(a)(1) Whenever any person is arrested for a violation of any non-traffic offense enumerated in Rule 20, Appendix B of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration, as adopted by the Supreme Court of Alabama, the arresting officer, unless otherwise provided in this section, shall take the name and address of the person and the license number or identification number of his or her motor vehicle or vessel, as appropriate, and shall issue a summons or otherwise notify him or her in writing to appear at a time and place to be specified in such summons, notice, or electronic uniform non-traffic citation and complaint (eUNTCC).
(2) For purposes of this section, eUNTCC means a ticket that is electronically generated and printed at the site of a violation. Only violations enumerated in Rule 20, Appendix B of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration may be electronically transmitted to the court.
(3) The eUNTCC may also be used to initiate the summons and complaint process pursuant to the Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure in a printed form wherein it is processed by the court as is any other written ticket not otherwise transmitted electronically.
(4) The person arrested, if he or she so desires, shall have a right to a hearing within 24 hours at a convenient time before a magistrate within the county or city where the arrest occurred, or if an eUNTCC is written, the person may have a hearing within 24 hours at a convenient time before any magistrate in this state. In enforcing this section, a law enforcement agency may require a sufficient written court appearance bond of the arrested person.
(5) Except when an arresting officer cites a person with an eUNTCC, the arresting officer, upon the giving by the person of a sufficient written bond approved by the arresting officer to appear at such time and place, forthwith shall release the person from custody. Except when an arresting officer cites a person with an eUNTCC, a person refusing to give bond to appear shall be taken immediately by the arresting officer before the nearest or most accessible magistrate. When an eUNTCC is used by an arresting officer, the person, upon accepting a written copy of the eUNTCC, shall be deemed, without signature, to have given his or her written bond to appear in court on the date specified on the eUNTCC. A person refusing to accept a written copy of the eUNTCC shall be deemed to be refusing to give bond to appear and the person shall be taken immediately by the arresting officer before the nearest or most accessible magistrate.
(6) Any person who, not having pled guilty as provided in Rule 20 (E) (1) of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration, willfully violates his or her written bond by failing to timely appear shall be guilty of a misdemeanor regardless of the disposition of the charge upon which he or she was originally arrested.
(b) This section shall not apply to any of the following and the arresting officer shall take the person forthwith to the nearest or most accessible magistrate:
(1) A person arrested and charged with an offense involving, causing, or contributing to an accident resulting in injury or death.
(2) A person charged with driving or operating a vehicle or vessel while under the influence.
(3) A person who the arresting officer has good cause to believe has committed a felony.
(c) Any officer violating this section shall be guilty of misconduct in office and shall be subject to removal from office.
Last modified: May 3, 2021