HLS 22RS-1894 ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 87
BY REPRESENTATIVE MAGEE
COURTS/COURT COSTS: Requests the courts to develop and implement a unified court
cost system
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court of Louisiana to provide a
3 recommendation for a statewide schedule of local criminal fees to the Legislature
4 of Louisiana prior to the 2023 Regular Session of the Legislature.
5 WHEREAS, the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court of Louisiana (Judicial
6Council) was established in 1950, and through its standing and ad hoc committees, serves
7as the research arm for the supreme court; and
8 WHEREAS, the Judicial Council is chaired by the chief justice of the Louisiana
9Supreme Court and composed of members representing the judiciary, the Louisiana State
10Bar Association, the Louisiana State Law Institute, the Legislature, the Louisiana District
11Attorneys Association, the Public Defender Board, the Louisiana Clerks of Court
12Association, and the citizens of Louisiana; and
13 WHEREAS, the authority of the Judicial Council to review court costs and fees is
14provided by R.S. 13:62, which was enacted during the 2003 Regular Legislative Session and
15amended by Act No. 245 of the 2011 Regular Legislative Session; and
16 WHEREAS, pursuant to R.S. 13:62, no law to provide for a new court cost or fee or
17to increase an existing court cost or fee shall be enacted unless first submitted to the Judicial
18Council for review and recommendation to the legislature as to whether the court cost or fee
19is reasonably related to the operation of the courts or court system; and
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HCR NO. 87
1 WHEREAS, this is considered a local issue and the court costs or fees of courts of
2limited or general jurisdiction are determined by agreement between city court judges and
3district court judges; and
4 WHEREAS, the Louisiana Legislature gives great weight to the unanimity of the
5local judges in setting the jurisdictional amounts; and
6 WHEREAS, with the current economic climate, city courts and district courts with
7higher jurisdictional amounts create a financial burden on indigent defenders; and
8 WHEREAS, the financial burden on indigent defenders outweighs the benefit to the
9operation of the court systems.
10 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
11urge the Judicial Council, in cooperation with the legislature, to develop and recommend a
12statewide schedule of local criminal fees related to the operational needs of the court systems
13and to report its findings and recommendations prior to the 2023 Regular Session of the
14Legislature.
15 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
16to the judicial administrator of the Supreme Court of Louisiana for distribution to members
17of the Judicial Council.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court of
19Louisiana shall submit one print copy and one electronic copy of any report produced
20pursuant to this Resolution to the David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library as required
21by R.S. 24:772.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 87 Original 2022 Regular Session Magee
Requests that the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court of Louisiana develop and
recommend a statewide schedule of local criminal costs and fees related to the operational
needs of the court systems.
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