§996.66. Judicial Expense Fund for Twenty-Fifth Judicial District

            A. In addition to all other fees or costs provided by law, the clerk of court of the Twenty-Fifth 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 to the provisions of Code of Civil Procedure Article 5181 et seq. In all criminal cases over which the Twenty-Fifth 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 thirty-five dollars, which shall be in addition to all other fines, costs, or forfeitures lawfully imposed.

            B. The clerk of court, sheriff, or any other agency or office authorized to collect such costs 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-Fifth 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, of the Twenty-Fifth Judicial District Court, in addition to salaries otherwise provided, authorized, or established by law, may 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 expend the monies in the judicial expense fund to pay all or any part of the cost of establishing and maintaining a law library for the court or for buying and 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 the judges, en banc, may use the judicial expense fund 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 such purpose.

            D. No salary shall be paid from the judicial expense fund for the Twenty-Fifth Judicial District to any judge, except as may be paid for administering the fund and then only after prior legislative approval.

            Acts 2009, No. 269, §1; Acts 2017, No. 133, §1.

NOTE: See Acts 2009, No. 269, §2, and the La. Register, 8/20/09, Vol. 35, No. 08, pg. 1828. The Judicial Council approved the cost provided for in this Section.