HB14 Alabama 2012 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Paul Beckman
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2012
Title: Circuit courts, civil matters, presiding circuit judge may authorize certain hearings to be held by audio-video telecommunications, requirements
Summary: Allows presiding circuit judges to authorize civil and criminal pretrial motion hearings to be held by telephone or other audio-video telecommunications, with written guidelines.
What This Bill Does
The presiding judge may authorize pretrial motion hearings in civil and criminal cases in circuit, district, and probate courts to be conducted via telephone conferencing or other audio-video means. The judge must develop and publish procedures for conducting these hearings within their circuit. The telecommunications setup must let the judge and all participating parties talk to each other at the same time. The act becomes law on January 1 following its passage and governor approval.

Who It Affects
Presiding judges in Alabama's circuit, district, and probate courts, who gain authority to authorize and set guidelines for these hearings.
Litigants and attorneys in civil, criminal, and probate cases who may participate in pretrial hearings by telephone or video.

Key Provisions
The presiding judge may authorize civil and criminal pretrial motion hearings to be conducted by telephone conferencing or other audio-video telecommunications.
The presiding judge must develop and publish procedures for these hearings in the judge's circuit.
The telecommunications setup must allow the judge and all parties to converse simultaneously.
The act becomes effective on January 1 following its passage and governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Civil Procedure