Court fees are being increased to help pay for repairs of the Jefferson County justice buildings.
Inside the dimly lit Hall of Justice, water falls from three stories up and puddles in a public waiting area. Nearby, an escalator sits motionless that has been inoperable for months.
Jefferson Circuit Court Clerk David Nicholson points to issues in the Hall of Justice, the neighboring Judicial Center, and the Old Jail Building as a $40 million problem.
Information given to the Louisville Metro Council reveals long-standing issues:
“Poor lighting to non-functioning escalators in the hall of justice.”
“Escalators have only worked intermittently over the past decade.”
“Elevators need modernizing to avoid outages, life, safety issues, and people being trapped inside.”
The common problem with fixing the 3 buildings is the cost. Five million dollars is the price just for elevators and escalators, and another $3.2 million is needed for a new roof.
As a first step in coming up with the money, the Louisville Metro Council approved hikes in court fees to be paid by people with cases before the circuit and district courts.
Fee hikes are expected to raise only $1.2 to $1.8 million a year, a portion of what is needed.
Increased fees make it more expensive to sue someone, be convicted of a crime, and serve warrants or summons.
It will cost an additional $25 for filing fees in civil cases and $10 more in fees for traffic offenses.
Source: WAVE
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