§2080.1. Miscellaneous city courts; fees; surplus in civil fee account

A. The city court of Lake Charles may impose an additional five-dollar fee as court costs in civil and criminal cases. The costs collected pursuant to this Subsection shall be deposited in the general fund for the city and shall be used for capital improvements for the building housing the city court.

B. Each of the marshals of the City Court of Opelousas, the City Court of Ruston, the City Court of Slidell, and the City Court of Sulphur, may collect a fee of ten dollars for the taking of an appearance bond when required to do so. The city court in such municipality may also impose an additional five-dollar fee as court costs in civil and criminal matters. The sums collected for the taking of an appearance bond, and any additional court costs as provided in this Subsection, shall be deposited in such marshal's general fund to supplement the operational expenses of the marshal's office and the expenditure of such funds shall be subject to and included in the marshal's annual audit. A copy of the audit shall be filed with the legislative auditor who shall make it available for public inspection.

C. When a surplus of filing fees and costs or unclaimed fees and costs has accumulated in the civil fee account of the City Court of Plaquemine, and the surplus or unclaimed fees and costs have remained unclaimed for a period of five years or more, the judge of the court may transfer the amount of the surplus or the amount of the unclaimed fees and costs that remain unclaimed to the operating fund known as the judicial expense account of the court, after notice to the depositors by publication in the legal journal of the parish or by other reasonable means to the operating fund known as the judicial expense account of the court. The provisions of this Subsection shall not affect any claim or right granted to a claimant by the provisions of the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, R.S. 9:151 et seq. After transfer of the surplus funds from the civil fee account to the judicial expense account of the court, the city court shall remain liable for the full amount of any viable claim for unclaimed property in accordance with any other provision of law.

Acts 1997, No. 847, §1; Acts 2004, No. 471, §1; Acts 2010, No. 167, §1, eff. June 9, 2010; Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 38, §1.