HB338 Alabama 2018 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Chris EnglandRepresentative

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2018

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, 12-14-32 am'd.

Summary

HB 338 would let mayors and municipal court judges forgive fines and costs for people who can’t pay, remove the mayor’s power to commute sentences, and expand judges’ authority to issue arrest warrants and hold people in contempt for not appearing in court.

What This Bill Does

It would authorize a mayor to remit court costs and authorize municipal court judges to remit fines, costs, fees, and other charges when a defendant cannot pay in full. It would remove the mayor’s authority to commute sentences for municipal ordinance violations. It would also expand municipal court judges’ power to issue arrest warrants for failure to appear and to hold defendants in contempt for willful non-appearance, with rules about voluntary appearance suspending warrants and exceptions related to probation.

Who It Affects

• Defendants in municipal ordinance cases who cannot afford to pay full fines, costs, or other charges; they could have those amounts remitted or reduced and may face different consequences if they fail to appear in court.
• Municipal government officials and court personnel (mayors and municipal court judges); mayors would lose the power to commute sentences but gain the power to remit court costs, while judges would gain the power to remit fines and other charges and to issue warrants and hold people in contempt for not appearing in court.

Key Provisions

• Provision 1: Authorize mayor to remit court costs and authorize municipal court judges to remit fines, costs, fees, payments, and other charges for indigent defendants; remove the mayor's authority to commute sentences.
• Provision 2: Expand and clarify municipal court judges' authority to issue arrest warrants for failure to appear and to hold defendants in contempt for willful non-appearance, including provisions about voluntary appearance suspending warrants and probation-related appearances not punishable by contempt.

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