Frequently Asked Questions

Municipal Court

Q. Where do I go to file a charge?

A. All probable cause hearings are conducted at the Decatur Municipal Court – Main Office (Location #1 on Map) on the 2^nd floor of Decatur City Hall.

Q. Where do I go for trial?

A. All trials are held at the Decatur Municipal Court – Main Office (Location #1 on Map) located on the 2^nd floor of Decatur City Hall.

Q. How do I get a court appointed attorney?

A. You can apply for a court appointed attorney prior to your court date by coming to the Magistrate’s Office and requesting the proper form. Once the form has been submitted to the court, it will be the responsibility of the defendant to contact the court in order to check the status of the application.

Q. If I wish to plead not guilty to the offense, what should I do?

A. If you wish to plead not guilty to the offense in which you have been charged, then you will be required to make a court appearance on the court date that is listed at the bottom of your citation and enter in your plea of not guilty before a Municipal Court Judge.

Record requests for previously adjudicated cases may be filed directly with the Decatur Municipal Court by completing the Record Request Form and emailing it to the Court at:  court@decatur-al.gov or by visiting us in person at our Municipal Court Annex located at 300 Cain St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601.

Record requests for pending cases must be obtained through the Discovery Process.  If a defendant is represented by legal counsel, their representative may file a Motion for Discovery via the Court’s email account at:  court@decatur-al.gov or by visiting us in person at our Municipal Court Annex located at 300 Cain St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601. Pro se defendants (defendants not represented by legal counsel) may file their Request for Discovery in writing and send it to the Court’s email account at:  court@decatur-al.gov or by visiting us in person at our Municipal Court Annex located at 300 Cain St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601. Once a Discovery Request is filed with the Court, a Standing Discovery Order will be issued to the defendant or their legal representative advising of the steps to be taken to obtain the discovery.

Record requests from federal, state or local government agencies may be filed directly with the Decatur Municipal Court by completing the Record Request Form and emailing it to the Court at:  court@decatur-al.gov or by visiting us in person at our Municipal Court Annex located at 300 Cain St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601.

All media requests must be filed through the City of Decatur JustFOIA Records Request .

All commercial or corporate requests for bulk records and/or reports must be filed through the City of Decatur JustFOIA Records Request .

Municipal Court Annex

Q. I wish to plead guilty and pay my fine. Will the court allow me to do this?

A. In certain cases (i.e. minor traffic offenses, etc.), the court will allow you to enter a plea before a Magistrate and pay your fines/costs. These cases are listed in the Schedule of Fines & Costs and should be paid prior to your court date, which is listed at the bottom of your citation. If your citation is not listed on the Schedule of Fines & Costs, then a court appearance is required. You may contact our office at (256) 341-4676 for further information regarding your citation.

Q. Where do I make payments?

A. You may make a payment through the following outlets:

Online payments: www.decaturalpayments.com

Payments by Telephone: 1-888-912-1535

Payments in Person: Municipal Court Annex (Location #2 on Map), directly behind the Morgan County Courthouse parking lot at: 300 Cain St. NE Decatur, AL.

Mail Payments: (money order or cashier’s check only) Decatur Municipal Court: P.O. Box 488, Decatur, AL 35602.

Q. What forms of payment are accepted?

A. We accept cash, cashier/certified check, money order, or pay online. NO PERSONAL CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Q. What if I cannot afford to pay my fines / costs?

A. Application to do community service in relief of fines/costs must be completed and filed with the Municipal Court Annex prior to the payment due date.

Application for relief of fines / costs due to medical reasons must be filed with the Municipal Court Annex prior to the payment due date.

Q. What happens if the payment amount sent to the court is incorrect?

A. If the payment amount sent to the court is incorrect then the payment will be returned to the defendant at the address provided on the defendant’s citation and the case will not be credited. Partial payments will not be accepted unless previously approved by the court.

Q. If I wish to attend defensive driving school, what should I do?

A. A defendant will need to seek approval of Defensive Driving School from either a Magistrate or Municipal Court Judge. The defendant can come to the Magistrate’s Office prior to the court date to speak to a Magistrate regarding this matter or request Defensive Driving School from the Municipal Judge on the day of court. Please be advised that a defendant will only be allowed to attend driving school every two (2) years and that approval will be determined by the type of offense that is charged. In accordance with Federal Law, any defendant possessing a commercial drivers license will be prohibited from attending driving school.

Q. If I live out of state and will not be able to come to court, what should I do?

A. If you are not a resident of the State of Alabama but have received a citation in the City of Decatur and wish to plead guilty, please check the Schedule of fines & costs to see if the offense charged is listed. If not, you may contact the Magistrate’s Office at (256) 341-4676 in order to speak to a Magistrate regarding a Plea of Guilty by mail.

Q. If I have an emergency and will not be able to attend my court date, what should I do?

A. If a defendant has had some type of emergency (car accident, medical emergency, etc.) the defendant or a family member of the defendant will need to contact the Magistrate’s Office at (256) 341-4676. Please be advised that a defendant may be requested to submit documentation before a case is continued.

Morgan & Limestone County Circuit Clerks

Q. Who do I contact about a case on appeal?

A. You may contact either the Morgan County Circuit Clerk’s office or the Limestone County Circuit Clerk’s office

Morgan County Circuit Clerk’s Office – (Location #3 on Map)
Chris Priest, Circuit Clerk
302 Lee St. NE
Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 351-4700

Limestone County Circuit Clerk’s Office – (Location #5 on Map)
Brad Curnutt, Circuit Clerk
200 West Washington St.
Athens, AL 35611
(256) 233-6406

Police / Jail

Q. What should I do if I think there may be a warrant out for my arrest?

A. All warrant inquires should be made to the Decatur Police Department (Location #1 on Map) at (256) 341-4604. Every warrant has a specific bond amount and bond type attached to it. The police department will be able to give you the specifics of the warrant.

Q. Where can I find information regarding Decatur City inmates?

A. Questions about the care of city inmates should be addressed at the Morgan County Jail (Location #4 on Map).

Morgan County Jail
119 Lee St. NE
Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 351-4825

Morgan County Offices

Limestone County Offices