HB571 Alabama 2019 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Danny CrawfordRepresentative
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2019
Title: Limestone Co., solicitor's fee, distribution further provided for, minimum amount further provided, Sec. 45-42-81.01 am'd.
Summary: HB 571 changes Limestone County's solicitor's fee in criminal cases by tying it to the Fair Trial Tax Fund and directing how it is collected and distributed to clerks and county funds.
What This Bill Does
It requires a solicitor's fee in all Limestone County criminal cases to equal the Fair Trial Tax Fund docket fees, plus a $1 administrative fee kept by the court, with a minimum equal to those docket fees. The fee is collected in cases where guilt is adjudicated, bonds are forfeited, penalties are imposed, or alias or capias warrants are issued, and it must be paid in addition to other fees; waivers are limited to cases where the defendant cannot pay. The collected fees are distributed monthly: $3 per case to the appropriate circuit or municipal clerk (or split as $1 to the circuit clerk and $2 to the municipal clerk if the case originates in municipal court and is disposed in circuit court), with the remainder going to the Solicitor's Fund or the District Attorney's Fund, or another prescribed fund for the solicitor's fee, and may be used for clerk operations and law enforcement purposes. The act becomes effective immediately after the governor approves it.

Who It Affects
Defendants in Limestone County criminal cases, who will be assessed the solicitor's fee (with limited waivers for inability to pay).
Limestone County circuit court clerk and municipal court clerk, who collect and distribute the solicitor's fee and the $1 administrative fee.
Limestone County Solicitor's Fund and Limestone County District Attorney's Fund, which receive the solicitor's fee proceeds for county operations and law enforcement purposes.
The Fair Trial Tax Fund, since the solicitor's fee is set to equal the fund's docket fees for adjudications of guilt.

Key Provisions
Amends Section 45-42-81.01 to create a Limestone County solicitor's fee in all juvenile, traffic, criminal, and quasi-criminal cases, with monthly distributions to clerks and funds.
The solicitor's fee equals all docket fees or court costs assessed for adjudication of guilt and distributed to the Fair Trial Tax Fund, plus a $1 administrative fee retained by the clerk, and cannot be less than the Fair Trial Tax Fund docket fees.
The fee is collected in all criminal cases where guilt is adjudged, bonds forfeited, penalties imposed, or alias/capias warrants issued, and is in addition to other fees or costs; waivers allowed only if the defendant cannot pay.
Distribution: $3 per case to the circuit clerk or municipal clerk (or split $1/$2 if originating in municipal court and disposed in circuit court); the remainder goes to the county Solicitor's Fund, the District Attorney's Fund, or another prescribed solicitor's fee fund.
The solicitor's fee may be spent by the district attorney for expenses or legitimate law enforcement purposes.
Effective immediately following the governor's approval.

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