City of Lawrence
Legal Services Department
MEMORANDUM
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TO: |
Mike Wildgen, City Manager
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FROM: |
David L. Corliss, Asst. City Manager & Director of Legal Services |
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DATE: |
July 15, 2004
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CC: |
Vicki Stanwix, Municipal Court Manager
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RE: |
Ord. 7805 - Court Costs |
Attached for consideration by the City Commission is Ordinance No. 7805. The ordinance provides for an increase in the fees assessed for court costs by the Lawrence Municipal Court. The proposed ordinance will increase total court costs (City court costs at $32.50 and State costs of $9.50) to $42.00 and will become effective September 1, 2004. (The current City courts costs are $22.50 with State costs of $9.50 for a total of $32.00). The proposed rate will place Lawrence at a median level of the below communities surveyed. Court costs vary among those surveyed, often depending on the charge. The average when taking the lowest rates charged was $39.25. The average cost when using the highest rates charged was $56.65. Three cities - Overland Park, Olathe and Lenexa, use fines instead of court costs to provide for the operation costs of their municipal court. Of the $42.00, $9.50 are costs imposed by the State of Kansas and go directly to the state, the City would retain $32.50.
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Big 12 and Surrounding Cities |
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City |
Court Costs |
Notes |
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Topeka |
$52.00 |
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Overland Park |
$14.00 |
these 3 cities raise fines instead of court costs |
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Olathe |
$9.50 |
to generate revenue. Overland Park's traffic fines are $90. |
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Lenexa |
$17.00 |
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Wichita |
If no court - 40.00 |
If court - 50.00 |
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Kansas City, KS |
If no court - 39.50 |
If court - 49.50 |
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Salina |
traffic - 40.00 |
criminal - 60.00 |
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Great Bend |
$40.00 |
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OSU/Stillwater |
25.00 - 55.00 |
depends on the charge |
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Univ. OK/Norman |
$40.00 |
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Baylor/Waco |
47.00 - 152.00 |
depends on the charge |
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KSU/Manhattan |
traffic - 59.00 |
jailable offenses - 116.00 |
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Univ. CO/Boulder |
$25.00 |
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Texas Tech/Lubbock |
$87.00 |
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Texas A&M/College Station |
traffic - 85.00 |
non-traffic 52.00 |
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Univ. TX/Austin |
$85.00 |
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Univ. NE/Lancaster(Mun-ct) |
$41.50 |
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Iowa State/Ames |
17.00 - 100.00 |
depends on the charge |
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Univ. MO/Columbia |
$22.50 |
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KU/Lawrence |
$32.00 |
proposed to increase to $42.00 |
If Lawrence municipal court costs are increased to $32.50 (or a total of $42.00 including State costs) effective September 1, the change in costs assessed will add an estimated $32,410 in revenue for 2004. The increase in revenue will allow the Municipal Court to update their case management software [planned program improvement in 2005 City Manager's recommended budget] to a system that will be more compatible with the K.B.I. and other state and local law enforcement agencies. A new system will also allow for increased staff productivity through the electronic importation of data from parking control officers. A fully automated case management system for the Lawrence municipal court will allow the electronic exchange of information between courts, law enforcement and state reporting agencies, and provide the technology needed to integrate the automatic upload of traffic citations through the use of handheld ticket writers.
Legal staff recommends the adoption of Ordinance No. 7805 with an effective date of September 1, 2004.