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Oklahoma County Judge Urges Executive Branch Agencies Share Fee Collection Costs

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An Oklahoma County special judge urged the House Appropriations and Budget Committee to require executive branch agencies that benefit from court fees to share the costs of collecting those fees. 

Oklahoma County Special Judge Don Easter told the committee courts pay a fee equal to 30 percent of the amount due when they have to be turned over to a collection agency, but executive branch entities that receive a portion of that money pay nothing.

A total of $155 million was collected in civil and criminal court fees statewide in FY2013, Easter said. Some $47.5 million of that money was dedicated to executive agencies, said Easter. Court fees are distributed to more than 80 different funds in some cases, Easter said, including funds managed by the District Attorneys Council, Department of Public Safety, Department of Health and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, among others.

Currently, Oklahoma County has an outstanding balance of over $100 criminal court costs since 2000, Easter said.

Easter said he believes the cost of collecting the money should be divided equally between the courts and the executive agencies.

Easter said the Oklahoma Tax Commission also intercepts tax refunds due those who owe past due court fees. Current law prevents it, but Easter said he would like to have access to the tax information of those who owe past due court fees. That, he said, would show him they are working and potentially able to pay their fees and other information which could help in collecting the past due balances.

Tim Rhoades, Oklahoma County Court Clerk, noted there is no statute of limitations for fees arising from criminal cases. That means some may be collected many years after they are originally assessed.

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