Title 12

When a probate judge retires pursuant to this article, the office then held by him shall become vacant, and the vacancy shall be filled as provided by the Constitution. (Acts 1975, No. 1205, p. 2384, §3-108.)

(a) Judges’ retirement benefits. - The annual retirement benefit payable to a probate judge retiring pursuant to subdivisions (2), (3), (4), and (5) of Section 12-18-84 shall be 75 percent of the base sum or salary upon which such judge is paying the percentage as provided in sub…

Every probate judge who has retired pursuant to this article may, on the request of the Chief Justice, be called to active duty status as a probate judge. Such retired probate judge shall be entitled to receive from the county in which he is serving reimbursement for all reasonab…

This article shall not apply to any supernumerary probate judge. No probate judge who elects to come under the provisions of Article 1 of this chapter shall be eligible to receive benefits as a supernumerary probate judge or benefits under any other state retirement program; prov…

The provisions of this article shall become effective on October 1, 1976, unless otherwise provided in this article. No contributions shall be paid, no elections shall be made, and no benefits shall accrue under this article until October 1, 1976, unless otherwise provided in thi…

(a) There is hereby provided, commencing October 1, 1984, to any probate judge retired prior to October 1, 1983, under the Judicial Retirement Fund of Alabama and who is receiving a retirement allowance therefrom, a cost-of-living increase in his maximum retirement allowance as f…

(a) Any retired judge of probate receiving benefits from the Judicial Retirement Fund shall be entitled to receive any cost-of-living adjustment provided by law for state employees who are retired under the State Employees’ Retirement System after April 21, 1998. (b) The cost-of-…

(a) Any member of the Judicial Retirement Fund, who, not more than one year prior to becoming a member of the Judicial Retirement Fund, was a member of the Employees’ Retirement System of Alabama or the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama may elect to transfer to the Judicial …

(a) Any member of the Judicial Retirement Fund of Alabama whose creditable service and contributions have been certified and transferred to the Judicial Retirement Fund, shall be entitled to retire under the said fund on service or disability, upon attaining sufficient years of a…

In the event a member of the Judicial Retirement Fund, who is a district judge, or a surviving spouse thereof, must employ and count creditable service transferred under this article to qualify for retirement and/or benefits under the fund, the benefits or allowances payable to s…

In the event a member of the Judicial Retirement Fund, who is a probate judge, or a surviving spouse thereof, must employ and count creditable service transferred under this article to qualify for retirement and/or benefits under the fund, the benefits or allowances payable to su…

The provisions of this article are cumulative and supplemental to other law or laws relating to this subject and shall not be construed to repeal any law or part of law not directly in conflict herewith. (Acts 1980, No. 80-461, p. 714, §5.)

This article does not apply to anyone who assumed office as a justice of the Supreme Court, a judge of the Court of Civil Appeals, a judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, or a circuit judge before July 30, 1979. This article also does not apply to anyone who assumed office as a…

Notwithstanding Section 12-18-40 or 12-18-55, any justice of the Supreme Court, any judge of the Court of Civil Appeals, any judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, any circuit judge, or any district judge who has served for not less than 25 years on any one or more of such court…

With the exception of justices of the Supreme Court and judges of the appellate courts, circuit courts, and district courts who assumed office prior to July 30, 1979, and who are exempted from Section 12-18-40, and this article, the retirement pay or benefits of any justice or ju…

Any justice of the Supreme Court, judge of the Court of Civil Appeals, judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals, circuit judge, or district judge who has 24 years of creditable service in the Judicial Retirement Fund of Alabama may elect to purchase credit in the Judicial Retiremen…

The provisions of this article are cumulative and supplemental to other statutes or laws relating to judicial retirement and shall not be construed to repeal any law or part of law not directly in conflict herewith. Nothing herein shall be construed to eliminate, reduce, or modif…

When used in this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings, respectively, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: (1) ACCUMULATED CONTRIBUTIONS. The sum of all the amounts deducted from the compensation of a member credited to his or her individual a…

There is hereby created and established the Judges’ and Clerks’ Plan under the Judicial Retirement Fund. (Act 2015-498, §3.)

(a) Every judge or clerk first elected or appointed to his or her position on or after November 8, 2016 who is not a member of the Judicial Retirement Fund or Clerks’ and Registers’ Supernumerary Fund on November 7, 2016 shall come under this article by operation of law. The plan…

(a) Any active and contributing member of the Judges’ and Clerks’ Plan who, not more than one year prior to becoming a member of the plan was a member of the Employees’ Retirement System of Alabama or the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama, may elect to transfer his or her me…

(a) Any member who withdraws from service upon or after attainment of age 62 may retire upon written application to the Board of Control setting forth at what time, not less than 30 days nor more than 90 days subsequent to the execution and filing thereof, he or she desires to be…

(a) Upon application of an active and contributing member, any such member who has 10 or more years of membership service who becomes disabled may be retired on a disability retirement allowance by the Board of Control not less than 30 days nor more than 90 days next following th…

(a) Should a member cease to be a judge or clerk except by death or by retirement under the provisions of this article, the contributions standing to the credit of his or her individual account in the fund shall be paid to him or her upon demand and, in addition to that payment, …

Any member of the plan who is retired and who has selected a survivor option may cancel the survivor allowance payable to his or her designated beneficiary. Such election shall be in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Board of Control and once made by the…

(a) Any member who, at the time of his or her retirement is a member of and holds a policy in any state group hospitalization or health insurance plan, may in writing authorize the Secretary-Treasurer of the state retirement system to withhold from his or her retirement pay a suf…

The Judges’ and Clerks’ Plan shall be under the management and supervision of the Employees’ Retirement System as a component of the Judicial Retirement Fund, with all contributions to the plan deposited and held in the same manner as contributions to the Judicial Retirement Fund…

All proposed legislation affecting the plan shall be accompanied by an actuarial estimate of the cost involved in such proposed legislation. (Act 2015-498, §12.)

(a) Any person who shall knowingly make any false statement or shall falsify or permit to be falsified any record or records of this plan in any attempt to defraud such plan shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, on conviction thereof by any court of competent jurisdiction, shall …

The right of a person to a pension, an annuity, a retirement allowance or to the return of contributions, the pension, annuity or retirement allowance itself and any optional benefit or any other right accrued or accruing to any person under the provisions of this article and the…

Official copies of records or documents maintained on microfilm, microfiche, or other photo-reproductive material of archival quality by the Employees’ Retirement System shall be admissible as primary evidence in any legal, judicial, or administrative proceeding or action for the…

No other provision of law in any other statute which provides wholly or partly at the expense of the State of Alabama or of any political subdivision thereof for pensions or retirement benefits for employees of the state shall apply to members of the plan established by this arti…

The Board of Control is authorized to implement any new accounting procedures, funds, or administrative changes and to provide for the payment of benefits to members or beneficiaries of the plan as may be necessary to ensure the plan’s compliance with the qualification standards …

(Act 2026-202, §1.)

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the operating expenses of the Unified Judicial System, exclusive of the expenses of probate courts and municipal courts, shall be paid by the state. Counties may supplement state expenditures as provided by law. (Acts 1975, No. 1205, …

In order to facilitate the prompt purchase and delivery of equipment, clerical office supplies, court forms, stationery and other printed court supplies, hereinafter referred to as “clerical office supplies,” used by and in the offices of circuit judges, district judges, circuit …

(a) All counties shall continue from January 16, 1977, through September 30, 1977, to support court services within their respective counties at not less than the same level of expenditures for such court services during the fiscal year ending September 30, 1976; provided, that t…

The state assumption of financial responsibility for the Unified Judicial System shall be phased over three fiscal years as follows: (1) The state shall be responsible for the following beginning in the 1975-76 fiscal year: a. Salaries and expenses of the Supreme Court, the Court…

Courtrooms and related judicial and clerical facilities for the district court shall be provided and maintained by the municipalities where the court shall sit other than at the county courthouse, said facilities to be with the approval of the Administrative Director of Courts. (…

The Administrative Director of Courts shall prepare budget estimates relating to state expenditures for the trial courts of the Unified Judicial System. (Acts 1975, No. 1205, p. 2384, §16-102.)

The salaries and expenses payable to personnel of the Unified Judicial System out of state funds shall be paid out of the State General Fund upon warrants drawn thereon. (Acts 1975, No. 1205, p. 2384, §16-104.)

The Administrative Director of Courts shall, with the advice of the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, establish special procedures for the prompt payment of juror fees, witness fees and any other expenses necessary to the operation of the unified court system as may be …

(a) The Administrative Director of Courts shall forthwith inventory all equipment and furniture utilized in the operation of circuit courts and all other trial courts, except probate courts and municipal courts. This inventory shall indicate the agency or office where the propert…

(a) The county-owned equipment and furniture used in the operation of the judicial system shall become the property of the state as follows: (1) On January 16, 1977, all county-owned equipment and furniture used by circuit judges and district judges, formerly judges of the courts…

(a) Court fees in civil and criminal cases in the circuit court and district court shall be uniform for each type of case and each court level. (b) The fees prescribed in this chapter shall be exclusive of all other fees, except that: (1) The Administrative Director of Courts may…

The Administrative Director of Courts shall prescribe procedures for the collection and distribution of court fees. (Acts 1975, No. 1205, p. 2384, §16-132.)