This section applies only in Cullman County and adds court costs and charges in listed criminal and traffic cases. The money must go to the county treasurer for the School Resource Officer (SRO) Fund and be used for the SRO program.
(a) This section shall be operative only in Cullman County. (b)(l) Notwithstanding any special, local, or general law to the contrary, there is levied additional court costs and charges as follows: a. All traffic tickets (not involving alcohol or drugs, or both)................................................ $5.00 b. All misdemeanor alcohol arrests...................... 10.00 c. All misdemeanor drug arrests......................... 20.00 d. All misdemeanor D.U.I. arrests....................... 25.00 e. All other misdemeanor arrests........................ 5.00 f. All felony alcohol arrests........................... 50.00 g. All felony drug arrests (excluding trafficking cases) 50.00 h. All felony D.U.I. arrests............................ 50.00 i. All drug trafficking arrests......................... 100.00 j. All other felony arrests............................. 10.00 (2) The fee levied by this section shall be levied in all criminal cases including, but not limited to, felony cases, misdemeanor cases, and traffic violation cases, whose jurisdiction is in the Circuit Court of the 32nd Judicial Circuit, the District Court of Cullman County, and the City of Cullman Municipal Court. The costs and charges levied by this section shall be in addition to all other costs and charges presently levied and shall be collected as other costs and charges. (3) All money derived from the costs and charges shall be remitted to the county treasurer who shall place the fees collected in a special fund known as the School Resource Officer (SRO) Fund for the purpose of funding the School Resource Officer (SRO) program in all Cullman City and Cullman County schools. (4) Disbursement and administration of the fund shall alternate every five years between the Cullman City government and the Cullman County government, with the Cullman County government initially administering the fund. (5) Disbursements shall be made based on the per child enrollment of each school system participating in the School Resource Officer (SRO) program. Disbursements shall be used for the purposes of the School Resource Officer ( SRO) program. (c) Each law enforcement agency providing school resource officers may be reimbursed from the fund for school resource officer training expenses. (d) Disbursement of funds shall be decided by a governing board made up of all of the following: (1) The Chair of the Cullman County Commission. (2) The Mayor of the City of Cullman. (3) The Sheriff of Cullman County. (4) The Chief of Police of the City of Cullman. (5) The Cullman County Schools Superintendent. (6) The Cullman City Schools Superintendent. (7) A seventh member to be appointed from the business sector and by approval of the other board members. (e) The governing board may approve requests for specific expenditures to be used in the School Resource Officer (SRO) program, including full or partial salaries of additional officers needed to expand the School Resource Officer (SRO) program. (f) All funds not used shall be held in trust and carried over to the next year. (g) Any use of funds expended prior to May 30, 2023, in compliance with this section are ratified and confirmed.