§ 36‐25A‐9 ‐‐ Enforcement
(a) Enforcement of this chapter may be sought by civil action brought in the county where the
governmental body's primary office is located by any media organization, any Alabama citizen, the
Attorney General, or the district attorney for the circuit in which the governmental body is located;
provided, however, that no member of a governmental body may serve as a plaintiff in an action
brought against another member of the same governmental body for an alleged violation of this
chapter. The complaint shall be verified, shall state specifically the applicable ground or grounds for
the complaint as set out in subdivisions (b)(1) through (4) of subsection (b), and shall name in their
official capacity all members of the governmental body remaining in attendance at the alleged
meeting held in violation of this chapter. Members of a governmental body who are named as a
defendant in a complaint under this chapter shall serve an initial response to the complaint within
seven business days of personal service of the complaint. A preliminary hearing on the complaint
filed shall be held no later than 10 business days after the date of the filing of the defendant or
defendants' initial response to the complaint or, if no response is filed, no later than 17 business days
after the filing of the complaint, or on the nearest day thereafter as the court shall fix, having regard
to the speediest possible determination of the cause consistent with the rights of the parties.
(b) In the preliminary hearing on the complaint, the plaintiff shall establish by a preponderance of
the evidence that a meeting of the governmental body occurred and that each defendant attended
the meeting. Additionally, to establish a prima facie case the plaintiff must present substantial
evidence of one or more of the following claims:
(1) That the defendants disregarded the requirements for proper notice of the meeting
pursuant to the applicable methods set forth in Section 36‐25A‐3.
(2) That the defendants disregarded the provisions of this chapter during a meeting, other
than during an executive session.
(3) That the defendants voted to go into executive session and while in executive session the
defendants discussed matters other than those subjects included in the motion to convene an
executive session as required by Section 36‐25A‐7(b).
(4) That, other than a claim under subdivisions (1) through (3), the defendants intentionally
violated other provisions of this chapter.
© If the court finds that the plaintiff has met its initial burden of proof as required in subsection (b)
at the preliminary hearing, the court shall establish a schedule for discovery and set the matter for a
hearing on the merits. If, at the preliminary hearing, the plaintiff has presented its prima facie case
that an executive session appears to have been improperly conducted as set out in subsection (b)(3),
the defendants shall bear the burden of proof at the hearing on the merits to prove by a
preponderance of the evidence that the discussions during the executive session were limited to
matters related to the subjects included in the motion to convene an executive session required in
Section 36‐25A‐7(a).
(d) During a proceeding involving claims brought under subsection (b)(3), the court shall conduct an
in camera proceeding or adopt another procedure as necessary to protect the confidentiality of the
matters discussed during the executive session, and if there is a determination that the executive
session was authorized by this chapter, the matters shall not be disclosed or utilized in any other
legal proceeding by any individual or attorney who attends the in camera portion of the proceedings.
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(e) Upon proof by a preponderance of the evidence of a defendant'[=]s violation of this chapter, the
circuit court shall issue an appropriate final order including, if appropriate, a declaratory judgment or
injunction. Prior to a final determination of the merits, temporary restraining orders or preliminary
injunctions may be issued upon proper motion and proof as provided and required in the Alabama
Rules of Civil Procedure. A final order on the merits shall be issued within 60 days after the
preliminary hearing unless a longer period is consented to by all parties and the court.
(f) The court may invalidate the action or actions taken during a meeting held in violation of this
chapter, provided that the complaint is filed within 21 days of the date when the action is made
public, the violation was not the result of mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect, and
invalidation of the governmental action taken would not unduly prejudice third parties who have
changed their position or taken action in good faith reliance upon the challenged action of the
governmental body; provided, further however, that any action taken at an open meeting conducted
in a manner consistent with this chapter shall not be invalidated because of a violation of this
chapter which occurred prior to such meeting.
(g) A final order issued against a defendant shall state specifically upon which claim or claims in
subdivisions (1) through (4) the ruling is based. For each meeting proven to be held in violation of
this chapter for one or more reasons, the court shall impose a civil penalty. The maximum penalty for
each meeting shall not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) or one half of the defendant’s monthly
salary for service on the governmental body, whichever is less. With regard to claims related to
improper discussions during executive sessions, monetary penalties may only be assessed against
defendant members of a governmental body who voted to go into an executive session and who
remained in the executive session during a discussion determined by the court not to have been
authorized by this chapter. Penalties imposed against a member of a governmental body found to
have acted in violation of this chapter shall not be paid by nor reimbursed to the member by the
governmental body he or she serves.
(h) A governmental body is authorized to pay for or provide for the legal expenses of present or
former members of the body named as defendants in a proceeding under this chapter.
§ 36‐25A‐10 – Limitation Period
An action under this chapter must be brought within 60 days of the date that the plaintiff knew or
should have known of the alleged act which brings rise to the cause of action; provided, however,
that any action under this chapter must be brought within two years of the alleged act which brings
rise to the cause of action.
From
http://www.acca-online.org/oml/OpenMeetingsLaw.pdf
/
Alabama Open Meeting Act/Sunshine Law
