Municipal Court to reopen on Monday, May 18

Published on May 15, 2020

“We are working hard to accommodate a backlog of cases and to maintain appropriate health and safety guidelines in the building,” said Presiding Judge Lonzo Robinson. “The Court is temporarily implementing new procedures to facilitate case resolution, and we ask that the public familiarize themselves with these protocols before coming to Municipal Court.”

In-person Hearings:  The trial dockets will resume on May 18.  Any defendant, victim, or witness who has received a court notice should appear at the appropriate time.  If your trial date was during the mandatory closure, you should have received notice of a new date. Defendants who are unable to appear should contact their attorney and complainants should contact the prosecutor’s office at 256-427-7900.  Social distancing guidelines will be followed and facial coverings are mandatory.

Night Court: Due to the high number of cases on initial dockets, Municipal Court is making the following concessions to facilitate the backlog and protect public health.  Beginning at 2:30 p.m. on the appropriate day, the driver is allowed to come to the Court’s payment window to try to resolve the matter.  If the matter cannot be resolved at the front window, it will be forwarded to one of the on-duty judges. In this case, the driver may have to wait until the 5:30 court docket before the case can be heard.  Please call 256-427-7810 with any questions.

Defensive Driving School:  Municipal Court will begin scheduling defensive driving classes on May 18.  A new online option will be available some drivers. Drivers who had classes scheduled during the mandatory closure will have their class rescheduled.  Contact 256-427-7810.

Amnesty Court: At present, any defendant who is eligible for Amnesty Court will be allowed to have their matters resolved at the Court’s payment window. There is no requirement to schedule a hearing.