Section 30-5-8 - Notice of hearing or other order to be sent to parties; registration of information; automated process; additional fines(a)(1) A copy of any notice of hearing or any protection order under this chapter shall be sent to the plaintiff within 24 hours of issuance, provided the plaintiff provides the court with current and accurate contact information, and to the law enforcement officials with jurisdiction over the residence of the plaintiff. The clerk of the court may furnish a certified copy of the notice of final hearing or protection order, if any, electronically.(2) A copy of the petition and ex parte protection order, if issued, under this chapter shall be served upon the defendant as soon as possible pursuant to Rule 4 of the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure. A copy of the notice of final hearing and any other order under this chapter shall be issued to the defendant as soon as possible.(3) Certain information in these cases shall be entered in the Protection Order Registry of the Administrative Office of Courts and shall be electronically transmitted by the Administrative Office of Courts to the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency for entry into the Law Enforcement Tactical System and into the National Crime Information Center as approved by the Alabama Justice Information Commission. The information shall include, but is not limited to, information as to the existence and status of any protection orders for verification purposes.(b) Ex parte and final protection orders shall be in a format as provided by the Administrative Office of Courts. If a court wishes to provide additional information in these standardized court orders, the court may attach additional pages containing this additional information.(c) Within 24 hours after receiving proof of service of process of the petition and ex parte order, if issued, the clerk of court shall enter the service date into the Protection Order Registry of the Administrative Office of Courts and the information shall be electronically transmitted by the Administrative Office of Courts to the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency . The Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency shall enter the information into the Law Enforcement Tactical System and into the National Crime Information Center as approved by the Alabama Justice Information Commission.(d) If a court vacates or modifies a protection order, the order shall be sent within 24 hours to the plaintiff, provided that the plaintiff provides the court with current and accurate contact information, to the defendant, and to the law enforcement officials where the victim resides.(e)(1) The Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency shall develop an automated process by which a plaintiff may request notification of service of the ex parte protection order and other court actions related to the protection order as determined and approved by the Alabama Justice Information Commission. The automated notice shall be made within 12 hours after a law enforcement officer serves an ex parte protection order upon the defendant. The notification shall include, at a minimum, the date, time, and where the protection order was served. The information identifying the plaintiff referenced under subdivision (2) shall be exempt from public records requirements in Section 36-12-40.(2) Upon implementation of the automated process, information held by the clerks and law enforcement agencies in conjunction with this process that reveals a home or employment telephone number, cellular telephone number, home or employment address, electronic mail address, or other electronic means of identification of a plaintiff requesting notification of service of a protection order or other court actions is exempt from Section 36-12-40. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, any state or federal agency that is authorized to have access to such information by any provision of law shall be granted access in the furtherance of the agency's statutory duties.Ala. Code § 30-5-8 (1975)
Amended by Act 2019-252,§ 1, eff. 5/23/2019.Amended by Act 2015-493,§ 2, eff. 1/1/2016.Acts 1981, No. 81-476, p. 826, §8; Acts 1995, No. 95-542, p. 1126, §1; Act 2010-538, p. 919, § 1.