SB448 Alabama 2013 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Trip Pittman

Republican

Co-Sponsors

Cam WardJerry L. Fielding

Session

Regular Session 2013

Title

Court costs, criminal cases, entry of judgment by probate judge upon presentment by clerk of court

Summary

SB448 would treat all court costs, fees, fines, and restitution from a criminal case as a judgment and place a lien on the defendant’s property through the probate court when final judgment is entered.

What This Bill Does

It makes any court costs, docket fees, fines, or restitution a judgment immediately upon the court’s entry of judgment or guilt. The judge of probate would record this final judgment as a lien on the defendant’s property at no cost, upon presentment by the clerk of the court. If the underlying conviction is overturned on appeal, the judgment and lien would be removed or satisfied.

Who It Affects

• Defendants convicted in criminal cases would have court costs, fines, and restitution become a lien on their property.
• The clerk of the court and the judge of probate would be responsible for presenting the final judgment and recording the lien without cost.
• If the conviction is overturned on appeal, the lien would be removed or satisfied.

Key Provisions

• Any court costs, docket fees, fines, or restitution assessed in a criminal proceeding are deemed a judgment against the defendant immediately upon entry of judgment or adjudication of guilt.
• Any final judgment must be recorded by the judge of probate, without cost, upon presentment to the judge of probate by the clerk of the court.
• A judgment remains in place unless the underlying conviction is overturned on appeal, in which case it is removed or satisfied.
• The act takes effect immediately after passage and approval by the Governor, or as otherwise provided by law.

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

Subjects

Court Costs