Commission tables court fee resolution

By By Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
A resolution aimed at collecting a supervision fee in juvenile court cases was tabled by the Morgan County Commission, pending further study, at a regular meeting Aug. 11.
Presiding District Judge Shelly Waters asked commissioners to pass a resolution requesting the Morgan County legislative delegation to sponsor a local law authorizing the Juvenile Court to impose in juvenile cases a supervision fee not to exceed $250.
The act would also set up a Juvenile Court Services Fund as a depository for fees collected. It would be used for the administration, implementation and maintenance of Juvenile Court programs, for the training and education of the Juvenile Court staff and to aid the functions of the Juvenile Court.
District I Commissioner Jeff Clark asked the judge who would pay the fee, the parents or the juvenile offender.
She responded the fee would be imposed against the juvenile but, as a practical matter, the parent or guardian would be the one to pay.
Clark said many of the children who land in Juvenile Court live with their grandparents and the proposed fee “would just be another burden they would have to bear.”
District II Commissioner Key Livingston added, “I’m confident that Judge Waters would handle the fee is a responsible manner but with another judge it could be different.”
The commissioners agreed it would be worthwhile to table the measure and give it some more study before making a decision. The resolution will be brought back up for consideration at the next meeting Aug. 25.
The commission authorized the chairman to execute a memorandum of understanding with Legal Services Alabama Inc. for office space in the Morgan County Courthouse.
Legal Services will provide legal counsel to low-income clients two mornings a month, according to spokesperson Sandra Parker. The office space will be provided at no cost.
The board also tabled a resolution authorizing the chairman to declare a Rheem Commercial A/C compressor and fan in the Morgan County Maintenance Department as surplus and to advertise it for sale on govdeals.com. The move was made after Commissioner Jeff Clark said the equipment cost about $10,000 new and suggested it might to used on another county building.
The commission acted on other matters as follows: