The clerk must collect a court-cost fund from certain civil filers and criminal defendants, and the clerk and sheriff must place the money in a separate judicial expense fund.
§996.16. Judicial expense fund for First Judicial District established A. In addition to all other fees or costs, now or hereafter provided by law, the clerk of court of the First 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 First 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; shall be in addition to all other fines, costs, or forfeitures lawfully imposed; and which shall be transmitted to the said clerk 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 First Judicial District Court. The judges, en banc, of the First 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. Added by Acts 1981, No. 150, §1.