§ 31-5-1211 — Disposition and records of traffic citations

(a) Every traffic enforcement officer upon issuing a
traffic citation to an alleged violator of any provision of the
motor vehicle laws of this state or of any traffic ordinance of
any city or town shall deposit the original or a copy of the
traffic citation with a court having jurisdiction over the
alleged offense or with its traffic violations bureau.
(b) Upon the deposit of the original or a copy of the
traffic citation with a court having jurisdiction over the
alleged offense or with its traffic violations bureau as
aforesaid, the original or copy of the traffic citation may be
disposed of only by trial in court or other official action by a
judge of the court, including forfeiture of the bail, or by the
deposit of sufficient bail with or payment of a fine to the
traffic violations bureau by the person to whom the traffic
citation was issued by the traffic enforcement officer.
(c) It is unlawful and official misconduct for any traffic
enforcement officer or other officer or public employee to
dispose of a traffic citation or copies thereof or of the record
of the issuance of the same in a manner other than as required
by this act.
(d) The chief administrative officer of every traffic
enforcement agency shall require the return to him of a copy of
every traffic citation issued by an officer under his
supervision to an alleged violator of any traffic law or
ordinance and of all copies of every traffic citation which has
been spoiled or upon which any entry has been made and not
issued to an alleged violator.
(e) The chief administrative officer shall also maintain
or cause to be maintained in connection with every traffic
citation issued by an officer under his supervision a record of
the disposition of the charge by the court or its traffic
violations bureau in which the original or copy of the traffic
citation was deposited.