Alabama § 45-57-81 - Court Costs for the County Law Library.

(a) In any case, action, or proceeding hereafter filed, whether at law or in equity in the Circuit Court of Russell County or in the District Court of Russell County, there may be charged a tax of five dollars ($5) which tax shall be in addition to all other court costs heretofore authorized to be charged. The costs taxed under this section shall be collected as other costs in the cases are collected, and when collected by the clerks or other collecting officers of the courts (including the register of the circuit court) shall be by them paid over to the treasurer or depository of Russell County for deposit in the county treasury.

(b) The sums so paid over to the county treasurer or depository shall be maintained in a separate fund in the county treasury, designated as the Russell County Law Library Fund, and shall be expended by the judge of the Circuit Court of Russell County for establishing, maintaining, equipping, and operating a law library in the courthouse at Phenix City, the funds to be expended, in the discretion of the judge, to provide furniture, fixtures, supplies, and equipment for the library, and to keep the same in a good state of maintenance and repair; to establish, enlarge, expand, and improve the library and its facilities and equipment; to provide books, reports, and periodicals for the library; and to pay the compensation of personnel as may be necessary and proper, in the opinion of the judge, to operate the library.

(c) The judge may appoint either the register or the clerk of the circuit court to be librarian.

(d) The judge of the circuit court shall draw warrants on the county treasury in making expenditures for the purposes contemplated in this section, and shall indicate on the warrants the fund against which the warrants are drawn. The items of costs above referred to shall be designated as law library fee. On or before the tenth day of each month, the clerks or other collecting officers of the respective courts (including the register of the circuit court) shall pay over to the county treasurer or depository all amounts collected as law library fees previously to the first day of the month.

(e) The management of the law library is vested in the judge of the Circuit Court of Russell County, and all books, periodicals, reports, and personal property purchased with the funds produced by this section shall be the property of Russell County, Alabama; provided, however, that the judge may from time to time sell or exchange the books, reports, periodicals, and personal property as may be necessary to keep the library up to date and apply the proceeds of the sale thereof or the value thereof upon the purchase of other books, reports, periodicals, and personal property for use in the library. The judge may accept any gift or loan of any books, reports, periodicals, and other property for public use in the library upon terms and conditions as may he stipulated by the donor or lender thereof and as may be agreeable to the judge.

(f) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, when in the opinion of the presiding judge, the proper administrator of the court shall require and the judge shall be authorized, in addition, to expend the funds, at the discretion of the judge, for the improvement of or alterations to courtrooms and related facilities; and to provide furniture, fixtures, supplies, and equipment for the courtrooms and related facilities, and keep the same in good repair and maintenance.