Are Lauderdale Tax Dollars Going Out of State?/Were You Arrested?

Lauderdale County is not unique in the state, but it is one of only three counties that border two other states. Many attorneys who practice in Lauderdale also hold licenses in Tennessee and Mississippi; that’s just good business. Do any bordering counties in Tennessee or Mississippi utilize the services of Alabama attorneys in their court systems? We’re guessing the answer is no.

So does Lauderdale retain any attorneys who live in Tennessee to work for the county court system? We’ve been contacted by a few who believe this to be true.

No matter how much money such attorneys spend in Lauderdale, they still pay income and property tax out of state. Why would the Lauderdale County court system even consider such a thing when there are many, many reputable attorneys who both work and live in this county?

Expect an update later…

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If you’ve read our blog for any length of time, you know that we love to learn new things. Sometimes it’s not something new that we learn, but the proper term. Everyone out there familiar with the term “non-custodial arrest?” We weren’t, but thanks to a legal eagle friend, we can now put the correct name to what happens each day across the entire country.

Yes, if you’re stopped and given a citation (our attorney friend demands that we say citation and not ticket), you have been arrested. When you sign the citation, you are released on your own recognizance. Think back to those employment applications which ask: Have you ever been arrested for anything other than a minor traffic violation?

While we were discussing this with our friend, we decided to pick his brain further. Just why do certain counties physically arrest someone for driving with a revoked license, while others don’t. Our authority couldn’t promise us a totally comprehensive answer, but said it may depend on the size of the county. In other words, Franklin County deputies will haul your backside to jail, while those in Jefferson County don’t have time to waste on such “small potatoes.”

If a person arrested for driving with a revoked license and speeding 85 mph in a construction zone with workers present is already out on bond on drug trafficking charges, is that a violation worthy of rescinding bail? Again, our source says it may depend on the judge. He then inquired if the county where bond was made even knew about the Jefferson County arrests? Good question…

(Thanks again to our legal friend. We didn't find his answers pathetic at all.)