Municipal Court

Welcome to the Town of Shorter Municipal Court page. Shorter Municipal Court has jurisdiction over motor vehicle and traffic violations, criminal misdemeanors and municipal ordinance violations established by the Code of Ordinances and committed within the city limits of Shorter, Alabama.

Court

No weapons or electronic devices allowed in the courtrooms including but not limited to cell phones, computer and recording devices. Any device activated during court will be taken by an officer and returned to the owner at the conclusion of court.

Court Room Conduct & Dress Code

The determination of proper dress code rest with the judge. However all persons are expected to be dressed appropriately as to maintain the dignity, integrity, decorum and seriousness of a professional atmosphere. Males are required to wear shirts tucked into pants and around the waist, any shorts worn by male or female are expected to be of reasonable length and females are prohibited from wearing clothes that reveal their bare midsection. Spectators are to remain silent and are not allowed to sleep or read during court procedures.

Instructions for Paying Fines

If the Defendant wishes to enter a plea of guilty, certain charges may be paid without appearing in court. To obtain the amount of these fines and other information regarding a citation, contact the Magistrate’s office or court cost and fine section.

If you have been convicted of more than two violations during the preceding 12 months, State Law requires you to appear in court. Please wait 48 hours after receiving a citation before calling for information.

After the fine amount has been established you may pay as follows:

PAY BY PHONE: (334) 721-2111
IN PERSON: Cash, money order, cashier’s check.
BY MAIL: To pay a fine by mail, the defendant should sign the Plea of Guilty/Waiver of Rights set forth on the citation, and mail it with payment by money order or cashier’s check.

Guilty Pleas

If Defendant wants to plead Not Guilty and take a case to trial, they must appear in person on the court date and time shown on the citation.

IF THE CITATION/CASE IS NOT PAID BEFORE YOUR COURT DATE OR YOU DO NOT APPEAR IN COURT, A WARRANT OF ARREST MAY BE ISSUED AND YOUR DRIVERS LICENSE MAY BE SUSPENDED

Defensive Driving School

Defendants with a clean driving record have the opportunity to keep a good record by attending a defensive driving course. To determine if you are eligible to apply for driving school, you must make the request in open court.