Legal Research

The Florida court system got a write-up in today's New York Times The courts have adopted a forceful policy to collect unpaid court costs and fines.  And by forceful, they mean jail time for failing to pay.  Florida courts are required to substantially cover their own operating costs, using the fees that the clerks collect.  In a related development, the Florida legislature tossed $80 million in court user fees into the general revenue fund in 2008 in an attempt to balance the state budget.  Two Tallahassee lawyers have filed suit in the Florida Supreme Court to stop the practice, which they claim amounts to an unconstitutional tax.  See the story in The Florida Bar News.