(a) It shall be the duty of the municipal clerk to preserve the records of the municipal court of record in accordance with a record retention schedule adopted by the city council and maintained on file in the city secretary’s office.
(b) Municipal court of record dockets, minutes, warrants, complaints, bond copies, motions, and citations may be reduced to a microphotograph, microfilm, or other process by which the original records may be accurately copied, reproduced, or originated on film, if the following conditions are met:
(1) The municipal clerk, or his designated representative, must check and certify that each microfilm record is a true and correct duplication of the original court record.
(2) An index to all microfilm records must be prepared and maintained.
(3) The public must have free access to any information, to which they are entitled under law, that is contained in the microfilm records.
(c) A microfilm record made in compliance with Subsection (b) is an original record and will be accepted by any court or administrative agency of the state. When issued and certified by the municipal clerk, a copy of the microfilm record on paper or film will be accepted as a certified copy of an original record by any court or administrative agency of the state.
(d) Unless otherwise required by state or federal law, an original record of the municipal court of record that is microfilmed in compliance with Subsection (b) may be destroyed after the microfilm record has been checked and certified as being a true and correct duplication of the original court record in accordance with Subsection (b)(1); except, that any original court record, the subject matter of which is in litigation, may not be destroyed until the litigation is final.
(e) Unless otherwise required by state or federal law, a microfilm record made in compliance with Subsection (b) may be destroyed in accordance with the record retention schedule adopted for the municipal court of record and maintained on file in the city secretary’s office. (Code 1941, Art. 28-5; Ord. Nos. 8215; 19181; 19802)