He said that the good news is that the court system also produces revenues. He advised that courts do not keep the money it collects through fines or fees and that one-third goes to various city funds, the general fund, the county general fund, or to the state. He referred to a chart in the handout that shows the level of percentage of total amount of monies generated by the various levels of court. Mr. Byers said that in 1988 the court system advised this Legislative body that it was of the belief the courts could improve the state courts' collection system. He said the reality is that most court orders have money attached to them in the form of a fine, restitution or child support.
Money comes in if a court order is enforced.
He explained that these increases have been returned to the cities, counties, and the state general fund. He added that the court system has doubled its collection of restitution and the money collected has been returned to victims. Mr. Byers addressed a couple of issues that will affect the Court that the Committee will be dealing with this Session. He advised that out of 86 million cases in the country, this state alone handles over 2 million new cases annually. He opined that the court system can no longer operate this without the system being automated.