SB488 Alabama 2010 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Larry MeansMayor
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: SB488 would create a solicitor's fee and an extra court cost in Etowah County criminal cases, equal in amount to the fees paid to the Fair Trial Tax Fund, with specific distributions to local funds and offices.
What This Bill Does
It adds a solicitor's fee in juvenile, traffic, criminal, and quasi-criminal cases, equal to all docket fees or costs assessed on guilt and distributed to the Fair Trial Tax Fund. It directs a monthly distribution of $3 from these fees to the Etowah County Law Library Fund, with the remaining amount going to the Solicitor's Fund or District Attorney's Fund as prescribed by law. It also adds an extra $7 in court costs per case, with $2 going to the Sheriff and $5 to the appropriate clerk (Circuit Clerk for district/circuit court cases or municipal clerks for cases in their jurisdictions). The fees would be collected in all criminal cases where the defendant is found guilty, bonds are forfeited, penalties imposed, or warrants are issued, and they are in addition to other costs and may not be waived unless the judge is satisfied the defendant cannot pay in the near future. The funds may be used for various law enforcement and office purposes as specified, including courthouse security.

Who It Affects
Criminal defendants in Etowah County, who would incur the new solicitor's fee and additional court costs and may have fees waived only if the court finds inability to pay.
Etowah County Sheriff, Circuit Clerk, and municipal clerks, who receive portions of the additional $7 court cost for their respective jurisdictions.
Etowah County Law Library Fund, which would receive $3 per case from the solicitor's fee.
District Attorney's Office and other county law offices that would receive the remaining solicitor's fee funds and use them for approved purposes.

Key Provisions
Section 1(a): A solicitor's fee is added in juvenile, traffic, criminal, and quasi-criminal cases, equal to the total docket fees or court costs assessed on guilt and distributed to the Fair Trial Tax Fund; $3 of these fees goes to the Etowah County Law Library Fund, with the rest going to the Solicitor's Fund or District Attorney's Fund as prescribed by law.
Section 1(b): An additional $7 in court costs per case is assessed, with $2 to the Office of the Sheriff of Etowah County and $5 to either the Circuit Clerk (for district/circuit court cases) or the municipal clerk (for municipal cases).
Section 2: These fees are collected in all eligible criminal cases (guilty adjudications, bond forfeitures, penalties, or alias/capias warrants) and are in addition to other fees; they cannot be waived unless the sentencing judge is reasonably satisfied that the defendant cannot pay in the near future.
Section 3: How funds may be spent: the solicitor's fee portion for the district attorney's office and the Etowah County Law Library Fund may be used as prescribed by law; the additional fee portion allocated to the Sheriff may be used for courthouse security and other law enforcement purposes, and the clerk portions may be used for the operation of their offices as prescribed by law.
Section 4: Effective date: the act takes effect immediately after passage and approval or upon ratification of a constitutional amendment permitting local law to fix court costs 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