumption | Duren v. Missouri | 270 | 4 | 1888–2026 | 3 |
| 12 | de novo standard | Washington v. State | 266 | 3 | 1974–2026 | 38 |
| 13 | scintilla rule | Alabama Power Company v. Taylor | 247 | 4 | 1923–2024 | 2 |
| 14 | exclusionary rule | Ex Parte Cofer | 236 | 4 | 1962–2026 | 4 |
| 15 | equal protection clause | Batson v. Kentucky | 220 | 4 | 1901–2025 | 2 |
| 16 | res judicata doctrine | Hughes v. Martin | 213 | 3 | 1921–2025 | 8 |
| 17 | State-agent immunity | Ex Parte Cranman | 203 | 2 | 2000–2025 | 16 |
| 18 | abuse of discretion standard | Ex Parte Perkins | 181 | 3 | 1981–2026 | 6 |
| 19 | contemporaneous objection rule | United States v. Frady | 177 | 2 | 1987–2026 | 13 |
| 20 | warrant requirement | Daniels v. State | 175 | 3 | 1923–2026 | 2 |
| 21 | Brady violation | United States v. Bagley | 174 | 2 | 1979–2025 | 9 |
| 22 | separation of powers doctrine | DeKalb County LP Gas Co., Inc. v. Suburban Gas, Inc. | 173 | 3 | 1980–2026 | 10 |
| 23 | sovereign immunity | Ex Parte Alabama Dept. of Transp. | 172 | 3 | 1968–2025 | 8 |
| 24 | clear showing error | Ex Parte Finance America Corp. | 168 | 3 | 1939–2026 | 6 |
| 25 | general exclusionary rule | Nelson v. State | 161 | 3 | 1977–2026 | 5 |
| 26 | petition for writ error | Summers v. State | 149 | 3 | 1961–2011 | 0 |
| 27 | Fifth Amendment privilege | Miranda v. Arizona | 142 | 4 | 1968–2024 | 4 |
| 28 | reasonable doubt instruction | Cage v. Louisiana | 137 | 3 | 1916–2024 | 2 |
| 29 | sentence hearing | Ex Parte Whisenhant | 132 | 3 | 1890–2025 | 2 |
| 30 | double jeopardy clause | Burks v. United States | 131 | 3 | 1978–2026 | 5 |
| 31 | ineffective assistance of counsel claim | Strickland v. Washington | 131 | 3 | 1985–2026 | 9 |
| 32 | probation revocation hearing | Armstrong v. State | 130 | 2 | 1970–2026 | 8 |
| 33 | transfer hearing | Brown v. State | 129 | 4 | 1922–2022 | 1 |
| 34 | Strickland test | Strickland v. Washington | 124 | 3 | 1985–2026 | 10 |
| 35 | Alabama rule | Hopper v. Evans | 123 | 4 | 1911–2026 | 3 |
| 36 | invited error | Phillips v. State | 121 | 4 | 1958–2026 | 8 |
| 37 | insurance claim | National SEC. Fire & Cas. Co. v. Bowen | 119 | 2 | 1933–2026 | 1 |
| 38 | Terry stop | Terry v. Ohio | 116 | 3 | 1981–2026 | 5 |
| 39 | claim under the plain error | Hall v. State | 113 | 3 | 1992–2026 | 14 |
| 40 | bad faith claim | National SEC. Fire & Cas. Co. v. Bowen | 111 | 3 | 1982–2025 | 1 |
| 41 | respondeat superior doctrine | City of Birmingham v. Carle | 104 | 3 | 1914–2025 | 3 |
| 42 | breach standard | Medlin v. Crosby | 100 | 3 | 1915–2025 | 8 |
| 43 | defendant has a meritorious defense | Kirtland v. Fort Morgan Auth. Sewer Serv., Inc. | 98 | 4 | 1960–2024 | 1 |
| 44 | qualified immunity | Harlow v. Fitzgerald | 93 | 3 | 1929–2025 | 3 |
| 45 | custody hearing | Phillips v. Phillips | 91 | 2 | 1996–2026 | 4 |
| 46 | totality of the circumstances test | Illinois v. Gates | 90 | 2 | 1977–2025 | 2 |
| 47 | law of the case doctrine | Blumberg v. Touche Ross & Co. | 89 | 3 | 1987–2026 | 2 |
| 48 | ruling error | Edgar v. State | 87 | 4 | 1880–2025 | 3 |
| 49 | per se rule | Thompson v. State | 86 | 3 | 1969–2026 | 7 |
| 50 | presence hearing | Garrett v. State | 86 | 4 | 1845–2010 | 0 |
| 51 | probable cause hearing | Brown v. State | 86 | 3 | 1937–2024 | 1 |
| 52 | custody-modification standard | Ex Parte McLendon | 84 | 2 | 1976–2026 | 12 |
| 53 | like defense | Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital v. Mercury Construction Corp. | 84 | 3 | 1884–2023 | 1 |
| 54 | clear and convincing evidence standard | KGS Steel, Inc. v. McInish | 81 | 3 | 1979–2026 | 42 |
| 55 | statute of limitations defense | Ex Parte Southland Bank | 81 | 3 | 1891–2026 | 5 |
| 56 | will indulge every presumption | Moore v. State | 80 | 3 | 1924–2015 | 0 |
| 57 | fair cross-section requirement | Duren v. Missouri | 79 | 2 | 1982–2026 | 2 |
| 58 | parol evidence rule | Hibbett Sporting Goods, Inc. v. Biernbaum | 79 | 3 | 1927–2018 | 0 |
| 59 | favorable presumption | Birmingham Electric Co. v. Howard | 78 | 4 | 1942–2011 | 0 |
| 60 | Kirtland factors | Kirtland v. Fort Morgan Auth. Sewer Serv., Inc. | 78 | 2 | 1988–2026 | 6 |
| 61 | material inquiry | Cross v. State | 78 | 3 | 1848–2013 | 0 |
| 62 | confrontation clause | Ohio v. Roberts | 77 | 3 | 1980–2025 | 6 |
| 63 | operation rule | Anderson v. State | 77 | 4 | 1846–2018 | 0 |
| 64 | Barker factors | Barker v. Wingo | 75 | 2 | 1977–2026 | 8 |
| 65 | felony-murder doctrine | Beck v. State | 74 | 2 | 1978–2026 | 3 |
| 66 | forum non conveniens doctrine | Ex Parte Southern Ry. Co. | 74 | 2 | 1990–2025 | 1 |
| 67 | impossible standard | Irvin v. Dowd | 74 | 2 | 1914–2014 | 0 |
| 68 | relation-back doctrine | Ex Parte FMC Corp. | 73 | 3 | 1984–2026 | 3 |
| 69 | three-factor analysis | Kirtland v. Fort Morgan Auth. Sewer Serv., Inc. | 73 | 3 | 1978–2024 | 1 |
| 70 | attorney-client privilege | Swain v. Terry | 71 | 3 | 1971–2024 | 1 |
| 71 | Blockburger test | Blockburger v. United States | 71 | 2 | 1977–2025 | 3 |
| 72 | influence rule | Cross v. State | 69 | 3 | 1847–2015 | 0 |
| 73 | insanity defense | David Dene Martin v. Ross Maggio, Jr., Warden, Louisiana State Penitentiary, and William J. Guste, Jr., Attorney General of the State of Louisiana | 68 | 3 | 1978–2018 | 0 |
| 74 | laches doctrine | Ex Parte Grubbs | 68 | 3 | 1904–2025 | 2 |
| 75 | sound principle | Scott v. University of Michigan Athletic Ass'n | 68 | 4 | 1857–2014 | 0 |
| 76 | consideration factors | BROADMOOR RLTY., INC. v. First Nationwide Bank | 67 | 4 | 1855–2015 | 0 |
| 77 | equitable estoppel doctrine | Stamey v. Easter | 67 | 3 | 1884–2026 | 2 |
| 78 | identity exception | Ex Parte Darby | 66 | 2 | 1906–2015 | 0 |
| 79 | knowing and intelligent waiver | Miranda v. Arizona | 66 | 3 | 1971–2025 | 2 |
| 80 | stare decisis doctrine | Southern States Ford, Inc. v. Proctor | 66 | 3 | 1866–2026 | 3 |
| 81 | bench bar | Harris v. Harris | 65 | 2 | 1868–2026 | 2 |
| 82 | speedy trial claim | Barker v. Wingo | 64 | 2 | 1972–2026 | 7 |
| 83 | wantonness claim | Ex Parte Essary | 64 | 2 | 1985–2025 | 1 |
| 84 | estoppel doctrine | Porter v. Jolly | 63 | 4 | 1846–2023 | 1 |
| 85 | collateral estoppel doctrine | Ashe v. Swenson | 62 | 3 | 1971–2025 | 2 |
| 86 | judicial estoppel doctrine | Ex Parte First Alabama Bank | 62 | 3 | 1992–2025 | 1 |
| 87 | purposes immunity | Siegert v. Gilley | 62 | 4 | 1888–2025 | 1 |
| 88 | Tbe defendant | Patterson v. Crawford | 61 | 2 | 1852–1933 | 0 |
| 89 | commerce clause | Stewart MacH. and Eng'g Co. v. Checkers Drive in Restaurants | 60 | 3 | 1914–2025 | 1 |
| 90 | direct claim | Chavers v. National SEC. Fire & Cas. Co. | 60 | 2 | 1918–2025 | 1 |
| 91 | question with every presumption | Alabama State Federation of Labor v. McAdory | 60 | 3 | 1945–2024 | 2 |
| 92 | generally accepted rule | Birmingham Baptist Hospital, Inc. v. Blackwell | 59 | 3 | 1896–2009 | 0 |
| 93 | granting clause | Webb v. Webb's Heirs | 59 | 3 | 1889–2018 | 0 |
| 94 | plain view doctrine | Coolidge v. New Hampshire | 59 | 3 | 1971–2018 | 0 |
| 95 | requirement that a revocation hearing | Puckett v. State | 59 | 2 | 1996–2018 | 0 |
| 96 | set out standard | Nance by and Through Nance v. Matthews | 59 | 3 | 1981–2023 | 1 |
| 97 | Sixth Amendment claim | Apprendi v. New Jersey | 59 | 2 | 1981–2024 | 2 |
| 98 | voluntariness inquiry | Phillips v. State | 59 | 2 | 1973–2024 | 1 |
| 99 | ineffective assistance claim | Strickland v. Washington | 58 | 3 | 1984–2026 | 6 |
| 100 | retaliatory discharge claim | Consolidated Stores, Inc. v. Gargis | 58 | 2 | 1988–2024 | 1 |
| 101 | wrongful death claim | Tatum v. Schering Corp. | 58 | 3 | 1984–2025 | 6 |
| 102 | oral instruction | Thomas v. State | 57 | 4 | 1915–2012 | 0 |
| 103 | conducted hearing | Hammond v. City of Gadsden | 56 | 3 | 1978–2023 | 2 |
| 104 | lesser included offense instruction | Hopper v. Evans | 56 | 2 | 1982–2024 | 1 |
| 105 | merger clause | Crown Pontiac, Inc. v. McCarrell | 56 | 3 | 1872–2025 | 1 |
| 106 | self-defense doctrine | Crawford v. State | 56 | 3 | 1876–2026 | 3 |
| 107 | adverse claim | Cotton v. May | 55 | 3 | 1842–2025 | 4 |
| 108 | Fourth Amendment violation | Rakas v. Illinois | 55 | 3 | 1964–2026 | 2 |
| 109 | good cause challenge | State v. Lewis | 55 | 4 | 1906–2026 | 6 |
| 110 | prejudicial error | Ex Parte Jones | 55 | 4 | 1911–2008 | 0 |
| 111 | American rule | Reynolds v. First Alabama Bank of Montgomery | 54 | 2 | 1851–2016 | 0 |
| 112 | forum selection clause | Professional Ins. Corp. v. Sutherland | 53 | 2 | 1991–2026 | 5 |
| 113 | parental presumption | Ex Parte DJ | 52 | 3 | 1984–2026 | 4 |
| 114 | plain and palpable error | Allstate Ins. Co. v. Skelton | 52 | 2 | 1983–2026 | 7 |
| 115 | accords presumption | Ex Parte Toyota Motor Corp. | 51 | 2 | 1977–2025 | 5 |
| 116 | elementary principle | Barnewall v. Murrell | 51 | 4 | 1874–2022 | 1 |
| 117 | prescription doctrine | Kidd v. Borum | 51 | 4 | 1859–2005 | 0 |
| 118 | affirmative duty of showing error | Tucker v. Nichols | 50 | 3 | 1988–2026 | 4 |
| 119 | federal constitutional error | Chapman v. California | 50 | 4 | 1947–2024 | 1 |
| 120 | party raises defense | Giambrone v. Douglas | 50 | 2 | 2003–2023 | 2 |
| 121 | grounds principle | Mullis v. State | 49 | 4 | 1881–2015 | 0 |
| 122 | discussed standard | Ex Parte Melton | 48 | 4 | 1925–2023 | 2 |
| 123 | personal privilege | Cook v. Dyer | 48 | 3 | 1844–2025 | 1 |
| 124 | reasons rule | Boothby Realty Co. v. Haygood | 48 | 4 | 1857–2025 | 1 |
| 125 | conversion claim | Ott v. Fox | 47 | 2 | 1880–2026 | 1 |
| 126 | first prong test | Ex Parte Lawley | 46 | 3 | 1985–2024 | 2 |
| 127 | witness error | Thomas v. State | 46 | 4 | 1846–2017 | 0 |
| 128 | aemld claim | Atkins v. American Motors Corp. | 45 | 2 | 1986–2025 | 1 |
| 129 | best-interest standard | Ex Parte McLendon | 45 | 2 | 2002–2025 | 7 |
| 130 | fraudulent-suppression claim | Lambert v. Mail Handlers Benefit Plan | 45 | 2 | 1993–2024 | 1 |
| 131 | good faith exception | United States v. Leon | 45 | 3 | 1916–2026 | 1 |
| 132 | must consider factors | Robinson v. Robinson | 45 | 2 | 1992–2025 | 8 |
| 133 | record for plain error | Ferguson v. State | 45 | 2 | 1987–2026 | 5 |
| 134 | corollary rule | McCleskey v. Kemp | 44 | 4 | 1909–2015 | 0 |
| 135 | English rule | Madden v. State | 44 | 3 | 1834–2014 | 0 |
| 136 | protection rule | Craft v. Russell | 44 | 4 | 1866–2018 | 0 |
| 137 | wall immunity | Patterson v. Gladwin Corp. | 44 | 2 | 2002–2024 | 2 |
| 138 | cumulative error | Ex Parte Woods | 43 | 2 | 1980–2022 | 1 |
| 139 | statute has created bar | Ex Parte Seabol | 43 | 2 | 1879–2018 | 0 |
| 140 | caveat emptor rule | Ray v. Montgomery | 42 | 2 | 1871–2016 | 0 |
| 141 | contention error | Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London v. Southern Natural Gas Co. | 42 | 4 | 1915–2025 | 3 |
| 142 | crucial inquiry | Lonnie Joe Dutton v. John N. Brown and the Attorney General of the State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Amicus Curiae | 42 | 4 | 1921–2015 | 0 |
| 143 | disputed strip claim | Sylvest v. Stowers | 42 | 2 | 1918–2025 | 1 |
| 144 | res ipsa loquitur doctrine | Alabama Power Co. v. Berry | 42 | 4 | 1914–2024 | 1 |
| 145 | after hearing | Harrison v. Harrison | 41 | 3 | 1849–2025 | 1 |
| 146 | correctness rule | Pickle's Adm'r v. Ezzell | 41 | 4 | 1843–2011 | 0 |
| 147 | explained standard | Ex Parte Stewart | 41 | 3 | 1988–2026 | 3 |
| 148 | plausible defense | Kirtland v. Fort Morgan Auth. Sewer Serv., Inc. | 41 | 4 | 1911–2018 | 0 |
| 149 | set forth standard | Nance by and Through Nance v. Matthews | 41 | 2 | 1984–2024 | 1 |
| 150 | will not presume error | Robinson v. State | 41 | 3 | 1990–2024 | 1 |
Top 150 by distinct citing opinions.