HB503 Alabama 2012 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Mike Millican
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2012
Title: 25th Judicial Circuit, Marion and Winston County, court costs, assessment and distribution to Public Defender Fund, distribution after repeal of Act 720, 1978 Reg. Sess.; Act 2011-576, 2011 Reg. Sess., am'd
Summary: HB503 repeals the 1978 Act that created court costs for a Public Defender Fund in the 25th Judicial Circuit (Marion and Winston Counties) and redirects those funds to the circuit clerks’ funds, with retroactive validation of past distributions and a clarification on oath requirements for supernumerary circuit clerks.
What This Bill Does
The bill repeals Act 720 of 1978 in the 25th Judicial Circuit. It directs that court costs that were assessed under Act 720 and collected after Act 2011-576 took effect, but which were distributed to the Public Defender Fund, be redirected to the circuit clerk’s funds in the respective counties. It retroactively ratifies and confirms distributions to circuit clerks that occurred under Act 720 prior to this act’s effective date, including distributions made after the Public Defender Fund stopped operating. It also allows a supernumerary circuit clerk to serve as an active circuit clerk if requested by the Chief Justice, but they are not required to take an oath.

Who It Affects
Residents and taxpayers in Marion and Winston Counties (the 25th Judicial Circuit) because the funding source for certain court costs shifts from the Public Defender Fund to circuit clerks’ funds.
The Public Defender Fund (historical): distributions that were made under the old framework are redirected retroactively to circuit clerks’ funds.
Circuit clerks in the 25th Judicial Circuit (Marion and Winston Counties): will receive redirected court-cost funds and have past distributions ratified to their funds.
Supernumerary circuit clerks and the Chief Justice: supernumerary clerks may take an oath to serve as active clerks if requested by the Chief Justice, but oath-taking is not required.

Key Provisions
Repeals Act 720 of the 1978 Regular Session.
Directs that court costs assessed under Act 720 in the 25th Judicial Circuit, collected after Act 2011-576 took effect and distributed to the Public Defender Fund, be redirected to the circuit clerk's funds in the respective counties.
Retroactively ratifies and confirms distributions to circuit clerks from Act 720 prior to the act’s effective date, including those made after the Public Defender Fund ceased operating.
Notwithstanding any law, allows a supernumerary circuit clerk to take an oath and serve as an active circuit clerk if requested by the Chief Justice, but requires no oath.
Effective date: immediately following passage and approval by the Governor.

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