Municipal Court
The Sylacauga Municipal Court processes all misdemeanor and traffic cases, including parking tickets, issued by the Sylacauga Police Department and supervises probation and community service. The court office can be reach at 256-401-2521 during regular office hours on weekdays from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. except on holidays and days court is in session.
Court is conducted in two sessions each month: Plea Day on the second Tuesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. and Trial Day on the fourth Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. The court office is closed during the mornings of Plea Day and Trial Day, so all court-related matters should be settled by 5:00 p.m. on the prior business day.
PAYMENTS
Payments can be made in the court office by cash, cashier's check, or money order or by mailing the plea and payment to Sylacauga Municipal Court, P.O. Box 390, Sylacauga, AL 35150-0390. To make a payment online, click here. To view common fines and fees, click here.
PREPARING FOR COURT
The court office is closed on court days before session and unable to take calls or payments during those mornings.
CONDUCT IN COURT
TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS AND CITATIONS
Traffic laws are defined in Title 32 of Alabama Code. Most relate to operation of motor vehicles on public roads. All violations of Alabama traffic laws are charged on a uniform traffic citation form (ticket). By signing the ticket, the driver is promising to appear in court. Signing the ticket is not an admission of guilt. Traffic citations are divided into two categories: Court Appearance Not Required and Court Appearance Required. If unsure whether or not a citation requires a court appearance, contact the Sylacauga Municipal Court, or check the fine schedule. If the citation is not listed on the fine schedule, please contact the court offices at 256-401-2521.
Court Appearance Not Required Citations: To resolve a Court Appearance Not Required citation without appearing in court, one may do so by appearing in-person at the court office and entering a plea of guilty to the traffic offense. At that time, payment for the citation is due (see fine schedule). This plea and payment must be completed at least 24 hours in advance of the court date. Citations may also be paid online, or plea and payment may be remitted by mail. The Municipal Court office must receive such plea and payment at least 24 hours before the prescribed court date. Postmark dates will not be honored as meeting the deadline. Plea and payment may be mailed to Sylacauga Municipal Court, P.O. Box 390, Sylacauga, Alabama 35150-0390.
Court Appearance Required Citations: If a citation requires a court appearance, one must appear in court on the court date listed on the citation. The defendant will appear before the municipal judge and enter a plea on the charge. If the defendant enters a guilty plea, the judge will determine the fine amount, and the defendant will be able to pay the fine at that time. If one enters a not guilty plea, the case will be continued to a trail court date. First-time traffic offenders may be eligible for the city’s Defensive Driving School program, which may allow the driver to keep a clean driving record.
MISSED COURT DATE/FAILURE TO APPEAR
Missing a court date, even for something as minor as a seat belt ticket, can carry various and severe consequences. Failing to appear on one’s court date is in itself a criminal charge, which can result in arrest. Failure to appear warrants are issued the same day of each court appearance. If the defendant placed a bond to get out of jail, the bond may be forfeited by failure to appear. There is no grace period for missing court, and no additional notices will be sent. The arrest warrants can be served at any time, including the defendant’s home or place of work.
When someone fails to appear in court on a traffic offense, the court will notify the Alabama Department of Public Safety. DPS will then place a suspension on the driver’s license of the defendant until the original charges are resolved.
WARRANT RECALL
If a defendant has failed to appear, he/she may be eligible for a warrant recall. the Sylacauga Municipal Court’s warrant recall procedure is for defendants able to pay an administrative fee to have their failure to appear arrest warrants recalled if all of the following criteria are met:
Important Warrant Recall Facts
OBTAINING A WARRANT
State law currently allows private citizens the right to press charges under certain circumstances. In order to pursue charges with the Sylacauga Municipal Court, the offense must have occurred within Sylacauga’s jurisdiction. To pursue charges and obtain a warrant, follow the steps outlined here, which include visiting the court office and speaking with a Magistrate.
Pursuing Charges/Obtaining a Warrant
MUNICIPAL COURT PERSONNEL
The Municipal Court consists of Chief Court Clerk Amber Johns; Magistrates Krissy King, Melanie Allen, and Ginger McDonough; Presiding Judge Taylor Pharr; Prosecuting Attorney Matt West; and Public Defenders Dean McConatha and S. Reagan Rumsey.
Court is conducted in two sessions each month: Plea Day on the second Tuesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. and Trial Day on the fourth Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. The court office is closed during the mornings of Plea Day and Trial Day, so all court-related matters should be settled by 5:00 p.m. on the prior business day.
PAYMENTS
Payments can be made in the court office by cash, cashier's check, or money order or by mailing the plea and payment to Sylacauga Municipal Court, P.O. Box 390, Sylacauga, AL 35150-0390. To make a payment online, click here. To view common fines and fees, click here.
PREPARING FOR COURT
The court office is closed on court days before session and unable to take calls or payments during those mornings.
- All matters should be settled by 5:00 p.m. the previous business day.
- Arrive on time, and be prepared to have your case heard before the court.
- Bring any and all documents, photographs, or other evidence supporting the facts of the case. One cannot expect to prevail if he/she is not prepared to show proof of the facts as they relate to his/her case.
CONDUCT IN COURT
- No weapons are allowed, and no one will be allowed to enter the Municipal Court with any type of weapon. Court security will not be responsible for holding prohibited items.
- Exhibit proper behavior while attending court. All in attendance are expected to be polite, courteous, and respectful to the judge, court personnel, and fellow citizens.
- Silence all cell phones and electronic devices.
- Dress appropriately for court. Shorts, tank tops, crop tops, muscle shirts, or dirty or torn clothing are not permitted. Also, no hoods, hats or sunglasses may be worn in the court.
- Court is no place for children, so please find a babysitter. If one has no choice but to bring children to court, the responsible adult must keep the children under supervision.
- No food or drink is allowed in the courtroom.
TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS AND CITATIONS
Traffic laws are defined in Title 32 of Alabama Code. Most relate to operation of motor vehicles on public roads. All violations of Alabama traffic laws are charged on a uniform traffic citation form (ticket). By signing the ticket, the driver is promising to appear in court. Signing the ticket is not an admission of guilt. Traffic citations are divided into two categories: Court Appearance Not Required and Court Appearance Required. If unsure whether or not a citation requires a court appearance, contact the Sylacauga Municipal Court, or check the fine schedule. If the citation is not listed on the fine schedule, please contact the court offices at 256-401-2521.
Court Appearance Not Required Citations: To resolve a Court Appearance Not Required citation without appearing in court, one may do so by appearing in-person at the court office and entering a plea of guilty to the traffic offense. At that time, payment for the citation is due (see fine schedule). This plea and payment must be completed at least 24 hours in advance of the court date. Citations may also be paid online, or plea and payment may be remitted by mail. The Municipal Court office must receive such plea and payment at least 24 hours before the prescribed court date. Postmark dates will not be honored as meeting the deadline. Plea and payment may be mailed to Sylacauga Municipal Court, P.O. Box 390, Sylacauga, Alabama 35150-0390.
Court Appearance Required Citations: If a citation requires a court appearance, one must appear in court on the court date listed on the citation. The defendant will appear before the municipal judge and enter a plea on the charge. If the defendant enters a guilty plea, the judge will determine the fine amount, and the defendant will be able to pay the fine at that time. If one enters a not guilty plea, the case will be continued to a trail court date. First-time traffic offenders may be eligible for the city’s Defensive Driving School program, which may allow the driver to keep a clean driving record.
MISSED COURT DATE/FAILURE TO APPEAR
Missing a court date, even for something as minor as a seat belt ticket, can carry various and severe consequences. Failing to appear on one’s court date is in itself a criminal charge, which can result in arrest. Failure to appear warrants are issued the same day of each court appearance. If the defendant placed a bond to get out of jail, the bond may be forfeited by failure to appear. There is no grace period for missing court, and no additional notices will be sent. The arrest warrants can be served at any time, including the defendant’s home or place of work.
When someone fails to appear in court on a traffic offense, the court will notify the Alabama Department of Public Safety. DPS will then place a suspension on the driver’s license of the defendant until the original charges are resolved.
WARRANT RECALL
If a defendant has failed to appear, he/she may be eligible for a warrant recall. the Sylacauga Municipal Court’s warrant recall procedure is for defendants able to pay an administrative fee to have their failure to appear arrest warrants recalled if all of the following criteria are met:
- The arrest warrant must be for Failure to Appear. No other warrants are eligible for recall.
- The defendant must personally appear and pay $22 per outstanding Failure to Appear warrant at the time of recall. No other person can pay this fee on behalf of the defendant.
- Warrants that have been served are not eligible for recall.
Important Warrant Recall Facts
- Upon successfully recalling a Failure to Appear warrant, the defendant will no longer have to answer to the charge of Failure to Appear. The defendant may receive a new court date on the underlying charge or may opt to plead guilty and pay the underlying charge if it is not a court-required offense.
- If the defendant’s driver’s license has been suspended for failing to appear on a traffic ticket, merely recalling the warrant will not clear the license. The defendant must take care of the underling traffic charge first. At that point, the court will issue a clearance form notifying the state that the defendant has satisfied the traffic offense. It will then be the defendant’s responsibility to go through the state’s license reinstatement process.
- There is no guarantee a law enforcement officer will not stop the defendant while driving to the court office. If the defendant comes into contact with law enforcement, the law enforcement officers are under orders to make the arrest while the warrant is active.
OBTAINING A WARRANT
State law currently allows private citizens the right to press charges under certain circumstances. In order to pursue charges with the Sylacauga Municipal Court, the offense must have occurred within Sylacauga’s jurisdiction. To pursue charges and obtain a warrant, follow the steps outlined here, which include visiting the court office and speaking with a Magistrate.
Pursuing Charges/Obtaining a Warrant
- To pursue criminal charges with the City of Sylacauga, please first notify the police department and file a report. This not only begins the documentation trail but also helps verify the offense occurred within Sylacauga’s police jurisdiction.
- Municipal courts can only hear cases within their jurisdictional limits. As such, the Sylacauga Municipal Court will be unable to address any offenses in which the accused is a minor. Such cases will need to be referred to the Family Court for the county in which the offense occurred. Similarly, the Sylacauga Municipal Court is unable to handle any felony cases. Those cases will need to be brought in the Circuit Court for the county in which the offense occurred. The current statute of limitations for misdemeanor offenses is one year. If the offense occurred more than one year ago, no charges may be brought.
- After filing a report with the police department, one can request a warrant at the Municipal Court. Upon arriving at the Municipal Court, the requestor should inform the court staff of his/her wish to seek an arrest warrant. A magistrate will swear him/her in. WARNING: from this point on, any statement made is a sworn statement, and any falsehoods uttered will be subject to perjury charges. Once sworn in, the requestor will deal with only this magistrate (and should the requestor need to leave, he/she will make an appointment to meet with that same magistrate upon return).
- The magistrate will take a brief oral statement from the requestor to get a general idea of his/her concerns. The magistrate will inform the requestor of the city’s warrant procedures and have him/her sign an acknowledgement form. The magistrate will then have the requestor begin a sworn written statement, or deposition. The deposition will need to be filled out while at the court; the requestor may not take it outside of the court.
- The magistrate will then review the requestor’s written statement. If necessary, the magistrate is authorized to request any additional information which he/she feels is required in order to determine probable cause. This may extend to subpoenaing additional witnesses or physical evidence.
- The magistrate may require the police to do additional investigation before a warrant can be issued. This may include selecting the accused from a photo lineup.
- In the event a warrant is issued, the warrant will remain active until the warrant is served. Upon the defendant’s arrest, he/she will remain in jail until making bail. In Alabama, all non-capital defendants are entitled to bail; therefore, we cannot hold the defendant without allowing him/her to bond out of jail. If the defendant cannot bond out of jail, he/she will be released on an unsecured bond. If the defendant bonds out, he/she will be given an arraignment date in the future, usually at least a month in advance. In either case, the person who requested the warrant will be notified of his/her first court date.
- Please understand that a citizen complainant is merely initiating criminal prosecution. The City of Sylacauga is the entity actually prosecuting the case against the defendant. Therefore, the requestor cannot decide the terms of the prosecution, nor can he/she request the charges be dropped. Even if the requestor decides he/she would prefer to not testify, the judge can force his/her appearance and testimony through a subpoena or warrant.
- Please note that obtaining an arrest warrant can carry civil risks. If the requestor is considering pressing charges and is concerned about these risks, he/she should consult with an attorney. The City of Sylacauga cannot provide legal advice on the matter.
MUNICIPAL COURT PERSONNEL
The Municipal Court consists of Chief Court Clerk Amber Johns; Magistrates Krissy King, Melanie Allen, and Ginger McDonough; Presiding Judge Taylor Pharr; Prosecuting Attorney Matt West; and Public Defenders Dean McConatha and S. Reagan Rumsey.