Yes; the state has a uniform traffic citation (mandated by statute), used by all law enforcement agencies that is centrally printed, numbered and distributed.
Does the state have an electronic citation data collection system?
Yes. The
eCite system was initially developed by the University of Alabama Center for Advanced Public
Safety (CAPS) with the support and direct guidance of the Alabama Department of Public Safety (DPS)
and the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts (AOC). Using a conventional laptop, notebook or tablet PC,
an officer can issue tickets electronically, print a copy for the violator, and periodically transmit the tickets
to an on-line central server repository. At that point the data are in the court system and no additional
hand-entering by the district court clerks is required.
What percent of citations are collected electronically?
As of 2012, about 90% of the citations issued use eCite as opposed to paper citations.
Does the state have standardized coding of violations?
Yes
Does the state have a process/system for transferring citation data to the courts electronically?
Yes
Does the state have a centralized court information system containing court docket information?
Alabama has a unified court system that has an active relationship with municipal courts.
In 2010, the Administrative Office of Courts (AOC) has a database which includes all citations
adjudicated in state (District and Circuit) courts, which account for approximately 60 percent
of the traffic tickets issued in the State. Additionally, all electronic citations are captured in this same database, the Alabama Statewide Judicial Information System (ASJIS), which functions as the case management system (CMS) for the unified courts. Currently, only 14 of the 273 Municipal Courts use this CMS, and the remaining Municipal Courts use one of about seven other products; most of these courts upload their data to ASJIS.
Does the state have a process/system to electronically transfer court dispositions to/from the driver history file electronically?
There exists a system for the courts (AOC) to send dispositions to DPS (who is in charge of the state's driver record.
Does the state have an impaired driver tracking system?
Yes, the Model Integrated Defendant Access System (MIDAS) was developed in year 2003, and was one of the NHTSA Model Impaired Driving Records Information System (MIDRIS) demonstration sites. It allows court referral officers to follow their clients through the court process, to test and monitor the defendants for drug/alcohol use, and for compliance with court orders. MIDAS alerts judges and the probation department if a client in the system receives a traffic citation. Thus, the system provides a means by which to readily share client information among the various involved agencies and to assure that records on DUI offenders are complete and accurate.
Are there any plans to improve the citation/adjudication system?
Alabama has a continuing project to support and expand its electronic citation data collection system, and to make additions where necessary to better track cases. There is also a project named DUI Driver Intake System that will develop a suite of DUI enforcement software tools for an officer's mobile laptop, which will include capturing breathalyzer results as well as arrest reporting.