Sec. 22.2031. APPELLATE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. (a) The commissioners court of each county in the Second Court of Appeals District by order entered in its minutes shall establish an appellate judicial system to:
(1) assist the court of appeals for the county in the processing of appeals filed with the court of appeals from the county courts, statutory county courts, statutory probate courts, and district courts; and
(2) defray costs and expenses incurred in the operation of the court of appeals.
(b) To fund the system, the commissioners court shall set a court costs fee of $5 for each civil suit filed in county court, statutory county court, statutory probate court, or district court in the county.
(c) The court costs fee does not apply to a suit filed by any governmental entity or to a suit for delinquent taxes.
(d) The court costs fee shall be taxed, collected, and paid as other court costs in a suit. The clerk of the court shall collect the court costs fee set under this section and pay it to the county officer who performs the county treasurer's functions. That officer shall deposit the fee in a separate appellate judicial system fund for the court of appeals district. The fund may not be used for any other purpose.
(e) The funds collected under this section must be forwarded monthly to the court of appeals for expenditure by the court of appeals.
(f) The chief justice of the court of appeals is responsible for management of the funds forwarded to the court of appeals under this section and has sole discretion as to the use of the funds, except that the funds must be used for purposes consistent with the purposes of the appellate judicial system as described by Subsection (a).
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 93, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1991.
Amended by:
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 245 (H.B. 410), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2013.
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