Assessment and disposition of costs in criminal cases; costs in juvenile matters for specified courts
La. R.S. 13:1899
in effect13:1899. Assessment and disposition of costs in criminal cases; costs in juvenile matters for specified courts
A. Except as otherwise provided by law, in all criminal matters, including traffic violation cases, in addition to the fine or other penalty which may be legally imposed against every defendant who is convicted after trial or after a plea of guilty or who forfeits his bond, the judge may assess costs of court in an amount not to exceed thirty dollars.
B.(1) Except as otherwise provided by law, the proceeds derived from these costs shall be deposited in a special account which shall be subject to audit and used for the operational expenses of the court or for the payment of clerical fees or other similar expenditures as may be approved by the judge.
(2) In lieu of the requirement to use the costs assessed in criminal matters for the operational expenses of the court pursuant to Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, all fines, fees, including probation fees, or costs of court assessed and collected by the City Court of Alexandria pursuant to Subsection A of this Section shall be deposited in the general fund of the city of Alexandria.
C. In all criminal matters, when the office of the marshal has derived one hundred thousand dollars or more in revenues for the year 2004 from costs assessed pursuant to this Subsection, the city judge shall assess, in addition to the costs assessed in Subsection A of this Section, the sum of fifteen dollars as additional costs of court. In all criminal matters, when the office of the marshal has derived less than one hundred thousand dollars in revenues for the year 2004 from costs assessed pursuant to this Subsection, the city judge shall assess, in addition to the costs assessed in Subsection A of this Section, the sum of thirty dollars as additional costs of court. The proceeds shall be deposited in a special account, separate and distinct from the account provided for in Subsection B of this Section, which account shall be in the name of and under the control of the marshal or constable of the court, shall be subject to audit, and shall be used to defray operational expenses of the office of marshal or constable of the court, all as may be useful and necessary for the proper conduct of the marshal's or constable's office, or for purchase of law enforcement equipment, and all as may be proved by the marshal or constable. The city judges of any and all parishes and the mayor's court in the town of Many in Sabine Parish shall be authorized to assess such sum in accordance with this Section. Assessments in particular courts are governed by the following:
(1) The additional costs provided for in this Subsection shall not exceed thirty dollars in the City Court of Houma.
(2) The additional costs provided for in this Subsection shall not exceed thirty dollars in the City Court of Ruston.
(3) The additional costs provided for in this Subsection shall not exceed thirty dollars in the City Court of Minden.
(4) The additional costs provided for in this Subsection shall not exceed thirty dollars in the City Court of Springhill.
(5) The additional costs provided for in this Subsection shall not exceed thirty dollars in the City Court of Hammond.
(6) The additional costs provided for in this Subsection shall not exceed thirty dollars in the City Court of Bastrop.
(7) The additional costs provided for in this Subsection shall not exceed thirty dollars in the City Court of West Monroe.
(8)(a) The additional costs provided for in this Subsection shall not exceed thirty dollars in the City Court of Monroe.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Subsection, the additional costs collected in the City Court of Monroe shall be allocated as follows:
(i)(aa) For the 1995-1996 Fiscal Year, fifteen dollars to the city marshal's office to be used to defray operational expenses of the office.
(bb) For the 1996-1997 Fiscal Year, ten dollars to the city marshal's office to be used to defray operational expenses of the office.
(cc) For the 1997-1998 Fiscal Year and thereafter, twenty dollars to the city marshal's office to be used to defray operational expenses of the office.
(ii)(aa) For the 1995-1996 Fiscal Year, five dollars to the police department of the city of Monroe to be used to help defray expenses for equipment and maintenance for the city of Monroe jail.
(bb) For the 1996-1997 Fiscal Year and thereafter, ten dollars to the police department of the city of Monroe to be used to help defray expenses for equipment and maintenance for the city of Monroe jail.
(9) The additional costs provided for in this Subsection shall not exceed thirty dollars in the City Court of Denham Springs.
(10) The additional costs provided for in this Subsection shall not exceed thirty dollars in the City Court of Alexandria and shall also be assessed in traffic violation cases.
(11) The additional costs provided for in this Subsection shall not exceed thirty dollars in the City Court of Lafayette.
D. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the Lincoln Parish police jury may by resolution assume sole responsibility for payment, in all cases thereafter occurring in the parish, of autopsy costs as provided in R.S. 33:5713, and thereafter in all criminal cases in the parish of Lincoln entailing the performance of an autopsy, the city or district judge may assess the costs of autopsy, disinterment, and reinterment, if any, in addition to the fine, penalty, or other costs which may be legally imposed against the defendant. The funds derived from such assessment shall be paid into the treasury of the parish or municipality in which the court is situated and deposited in a special account. The police jury or municipal governing body may expend these funds to defray the costs of coroner's investigations and autopsies as provided in R.S. 33:1563.
E. In all criminal matters, including traffic violations, in addition to the costs otherwise provided by this Section or any other law, and in addition to the fine or other penalty which may be legally imposed against every defendant who is convicted after trial or after a plea of guilty or who forfeits his bond, the judge of the City Court of Winnsboro may assess a sum not to exceed five dollars as additional costs of court, the proceeds from which shall be used to defray operational expenses of the City Court of Winnsboro, as may be approved by said judge.
F. The City Court of Houma is hereby authorized to hire a court reporter for civil and criminal cases. Compensation for the court reporter shall be paid from the costs collected in criminal matters.
G. Instead of the fee provided for in Subsection C of this Section, in all criminal matters in the city court of Morgan City, including traffic violation cases, the city judge shall assess, in addition to all other foregoing costs, the sum of twenty dollars as additional costs of court, the proceeds from which shall be deposited in a special account, separate and distinct from the account provided for in Subsection B, which account shall be in the name of and under the control of the marshal of the court, shall be subject to audit, and shall be used to defray operational expenses of the office of marshal of the court, all as may be useful and necessary for the proper conduct of the marshal's offices, for maintenance and improvement of jail facilities, or for purchase of law enforcement equipment, and all as may be approved by the marshal.
H. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of law and specifically notwithstanding any contrary provision of this Section, the City Court of Bossier City may use the proceeds derived from the costs authorized in Subsection A and deposited in a special account subject to audit in either or both of the following ways:
(1) The proceeds may be used for operational expenses of the court, for the payment of clerical fees, for the payment of salary supplements for personnel other than the judge or city marshal, or other similar expenditures as may be approved by the judge, pursuant to Subsection B.
(2) The proceeds may be used for capital expenditures for the offices of the City Court of Bossier City, such expenditures to include but not be limited to furniture, filing cabinets, furnishings, and similar items as may be approved by the judge.
I.(1) In all criminal matters, including traffic violations, in addition to any costs authorized by this Section or any other provision, the City Court of Ville Platte may assess a witness fee not to exceed nine dollars per witness as additional costs of court, the proceeds from which shall be used to defray the costs of processing subpoenas in criminal proceedings.
(2) In all criminal matters in the City Court of Ville Platte, including traffic violations, when the court suspends the imposition or execution of a sentence and places the defendant on supervised probation, the city judge may assess, in addition to any costs authorized by this Section or any other provision, and in addition to the fine or other penalty which may be legally imposed, a supervision fee not to exceed twenty-five dollars per month as additional costs of court, the proceeds from which shall be used to defray the costs of supervision.
J. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, any fees received by the City Court of East St. Tammany pursuant to Code of Criminal Procedure Article 895.1(C) in excess of the amount needed to defray the costs of supervision in criminal, traffic, and juvenile cases may be used for the operational expenses of the city court.
K. If the additional costs that the city court judge is required to assess in all criminal matters pursuant to any of the provisions of Subsection C of this Section are to be used by a municipal police department to defray expenses for equipment and maintenance for a city jail, in the event of closure of the jail, all of the additional costs required to be assessed, not to exceed ten dollars, shall be used by the police department to defray expenses for housing and maintenance of prisoners and detainees of the municipality.
Acts 1993, No. 643, §1, eff. June 15, 1993; Acts 1995, No. 125, §1; Acts 1995, No. 611, §1; Acts 1996, 1 st Ex. Sess., No. 17, §1; Acts 1997, No. 324, §1; Acts 1997, No. 326, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1073, §1; Acts 1999, No. 614, §§1, 2; Acts 1999, No. 740, §1; Acts 2001, No. 219, §1; Acts 2001, No. 993, §1, eff. June 27, 2001; Acts 2002, 1 st Ex. Sess., No. 158, §1; Acts 2005, No. 269, §1; Acts 2009, No. 88, §1; Acts 2014, No. 730, §1; Acts 2020, No. 205, §1, eff. June 11, 2020; Acts 2023, No. 121, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2024; Acts 2023, No. 121, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 2026; Acts 2025, No. 74, §2.
NOTE: See Acts 2009, No. 88, §2, and the La. Register, 8/20/09, Vol. 35, No. 08, pg. 1828. The Judicial Council did not approve the cost provided for in Subsection L, as enacted by that Act.
Source: Louisiana State Legislature (legis.la.gov)URL: https://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=77029Fetched: 10/20/2026