§15-13-131. Proceeding in forfeiture of bail - Not cash - Conditional forfeitures order.

(a) When a defendant fails to appear in court as required by the undertaking of bail and no sufficient excuse has been provided to the court prior to the hearing, the court shall order a conditional forfeiture and show cause order against the defendant and the sureties of the bail. The court shall notify defendant and sureties of the order as set out in this article. The defendant or sureties, or both, shall file a written response with the clerk of the court within 28 days of the date of service of the notice why the bond should not be forfeited. If a written response is filed within the time allowed and the court is of the opinion the written response is sufficient, the court shall set aside the conditional forfeiture. If the court is of the opinion the written response is not sufficient, the court shall set a hearing to determine whether the bond should be forfeited. The hearing shall not be set less than 90 days of the service of the conditional forfeiture order. If no written response has been filed after 28 days from the date of service of the notice, the court may enter an appropriate order or final judgment forfeiting all or part of the amount of the bond which shall be enforceable as any civil judgment. The court may take into consideration the circumstances provided to the court and continue any final forfeiture hearing to another day and time allowing the sureties more time to apprehend the defendant.

(b) When an undertaking of bail is forfeited by the failure of the defendant to appear as required, except when money is deposited as cash bail, a conditional judgment shall be rendered by the court in favor of the state or its subdivisions, for the use of the proper city, county, or state, against the parties to the undertaking for the sum thereon expressed, which judgment may be substantially as follows:

(State of or City of)	Charge: _______
vs	Case No. ______
A.B.___________
C.D.___________
E.F. (Sureties)__________

It being known to the court that A.B., together with (Sureties) _____ , agreed to pay the State of Alabama (or City of _____,) _____ dollars (the sum specified in the undertaking), unless A.B. appeared at the time and place mentioned and fixed in the bond or undertaking to answer in this case and A.B. having failed to appear at the time and place mentioned in the bond or undertaking, it is therefore ordered by the court that the State of Alabama (or City of _____,) for the use of _____ State (or City), recover of the defendant and sureties on the undertakings, the sum of _____ dollars (the sum specified in the undertaking), unless they file a written response and show cause why this judgment should not be made absolute within 28 days of the date of service of this conditional forfeiture order.

(c) The state shall remit one-half of the funds it receives under subsections (a) and (b) to the county in which the defendant was charged. The funds shall be deposited into the general fund of the county and used for the maintenance and operation of the county jail.

(Acts 1993, No. 93-677, p. 1259, §32; Acts 1996, 2nd Ex. Sess., No. 96-881, p. 1695, §1.)