§6-6-593. Court always open; return of summons; setting of case for trial; trial by court or jury.

(a) The court is at all times open for the trial of a case or the granting of orders therein. The summons shall be returnable 10 days from the date of issuance, and if five days' service is not had before such return day, the summons is returnable to the first day after the expiration of five days after such service. If such return day shall be a day of any regular or special session of the court, the case stands for trial on the next day after the return day, unless good cause shall be shown for further delay; but if such return day does not fall within a regular or special session, the judge must fix a day for the hearing, of which the clerk must notify the parties or their attorneys; and on such day the case may be tried or, for good cause shown or by consent of parties and the approval of the court, may be continued to another day.

(b) The case specified in this section must be tried by the court without a jury unless a jury is demanded in writing either by the informant at the time of filing the information or by the defendant at the time of filing the answer, but by the consent of both parties a trial by jury may be had where previously waived or may be waived where previously demanded by either party. If need be, the court or judge may order the sheriff to summon the requisite number of persons to serve as jurors.

(Code 1896, §§3424, 3425; Code 1907, §§5457, 5458; Code 1923, §§9936, 9937; Code 1940, T. 7, §§1140, 1141.)