Chapter 1 - Municipal Courts
- Article 1 General Provisions.
- Section 12-14-1 Establishment; jurisdiction
(a) There is hereby established, effective December 27, 1977, for each municipal corporation, hereinafter referred to in this chapter as "municipality," within the state, ...
- Section 12-14-2 Provision by municipality of facilities, court personnel, prosecutorial services, etc
(a) The municipality shall provide appropriate facilities and necessary supportive personnel for the municipal court and may provide for probation services, clerks and municipal ...
- Section 12-14-3 Municipal governing body to provide for number of judges and times and places for holding court
The municipal court shall have the number of judges and shall hold court at times and places provided by the municipal governing body. ...
- Section 12-14-4 Execution by sheriffs and municipal law enforcement officers of warrants and processes committed to them for service by municipal judges
The sheriffs of the counties and law enforcement officers of the municipalities of the State of Alabama shall obey the municipal judge having legal ...
- Section 12-14-5 Admission to bail of persons charged with violations of municipal ordinances; waiver of appearance bond
Municipal judges shall admit to bail any person charged with violation of any municipal ordinance by requiring an appearance bond, with good security, to ...
- Section 12-14-6 Cases to be tried by judge without jury
All cases in municipal courts shall be tried by a judge without a jury. ...
- Section 12-14-7 Courts to take judicial notice of ordinances of municipality
A municipal court shall take judicial notice of the ordinances of the municipality in which it sits. ...
- Section 12-14-8 Traffic infractions procedure
All municipalities shall utilize the uniform traffic infractions procedure as provided by law or rule. ...
- Section 12-14-9 Provision of indigent defense services
A municipality which retains its court shall provide indigent defense services as otherwise provided by law. ...
- Section 12-14-10 Powers of courts as to trial and disposition of cases generally
Municipal courts shall have the authority to continue the case from time to time to permit the fine and costs to be paid, remit ...
- Section 12-14-11 Acceptance of defendant's bond upon showing of inability to make immediate payment of fines and costs; issuance of execution on bond upon nonpayment of fines and costs
Upon conviction, the court may, upon a showing of inability to make immediate payment of fines and costs, accept defendant's bond with or without ...
- Section 12-14-12 Requirement of working out of amount of judgment when not paid within time prescribed
The judgment of the municipal court may provide that if a fine and costs are not paid within the time prescribed, the defendant shall ...
- Section 12-14-13 Probation
(a) Municipal courts may suspend execution of sentence and place a defendant on probation for varying periods of time, not to exceed two years. ...
- Section 12-14-14 Court costs
In addition to any costs and charges fixed by law upon conviction for violations of municipal ordinances in municipalities having a municipal court, $12.00 ...
- Section 12-14-15 Power of mayor to remit fines and costs, commute sentences imposed by municipal judges, etc.; report of actions to municipal governing body
The mayor may remit fines and such costs as are payable to the municipality and commute sentences imposed by a municipal court or the ...
- Section 12-14-16 Reports as to proceedings of courts
Municipalities shall report on the proceedings of their municipal courts as required by law or rule. ...
- Section 12-14-17 Procedure for abolition of municipal courts by governing bodies of municipalities; effect of abolition generally
(a) The governing body of any municipality having a municipal court may at any time by ordinance abolish its municipal court and the jurisdiction ...
- Section 12-14-18 Remittance of court costs, fines and forfeitures previously collected upon abolition of municipal court
When a municipal court is abolished as provided by law, the court costs, fines and forfeitures collected by the court clerk as a result ...
- Section 12-14-19 Procedure for reestablishment of municipal courts and effect thereof
(a) Any municipality which shall have abolished its municipal court may thereafter by ordinance reestablish such court in the manner provided in this section. ...
- Article 2 Judges.
- Section 12-14-30 Appointment, terms of office and qualifications; designation, etc., of presiding judge; filling of vacancies; oath; grounds for disqualification of judges from hearing of cases; practice of law or receipt of unauthorized remuneration for judicial services by full-time judges prohibited
(a) The governing body of the municipality shall, by vote of a majority of its members, appoint judges of the municipal court. (b) The ...
- Section 12-14-31 Powers generally; designation of other municipal officers to approve appearance and appeal bonds
(a) A municipal judge may administer oaths, compel the attendance of witnesses and compel the production of books and papers, punish by fine not ...
- Section 12-14-32 Issuance of arrest and search warrants
Municipal judges are authorized to issue arrest and search warrants for municipal ordinance violations returnable to the municipal court and for violations of state ...
- Section 12-14-33 Salary; retirement
(a) The salary of the municipal judges shall be fixed from time to time by the municipal governing body and paid by the municipality, ...
- Section 12-14-34 Acting municipal judges
In the event of the absence from the municipality, death, disability or disqualification of a municipal judge for any reason, the mayor of the ...
- Article 3 Municipal Court Administrative Agency and Magistrates.
- Section 12-14-50 Municipal court administrative agency authorized; powers and duties thereof; persons deemed officials of agency; judicial powers thereof generally
The municipal court may have under its supervision a municipal court administrative agency empowered to provide expeditious service in connection with administrative adjudication of ...
- Section 12-14-51 Magistrates deemed chief officers of agency; appointment and powers of magistrates
(a) The magistrates shall be considered the chief officers of the municipal court administrative agency. (b) The Supreme Court may, by rule, prescribe procedures ...
- Section 12-14-52 Supreme Court to provide rules of administration for agency
The Supreme Court shall provide rules of administration for such administrative agency, including the bonding of all officials who will be handling money. ...
- Section 12-14-53 Reimbursement by new employer for training expenses
In those instances in which a municipal court clerk or municipal court magistrate of any municipality is employed by another municipality within 24 months ...
- Article 4 Appeals.
- Section 12-14-70 Appeals to circuit courts from judgments of municipal courts and proceedings thereon
(a) All appeals from judgments of municipal courts shall be to the circuit court of the circuit in which the violation occurred for trial ...
- Section 12-14-71 Appeals from judgments of circuit courts and proceedings thereon
From the judgment of the circuit court, the municipality, in a case holding invalid an ordinance, or the defendant in any case, may appeal ...
