§996.34. Judicial expense fund for Twenty-Seventh Judicial District; established; criminal case fees; sheriff's fees; disposition

A. In addition to all other fees or costs now or hereafter provided by law, the clerk of court of the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District shall collect from every person filing any type of civil suit or proceeding, and who is not otherwise exempted by law from the payment of court costs, a sum to be determined by the judges of the district sitting en banc, which sum shall not exceed fifteen dollars, subject to the provisions of Code of Civil Procedure Article 5181 et seq. In all criminal cases over which the Twenty-Seventh 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 determined by the judges of the district sitting en banc but which shall not exceed five dollars, which shall be in addition to all other fines, costs, or forfeitures lawfully imposed and which shall be transmitted to the clerk for further disposition.

B. The clerk of court shall place all sums collected or received under this Section in a separate account to be designated as the Judicial Expense Fund for the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court. The judges of the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District sitting en banc shall have control over the fund and all disbursements from the fund. They shall cause to be conducted an annual audit of the fund and the books and accounts relating to the fund and shall file the audit with the office of the legislative auditor where it shall be available for public inspection.

C. The judges of the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court sitting en banc may, in lieu of all or any part of the fees for reporting and transcribing testimony authorized under the provisions of R.S. 13:961(F), or other applicable laws, and 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 sitting en banc may further appoint any secretarial, clerical, research, administrative, or other personnel as they deem necessary to expedite the business and function 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 sitting en banc may utilize the monies in the judicial expense fund to pay all or any part of the cost of establishing and/or maintaining a law library for the court, for the renovation, improvement, or purchasing of existing structures or the construction of new structures to be used for any purposes incidental to, or related to the proper administration or function of the court or the office of the individual judges, or for buying and/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 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 Twenty-Seventh Judicial District to any of the judges of the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District except as may be paid for administering the fund and then only after prior legislative approval.

E.(1) In addition to all other fees or costs now or hereafter provided by law, the clerk of court of the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District shall collect a fee of fifteen dollars from every person who is convicted, after trial, by a guilty plea, or by forfeiture of bond, of a crime or traffic offense. Such fee shall be in addition to all other fines, costs, or forfeitures lawfully imposed.

(2) Notwithstanding any provision of this Section or the law to the contrary the fees required in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall be transmitted by the clerk to the parish governing authority of the parish of St. Landry for expenditure by it in meeting the costs of housing, feeding, and maintaining persons in the parish prison and for payment of jury and witness fees associated with criminal cases.

F. In addition to all other fees or costs now or hereafter provided by law, the sheriff of St. Landry Parish shall be entitled to a fee of ten dollars in all criminal cases against every defendant who is convicted after trial or after he pleads guilty or who forfeits his bond. This fee shall be remitted to the sheriff of St. Landry Parish to be used in defraying the expenses of his office and he may use all methods available under the law to enforce and collect same.

Added by Acts 1983, No. 352, §1. Acts 1986, No. 457, §2; Acts 1986, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 14, §1; Acts 1989, No. 535, §1; Acts 1992, No. 928, §1; Acts 1993, No. 707, §1, eff. June 21, 1993.