HB170 Alabama 2014 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Jack Williams

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2014

Title

Municipal judges and magistrates for municipal courts authorized to issue warrant recall fee for failure to appear for municipal ordinance or traffic violation, distrib. to municipal corrections fund

Summary

Allows municipal court judges or magistrates to assess a $100 warrant recall fee when recalling a failure-to-appear warrant for municipal ordinance or traffic violations, with the proceeds going to the municipal corrections fund.

What This Bill Does

It authorizes municipal judges or magistrates to impose a $100 fee when recalling a failure-to-appear warrant arising from municipal ordinances or traffic violations. The defendant must pay the fee at the time the warrant is recalled. The fee is deposited into the municipal corrections fund and allocated under existing law. The ability to recall warrants remains discretionary for the judge or magistrate, and the act does not require recalling warrants; it only provides the option in municipalities without local recall-fee laws.

Who It Affects

• Defendants who have a failure-to-appear warrant for a municipal ordinance or traffic violation, who would pay a $100 recall fee when the warrant is recalled.
• Municipal courts and their judges or magistrates, who gain authority to assess and collect the $100 fee under this bill.
• Municipalities' municipal corrections funds, which would receive the collected fees.
• Municipalities that do not already have local laws allowing a warrant recall fee, since the act applies only to those without such local provisions.

Key Provisions

• Authorizes a warrant recall fee of $100 to be assessed when recalling a failure-to-appear warrant for municipal ordinance violations.
• Fee is paid by the defendant at the time the warrant is recalled.
• Fees collected are deposited into the municipal corrections fund and allocated per existing state code.
• The recall of warrants remains discretionary by the judge or magistrate and is not mandatory.
• The act does not override local laws that already authorize warrant recall fees; it applies only in municipalities without such local laws.
• Effective immediately after 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

Municipalities