Gardendale Municipal Court

Gardendale Municipal Court cases in Jefferson County, Gardendale, AL

Gardendale Municipal Court is a municipal court serving the City of Gardendale, Alabama. It handles prosecutions of municipal ordinance violations and state-law misdemeanors adopted by ordinance, occurring within the city or its police jurisdiction. Common matters include traffic offenses (e.g., speeding, DUI, license/insurance/registration issues), misdemeanor criminal cases, and municipal code-enforcement violations. The court conducts arraignments, trials, and sentencing, issues warrants, and collects fines and costs. It does not hear civil lawsuits, family/domestic cases, juvenile matters, or felonies; those are handled in Jefferson County district or circuit courts. Appeals from Gardendale Municipal Court go to the Jefferson County Circuit Court for a trial de novo.

Gardendale Municipal Court Contact and Location Information

Services and Case Types Handled in Gardendale Municipal Court

Gardendale Municipal Court primarily serves the public by:

- Handling case types: traffic citations, DUI, misdemeanors, and municipal ordinance/code violations occurring within Gardendale.
- Case filings and magistrate services: accepting complaints, initiating cases, processing warrants, setting bonds, scheduling dockets, and managing continuances.
- Payments and compliance: collecting fines/fees, processing payment plans, probation/compliance reviews, and warrant recall/resolution.
- Court hearings: arraignments, plea hearings, bench trials (no juries), show-cause/failure-to-appear, and probation/compliance hearings.
- Records: providing case information and certified copies upon request.

Not handled:
- Protective orders (Protection-from-Abuse): filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court.
- Jury services: jury trials are available only on appeal in Jefferson County Circuit Court; the municipal court conducts bench trials.

The court's role is to provide accessible case processing, fair adjudication of municipal offenses, and timely public services and information.