This section creates a judicial expense fund, requires clerks to collect certain court costs, and lets district judges control and spend the fund for court-related purposes, with limits and an annual audit requirement.
§996.37. Judicial expense fund for Sixteenth Judicial District A. In addition to all other fees or costs now or hereafter provided by law, each clerk of court in the Sixteenth 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 thirty-five dollars, subject, however, to the provisions of Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 5181 et seq. In all criminal cases over which the Sixteenth Judicial District Court has jurisdiction, there shall be taxed as costs against every defendant who is convicted after trial or after he pleads guilty or who forfeits his bond a sum likewise determined, but which shall not exceed twenty-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 in accordance herewith. 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 Sixteenth Judicial District Court. The judges, en banc, of the Sixteenth 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, of the Sixteenth Judicial District Court 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, en banc, may further appoint such 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, 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 Sixteenth Judicial District to any of the judges of the Sixteenth Judicial District, except as may be paid for administering the said fund and then only after prior legislative approval. Acts 1984, No. 52, §1; Acts 2015, No. 17, §1.