§ 12-14-70 — Appeals to Circuit Courts from Judgments of Municipal Courts and Proceedings Thereon

(a) All appeals from judgments of municipal courts shall be to the circuit court of the circuit in which the violation occurred for trial de novo.
(b) The municipality may appeal within 60 days, without bond, from a judgment of the municipal court holding an ordinance invalid.
(c) A defendant may appeal in any case within 14 days from the entry of judgment by filing notice of appeal and giving bond, with or without surety, approved by the court or the clerk in an amount not more than twice the amount of the fine and costs, as fixed by the court, or in the event no fine is levied the bond shall be in an amount not to exceed $1,000.00, as fixed by the court, conditioned upon the defendant’s appearance before the circuit court. The municipal court may waive appearance bond upon satisfactory showing that the defendant is indigent or otherwise unable to provide a surety bond. If an appeal bond is waived, a defendant sentenced to imprisonment shall not be released from custody, but may obtain release at any time by filing a bond approved by the municipal court. If defendant is not released, the prosecutor shall notify the circuit clerk, and the case shall be set for trial at the earliest practicable time.
(d) When an appeal has been taken, the municipality shall file the notice and other documents in the court to which the appeal is taken within 15 days, failing which the municipality shall be deemed to have abandoned the prosecution, the defendant shall stand discharged and the bond shall be automatically terminated.
(e) Upon trial or plea of guilty in the circuit court on appeal, the court may impose any penalty or sentence which the municipal court could have imposed.
(f) Upon failure of an appellant to appear in the circuit court when the case is called for trial, unless good cause for such default is shown, the court shall dismiss the appeal and upon the expiration of 30 days from such date, unless the dismissal is set aside, the circuit clerk shall return the file, with a copy of the order of dismissal, to the clerk of the court from which the appeal was taken and the judge of such court may enter judgment of default on the appeal bond by utilizing the procedures set forth in Section 15-13-81. The circuit court may, on motion of the defendant made within 30 days of the order of dismissal, set aside the dismissal and other orders and reinstate the appeal on such terms as the court may prescribe, for good cause shown by defendant.
(g) Upon receipt of notice of dismissal of an appeal, the municipal court may issue a warrant for arrest of the defendant, who may also be arrested without a warrant as an escapee. Upon arrest, the defendant shall be delivered to the municipal authorities and punished in accordance with the judgment of the municipal court.
(h) If a judgment is entered against a defendant on appeal, the circuit court shall remand the defendant to the municipal authorities for punishment in accordance with the judgment of the circuit court, unless, when the judgment is for fine and costs only, the judgment is paid or a judgment is conferred therefor in favor of the municipality with sureties or as otherwise provided for convictions under state law.
(i) Upon receipt of payment of fines, forfeitures and costs upon appeals, the clerk of the circuit court shall within 30 days pay 90 percent of such fines and forfeitures and 10 percent of the costs to the treasurer of the municipality. The circuit clerk shall be liable on his bond for such fines and costs plus a penalty of five percent per month for default in such payments.

Legislative History

(Acts 1975, No. 1205, p. 2384, §8-105; Acts 1979, No. 79-440, p. 708; Acts 1989, No. 89-809, p. 1615, §2.)