SECURITY ASSESSMENTS IMPLEMENTED
Several courts have begun assessing special fees to help fund vital court security needs. The fees, which were authorized by recently enacted legislation (Senate Substitute No. 1 for Senate Bill 75), will be used for such critical needs as additional security personnel, security cameras, and access card readers in accordance with a needs plan developed jointly by the courts. Although the legislation permitted a fee of up to $10 to be assessed, each court tailored the amount of the fee it would actually assess to its unique circumstances.
The fees enacted, by court, are as follows:
| Supreme Court |
$10 fee is assessed for all civil and criminal appeals |
| Court of Chancery: |
$10 fee is assessed for all filings of any initial complaint petition, counterclaim, third party complaint, amended complaint, or other action |
| Superior Court: |
$10 fee is assessed on all initial civil filings for which the filing fee is currently $175 and on all criminal and traffic charges for which there is a conviction |
| Court of Common Pleas: |
$3 fee is assessed on each initial civil filing and on all criminal and traffic charges for which there is a conviction |
| Family Court: |
$10 fee is assessed on all initial civil filings and criminal filings for which there is a conviction |
| Justice of the Peace Court: |
The fees are as follows: |
| |
Landlord-Tenant Claims
involving possession |
$10 |
| |
$10
Distress for Rent Claims |
$10 |
| |
Debt claims (including Landlord-
Tenant claims seeking only money
Damages) or Trespass claims where the
amount in controversy exceeds $5,000 |
$10 |
| |
Debt claims (including Landlord-
Tenant claims seeking only money
Damages) or Trespass claims where the
amount in controversy equals or is
between $1,000-5,000 |
$5 |
| |
Replevin Claims |
$5 |
| |
Garagemen Lien Claims |
$7 |
| |
Abandoned Property Claims |
$10 |
| |
Traffic or criminal charges for which
there is a conviction or a finding or an
admission of responsibility for an
infraction for which a civil penalty
may be assessed |
$10 |
|
|
