City of Dothan Municipal Court is a municipal court that has jurisdiction over violations and misdemeanors only. Section 11-45-9 of the Code of Alabama gives the municipal court the following sentencing authority.
- Municipal court ordinances may provide penalties of fines, imprisonment, hard labor, or one or more of such penalties for violation of ordinances.
- No fine shall exceed $500.00 and no sentence of imprisonment or hard labor shall exceed six months except when in the enforcement of the penalties prescribed in section 32-5A-191, such fine shall not exceed $5,000.00 and such sentence of imprisonment or hard labor shall not exceed a year.
Section 32-5A-191 is the Driving Under the Influence (DUI) statute. This statute gives municipal courts an exception for greater fines and sentences for DUI offenses. Also by statute, certain misdemeanor offenses, such as Theft of Property and Criminal Mischief, can carry enhanced fines of up to $1,000.00.
For offenses classified as violations, the Code of Alabama requires fines not to exceed $200.00 and sentences no greater than 30 days.