SB281 Alabama 2017 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Cam Ward
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2017
Title: Municipal courts, mayors and municipal court judges, mayor authorized to remit court costs imposed by municipal court judge, municipal court judges authorized to remit certain costs upon a showing of indigency, mayor's authority to commute sentences removed, municipal court judges authorized to issue arrest warrants and hold certain persons in contempt of court, Secs. 12-14-15, 12-14-31, 12-14-32 am'd.
Summary: SB281 changes who can waive fines and costs in municipal cases, adds indigency-based waivers, removes the mayor’s power to commute sentences, and expands municipal judges’ authority to issue arrest warrants and enforce appearances.
What This Bill Does
It lets a mayor remit court costs and allows municipal court judges to remit fines, costs, fees, and other charges when a defendant cannot pay in full. It removes the mayor's authority to commute sentences. It clarifies that municipal judges can issue arrest warrants for failing to appear and may hold violators in contempt, with penalties that can include fines and imprisonment, and outlines these penalties, including higher contempt penalties in certain cases. It requires indigent cases to be supported by a satisfactory showing of indigency before remittance is allowed.

Who It Affects
Defendants charged with municipal ordinance violations, especially those who cannot afford to pay fines or costs, who may have those amounts remitted or reduced under indigency provisions.
Mayors and municipal court judges, who gain new powers to remit costs and fines (mayors to remit court costs; judges to remit fines, costs, fees, and other charges for indigent defendants), lose the ability for mayors to commute sentences, and gain authority to issue arrest warrants and enforce appearance through contempt penalties.

Key Provisions
§12-14-15: The mayor or, upon a satisfactory showing of indigency, the municipal court judge may remit fines and costs payable to the municipality and commute sentences; the mayor may grant pardons after conviction and must report actions to the governing body with written reasons.
§12-14-31: A municipal judge may administer oaths, compel attendance, and punish contempt with fines up to $50 and/or imprisonment up to 5 days; judges have writ and bond-forfeiture authority; certain contempt cases may carry up to $500 fine.
§12-14-32: Municipal judges may issue arrest and search warrants for municipal ordinance violations (and state law violations returnable to state court); may issue warrants for failure to appear after release, with possible contempt for willful non-appearance (probation failure is not treated as contempt).
General changes: The authority for a mayor to commute sentences is removed; indigent defendants may receive remittance of fines and costs under a standard showing of indigency; municipal judges gain explicit authority to remit fines, costs, and other charges when the defendant cannot afford them.

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