HB488 Alabama 2015 Session

Updated Feb 24, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Richard Lindsey
Democrat
Session: Regular Session 2015
Title: Cherokee Co., sheriff, booking fee in county jail, collection by clerk
Summary: This bill adds a $20 booking fee for people booked into Cherokee County Detention Center who are subsequently convicted, with the money used to fund jail operations and sheriff department needs.
What This Bill Does
If passed, the fee would be charged to each convicted person and collected by the court clerk at conviction, in addition to fines or court costs. The revenue would go to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department Law Enforcement Fund for jail operations and related uses as determined by the sheriff. The sheriff may contract for collection and may withhold the fee from funds held for the person while incarcerated, with repayment required if there is no conviction. The district attorney may assist in collection if the fee is unpaid, and the fee is intended to supplement rather than replace existing funding.

Who It Affects
People booked into the Cherokee County Detention Center who are convicted of a crime: they would owe a $20 booking fee in addition to fines, and the fee could be collected like other court costs; if no conviction results, any withheld funds must be repaid.
County officials and entities: the Clerk of the Court will collect and record the fee; revenues go to the Sheriff’s Department Law Enforcement Fund to cover jail operations and sheriff-approved uses; the District Attorney may assist in collection, and the Sheriff may contract for collection.

Key Provisions
A $20 booking fee is assessed against and collected from each person booked or incarcerated in the Cherokee County Detention Center who is subsequently convicted, in addition to fines and other costs.
The fee is assessed upon conviction and collected by the court clerk in the same manner as court costs, and it is not considered a court cost for collection purposes.
Revenues from the fee go to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department Law Enforcement Fund to be used for jail operations, training fees, salaries, equipment, jail expenses, and other sheriff-determined law enforcement uses.
The sheriff may contract for collection and may pay a portion of collected fees as a collection cost; the district attorney may assist in collection if unpaid.
The sheriff may withhold funds equal to the booking fee from any funds held for the incarcerated person, and those funds must be repaid if there is no conviction.
Revenues from the act are in addition to other funding and shall not reduce or replace existing funding sources.
Provisions are severable; if part is invalid, the rest remains in effect.
The act takes effect immediately after its 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: Cherokee County