§996.28. Judicial Expense Fund for Ninth Judicial District

A. In addition to all other fees or costs now or hereafter provided by law, the clerk of court of the Ninth Judicial District shall collect from every person filing any type of civil suit or proceeding, who is not otherwise exempted by law from the payment of court costs, a sum to be determined by the judges of said district, sitting en banc, which sum shall not exceed fifteen dollars, subject, however, to the provisions of Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 5181 et seq. In all criminal cases over which the Ninth Judicial District Court has jurisdiction, there shall be taxed as costs against every defendant who is convicted after trial or after plea of guilty or who forfeits his bond a sum likewise determined but which shall not exceed ten dollars and which shall be in addition to all other fines, costs, or forfeitures lawfully imposed. All sums so taxed and collected shall be transmitted to the clerk of court for further disposition in accordance herewith.

B. The clerk of court and the sheriff shall place all sums collected or received under this Section in a separate account, to be designated as the Judicial Expense Fund for the Ninth Judicial District Court. The judges, en banc, of the judicial district shall have control over the fund and all disbursements made therefrom. They shall cause to be conducted annually an audit of the fund and the books and accounts relating thereto and shall file the same with the office of the legislative auditor, where it shall be available for public inspection.

C. The judges, en banc, may, in addition to salaries otherwise provided, authorized, or established by law, fix and pay each of their court reporters a salary from the judicial expense fund. The judges, en banc, may appoint such secretarial, clerical, research, administrative, or other personnel as they deem necessary to expedite the business and functions of the court, and fix and pay all or any part of the salaries of such personnel out of the monies in the judicial expense fund. In like manner, the judges, en banc, may utilize the monies in the judicial expense fund to pay all or any part of the cost of establishing or maintaining a law library for the court, or for buying or maintaining any type of equipment, supplies, or other items consistent with or germane to the efficient operation of the court. In general, the judicial expense fund is established and may be used for any purpose or purposes connected with, incidental to, or related to the proper administration or function of the said court or the offices of the individual judges; and, is in addition to any and all other funds, salaries, expenses, or other monies that are now or hereafter provided, authorized, or established by law for any of the aforesaid purposes.

D. No salary shall be paid from the judicial expense fund for the judicial district to any of the judges except as may be paid for administering the said fund, and then only after prior legislative approval.

E. REPEALED BY ACTS 1995, NO. 339, §2.

Added by Acts 1982, No. 633, §1. Amended by Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 116, §2; Acts 1995, No. 339, §2; Acts 1999, No. 235, §1.