Athens residents with fewer charges in Municipal Court will pay more, subsidizing those with more offenses, thanks to a recent ruling from Ohio's highest court.
Judge William Grim raised court fees from $59 to $79 per case on Jan. 2 in response to a Dec. 31 ruling by the Supreme Court of Ohio that directs municipal courts to bill offenders by case, not by charge. Previously, the court billed for each offense, letting those who used more of the court's time to pay accordingly.
Grim said he hopes the new fees will net about the same income for the court and cover its operating expenses. At the end of each fiscal quarter, he will review the court's balance sheet and decide whether or not to adjust the fees.
It certainly would have been simpler
cheaper and more equitable for the law to have been written differently Grim said, adding that he's bound to follow the higher court's decision.
Before Jan. 2, single-charge criminal convictions, criminal dismissals and traffic non-moving cases cost $59 each. All now cost $79, regardless of how many charges are included. Single-charge moving violation cases, for traffic offenses such as speeding, also cost $79. They were $69 before the change.
No one has complained about the higher fees yet, Grim said, adding that the new fees have been on the books for only two weeks.
The Ohio Supreme Court ruling, Middleburg Heights v. Quinones, rose out of a 2005 traffic stop. A Middleburg police officer stopped Vincent Quinones and cited him for four traffic violations. When the case landed in court, Middleburg Heights billed Quinones for each violation, even though all four came from the same citation.
The court ruled that a section of Ohio Revised Code allowing courts to bill defendants for the costs of prosecution doesn't allow the state or local governments to calculate costs per offense. The court can, though, charge a special projects fee per offense. Special projects can include training judges, buying new court equipment and community service programs.
Councilman Jim Sands, D-At Large, said he doesn't agree with the ruling, but, like Grim, can't do anything about it.
I think the other way was inherently fairer Sands said. If you're taking up more of the court's time then you should pay more.
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Dave Hendricks
