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205-981-2450
Individuals who must have a charge heard in Pelham Municipal Court can feel uncertain about how the proceeding will unfold. The consequences of charges that are heard in Pelham Municipal Court have the potential to include significant penalties.
One of the best way ways for individuals to prepare for cases to be heard in the court is to learn some of the basic information about how cases are handled in Pelham Municipal Court including details about charges, defenses, penalties that might apply to a case.
The Pelham Municipal Court is located at 32 Philip Davis Street in Pelham, Alabama close to the Pelham Parkway. The same building is also home to the Pelham Police Department, but individuals often have an easy time determining where the court is located.
The Municipal Court is open between 8:00 am to 5:00 every Monday to Friday. The court also holds dockets in addition to trials for certain cases.
The Municipal Court offers a defensive driving school that allows individuals with a clean driving record the opportunity to maintain their unblemished record.
The Alabaster Municipal Court has limited jurisdiction that extends to motor vehicle and traffic violations, criminal misdemeanors, and municipal ordinance violations that are committed within the city limits of Pelham. Appeals for the cases that originate in the Pelham Municipal Court are heard by the Shelby County Circuit Court.
While there are many different ways that a case in Pelham Municipal Court can proceed, cases often follow a general pattern. Individuals first appear in a court at an arraignment. During the arraignment, an individual is presented with the options of pleading no contest, guilty, or not guilty of the charge in question.
Individuals who plead guilty during the arraignment are often sentenced at that time. Individuals who plead not guilty must then attend a pretrial hearing. During the pretrial hearing, an individual’s attorney will negotiate with opposing counsel in an effort to reach a plea agreement.
If legal counsel cannot successfully negotiate during a plea agreement, an individual will likely then face a trial during which a court of law will determine whether an individual is guilty or not guilty of the offense.
When faced with a charge in Pelham that must proceed through Municipal Court, individuals are often presented with the potential consequences of fines, the revocation of an individual’s driver license, and even jail time. Because the stakes are high, it is critical that individuals retain the service of seasoned legal counsel like those with Alabama Criminal Lawyers to arrive at the best possible conclusion.
Contact Alabama Criminal Lawyers today at (205) 981-2450 for a free consultation.