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Committee approves substitute giving judges discretion to continue cases for active-duty service members
Summary
The Judiciary committee adopted a substitute and reported favorably on HB 60, which allows continuances in civil and criminal cases for active-duty military members (attorneys, witnesses and police officers); the substitute incorporates language from district attorneys and trial-lawyer groups and exempts capital and certain serious charges from bail-continuance rules.
Representative (speaker 14) presented HB 60 and explained the substitute bill incorporates input from the district attorneys association and the Alabama Association for Justice. The measure would allow continuances in both civil and criminal cases when a key participant is an active-duty military member, including defense attorneys, material witnesses and police officers; judges keep discretion and certain case categories (capital offenses and offenses under Anaya's law) were excluded from bail-relief provisions.
Members asked about whether the bill should explicitly include attorneys who are serving in the legislature; the sponsor agreed to consider that language before the floor. The committee moved to adopt the substitute and voted to give HB 60 a favorable report.
