(a) This section shall be known and cited as the DeKalb County Preservation of Justice Act.
(b) The Legislature finds and declares the following:
(1) The financial restraints exiting in the State General Fund budget have resulted in a shortfall to the Unified Judicial System that has caused the layoff of many judicial employees. In DeKalb County, the circuit clerk's office has lost three employees. Two employees in the circuit judge's office and one in the district judge's office scheduled for layoff have been temporarily retained with alternate funding other than funds appropriated to the Unified Judicial System; however, this alternate funding cannot be relied upon in the future. Revenue from the enactment of this section will restore at least one employee already lost in the circuit clerk's office and permit the retention of at least one of the two employees now facing layoff in the circuit judge's office and one employee now facing layoff in the district judge's office.
(2) The DeKalb County Preservation of Justice Act addresses this problem by raising court costs.
(c) In addition to any court costs and fees authorized in the district and circuit courts of DeKalb County, there shall be assessed and collected an additional thirty dollars ($30) per case in all cases of whatever nature, to be collected as other court costs are collected. All of the funds collected under this subsection shall be transmitted to the Judicial Administration Fund to be maintained in the office of the DeKalb County Commission.
(d) The management of the Judicial Administration Fund is vested in the presiding circuit judge for the county and the presiding judge shall administer the fund and direct the expenditures therefrom.
(e) Funds available to the Judicial Administration Fund shall be expended to provide for staffing as the presiding circuit judge determines is needed in the judicial system of DeKalb County for the administration of the system in a timely and efficient manner.
(f) Upon request of the presiding circuit judge, the DeKalb County Commission may enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Administrative Office of Courts for the payment of funds from the Judicial Administration Fund to the Administrative Office of Courts for the purpose of providing the staffing needs of the judicial system of DeKalb County.
(g) If the Administrative Office of Courts fails or refuses to enter into or withdraws from a memorandum of understanding to receive funds from the Judicial Administration Fund, or if the presiding circuit judge determines that staffing needs should be otherwise provided, then proceeds of the Judicial Administration Fund shall be expended for the staffing needs as deemed appropriate by the presiding circuit judge.
(h) In the event that the Administrative Office of Courts resumes the funding of staffing positions in the judicial system of DeKalb County in a manner that the presiding circuit judge determines to be adequate for the timely and efficient administration of the system, then the presiding circuit judge shall certify same to the DeKalb County Commission. In the event the presiding circuit judge makes that certification, the court costs authorized by this section shall no longer be collected effective on the first day of the month immediately following the certification.
(i) In the event of the cessation of the collection of the court costs authorized by this section as provided in subsection (h), any surplus monies remaining in the Judicial Administration Fund that have not been obligated shall be deposited into the General Fund of DeKalb County and appropriated by the DeKalb County Commission.
Last modified: May 3, 2021