President's Page, 0513 ALBJ, 74 The Alabama Lawyer 156 (2013)
| Author | Phillip W. McCallum |
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\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0The Future of the Unified Judicial System: Unified but Uniform?
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0Do you know how or where the money collected as court costs or filing fees is being distributed across Alabama? Did you know that many of the fees that have been added or increased over the years are actually designated for a state or local purpose that has nothing to do with court administration?
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0The Alabama Unified Judicial System (UJS) collected approximately $160 million a year through the clerks’ offices over the last four fiscal years. The UJS serves as the largest collection agency in the state, yet only about half of the money collected as costs and fees is allocated to the administration of our courts. This inequitable appropriation of funds to the court system places the continued operation of the UJS in jeopardy.
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0With the help of the Administrative Office of Courts, the Alabama State Bar recently completed a study that, for the first time, presents a county-by-county snapshot of all state and local court costs. These charts show the amounts collected for filings in every county and include local fees as well. Every fee is itemized and its distribution shown. Accessing the study is easy, and we invite everyone to take a look at www.ala court.gov/distributioncharts.aspx. An interactive statewide map is also available so that you can quickly click on the county of interest to see the court costs in that county and where the money is going. A four-year comparative report of statewide filings and dispositions by type of case has been posted along with the statewide collections. This study is the result of an unprecedented collaboration between the ASB and the AOC. Special thanks go to Kristi Skipper (ASB Service Programs Administrative Assistant), Brenda Ganey (former AOC Trial Courts Facilitator and current court specialist in Baldwin County), alumni of the ASB Leadership Forum and several Jones School of Law interns working at the AOC.
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0AUTAUGA COUNTY FEE DISTRIBUTION CHART
\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0\xA0Title 12, Chapter 19, Article 2, Code of Alabama 1975, generally governs the amount and manner of distribution of docket fees which shall be assessed and collected in district and circuit courts throughout the state The docket fees are uniform throughout the state, except in those counties where additional court costs are authorized by local act This chart outlines the docket fees and other fees and monies authorized by the statute to be collected. The distribution of the fees as required by the statute is set forth beside each fee.
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Type Case and Fee Amount
State General Fund
Slate JUD. DPS HB808
DNA
Adv Tech & Data Fund
County General Fund
Library Fees
JU Court
Jail Fund
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