ENROLLED
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 87
BY REPRESENTATIVE MAGEE
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court of Louisiana to provide a
recommendation for a statewide schedule of local criminal fees to the Legislature
of Louisiana prior to the 2023 Regular Session of the Legislature.
WHEREAS, the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court of Louisiana (Judicial
Council) was established in 1950, and through its standing and ad hoc committees, serves
as the research arm for the supreme court; and
WHEREAS, the Judicial Council is chaired by the chief justice of the Louisiana
Supreme Court and composed of members representing the judiciary, the Louisiana State
Bar Association, the Louisiana State Law Institute, the Legislature, the Louisiana District
Attorneys Association, the Public Defender Board, the Louisiana Clerks of Court
Association, and the citizens of Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, the authority of the Judicial Council to review court costs and fees is
provided by R.S. 13:62, which was enacted during the 2003 Regular Legislative Session and
amended by Act No. 245 of the 2011 Regular Legislative Session and Act No. 553 of the
2018 Regular Legislative Session; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to R.S. 13:62, no law to provide for a new court cost or fee or
to increase an existing court cost or fee shall be enacted unless first submitted to the Judicial
Council for review and recommendation to the legislature as to whether the court cost or fee
is reasonably related to the operation of the courts or court system; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Legislature gives great weight to the unanimity of the
local stakeholders in setting the jurisdictional amounts; and
WHEREAS, with the current economic climate, city courts and district courts with
higher jurisdictional amounts create a financial burden on indigent defendants; and
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WHEREAS, the financial burden on indigent defendants outweighs the benefit to the
operation of the court systems.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge the Judicial Council, in cooperation with the legislature, to develop and recommend a
statewide schedule of criminal fees related to the operational needs of the courts and to
report its findings and recommendations prior to the 2023 Regular Session of the
Legislature.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
judicial administrator of the Supreme Court of Louisiana for distribution to members of the
Judicial Council.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court of
Louisiana shall submit one print copy and one electronic copy of any report produced
pursuant to this Resolution to the David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library as required
by R.S. 24:772.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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