NAPIER FIELD AL: In a municipal town of only .3 square miles of corporate city limits, the Town of Napier Field has several police officers.
Napier Field Municipal Court was in session today at 4 PM. Several officers with wands searching people. Napier Field Police Chief Duncan said that RSN could not bring in any cameras or recording devices. The Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure do not allow recording when a court reporter is present, but there is no court reporter.
The Municipal Court Judge is Daleville Private Practicing Attorney Barbara Wade. She was formally the Municipal Court Judge for Daleville but it no longer the Judge.
The court took in around $ 4,000 plus/minus dollars.Some paid in full and some on payments.
RSN was present to view a DUI case. The defendant is represented by Dothan Attorney Dustin Folwer. The motion was a Motion To Dismiss stating this court lacked jurisdiction. The defendant was not present and Judge Wade refused to go forward. Judge Wade stated this case has been continued several times. Attorney Fowler made it clear that if the ruling on no jurisdiction ws denied then he and his client were going to file A Writ of Mandamus in Circuit Court. The Judge said they planned to go forward with the case if the defendant was present but continued the case until the defendant would be present.
This case is a traffic stop made as the defendant left Dothan Airport. The defendant was driving within the city limits of Dothan Alabama. He was involved in a minor accident. Napier Field Police responded. The accident was inside the city limits of Dothan Alabama. Napier Field is attempting to say it was in Napier Field. Their position is based on a 35 year old ALDOT map. The defendant states NO.
Napier Field Officer Sanders made the arrest. The defendant’s car was towed to a Ozark Towing Service. The City of Napier Field charged a $ 500.00 impound fee to be paid to Napier Field. The car was never in any impound lot in Napier Field but at the wrecker service in Ozark. The wrecker service charged $ 350.00 for towing the vehicle.
Napier Field Officer set.a $ 2,500.00 cash only bond for the defendant. By law a municipality can not charge over a $ 1,000.00 bond. So the bond set by Napier Field Officer Sanders was an illegal bond amount. At first appearance the Judge lowered the bond to a $ 500.00 cash bond.
It cost the defendant $ 1,300.00 cash to get out of jail.
Napier Field is writing traffic tickets in the City of Grimes and the City of Dothan,making them returnable tot he Napier Field Municipal Court, for cases that have not occurred in the City of Napier Field. They are doing cash register justice attempting to make the salaries of the law enforcement officers, apparently.
The City of Napier Field is not allowed to write speeding citations by running radar outside the corporate city limits of Napier Field. So the officers list “by exceeding reasonable and prudent speed”. Then list the radar speed under the reasonable and prudent speed. With fines like $ 265.00.
Grimes, a larger municipality than Napier Field, contracted once with Napier Field for law enforcement work. That contract was cancelled and a contract was made with Midland City. A recent wreck Napier Field Police Officer Sanders was screaming at the Grimes Mayor and making threats against her when she informed him that he had no jurisdiction.
MUNICIPALITIES CAN ARREST OUTSIDE THEIR CITY LIMITS.
A Municipal Law Enforcement Officer can make a traffic stop and an arrest outside their corporate city limits. In other words, Columbia Police can make a traffic stop and an arrest in Troy. However the case can not be placed in Columbia Municipal Court, but would have to be in Troy Municipal Court or Pike County District Court.
But no one has been able to make Napier Field understand that.
If you have received a ticket in Napier Field, and have questions, TEXT RICKEY 334-790-1729 and I will hook you up with a lawyer. This is only cash register justice and in my opinion the same as someone robbing a bank. They are just doing it under the color of law.
Not one time today did the Judge asked anyone pleading guilty where the offense took place. And in my opinion if she is accepting guilty pleas for the money to go to Napier Field, in my opinion she is stealing with threats of warrants, driver license suspension and jail. That is, in my opinion, illegal extortion and someone in Dale County needs to put. Stop to this illegal activity.
