(The Center Square) – A Wisconsin bill would allow municipal courts to increase court fees from $38 to $48.
The allowable fees haven’t been increased since 2013 and Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah, said the fee increase is crucial to ensure that offenders are paying for municipal courts, not taxpayers.
“Many municipal courts are finding it increasingly difficult to fund their courts with the existing fee structure,” Kaufert told the Assembly Committee on Local Government on Wednesday.
The municipal court process costs less than hearing minor cases in circuit court and the courts do not receive state money.
“Most small municipalities lose money on their municipal court,” said Maria Davis, General Counsel for the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.
Kaufert acknowledged that state lawmakers do not generally like to see fees that automatically rise with inflation, such as gas tax indexing, but that the fee structure needs to be adjusted occasionally due to inflationary costs.
“I believe it is good to review these things every once in awhile,” Kaufert said. “The Legislature is hesitant many times to just allow for government to grow.”
The fees are only assessed when a defendant is found guilty, not in all cases. For those without the means to pay, courts can offer alternatives such as community service, payment plans or fee deferment.
