HB650 Alabama 2010 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Jack Page

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2010

Title

Etowah Co., solicitor's fee equal to fee for Fair Trial Tax Fund, distrib., additional court costs levied, distrib., effective on adoption of const. amend.

Summary

HB650 creates a new solicitor's fee in Etowah County equal to the Fair Trial Tax Fund costs in criminal cases, plus a $7 per-case court cost, with the money distributed to county offices and used for library, courthouse security, and other law enforcement and office needs.

What This Bill Does

It requires an additional solicitor's fee in juvenile, traffic, criminal, and quasi-criminal cases in Etowah County courts, equal to the total docket fees or costs that would be paid to the Fair Trial Tax Fund when there is a guilty verdict, and distributes most of that fee to the Solicitor's Fund (or District Attorney's Fund) and a $3 portion to the Etowah County Law Library Fund. It also adds a seven-dollar court cost per case, with $2 going to the Sheriff and $5 going to either the Circuit Clerk (for district/circuit cases) or the clerk of each municipality (for cases in their jurisdiction). Fees are collected in eligible cases and are in addition to other costs, not waived unless indigence is shown. The funds can be used for office expenses, courthouse security, law enforcement, and library operations, and the act becomes effective immediately or upon ratification of a local constitutional amendment allowing such costs.

Who It Affects

• Defendants in Etowah County juvenile, traffic, criminal, and quasi-criminal cases who would be assessed the solicitor's fee and the $7 court cost (subject to indigence provisions).
• Etowah County offices: Sheriff, Circuit Clerk, and municipal clerks receive portions of the $7 court cost to fund courthouse security and office operations.
• Etowah County Law Library Fund receives $3 per case from the solicitor's fee to support library operations.
• Etowah County Solicitor's Fund (or District Attorney's Fund) receives the solicitor's fee amount to fund the solicitor's or DA's office.

Key Provisions

• Section 1(a): A solicitor's fee in all listed cases equals all docket fees or costs that would be paid to the Fair Trial Tax Fund upon a guilty adjudication; $3 per case goes to the Etowah County Law Library Fund; the remainder goes to the Solicitor's Fund or District Attorney's Fund.
• Section 1(a): The solicitor's fee is specifically tied to the fees/costs distributed to the Fair Trial Tax Fund and is to be distributed monthly as described.
• Section 1(b): An additional $7 in court costs per case is collected: $2 to the Etowah County Sheriff and $5 to the appropriate circuit clerk or municipal clerk depending on case origin.
• Section 2: These fees apply in criminal cases where the defendant is adjudged guilty, bond forfeited, a penalty imposed, or an alias/capias warrant is issued; fees are in addition to other costs and may be waived only if indigence is proven to the judge.
• Section 3: How the fees may be spent: solicitor's fee portion may be used for office expenses and law enforcement; the library fund portion for library operations; the sheriff portion for courthouse security and law enforcement; the clerk portion for office operation.
• Section 4: Effective date: immediately after passage/approval or upon ratification of a constitutional amendment authorizing local law to fix costs of court in Etowah County.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Etowah County