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Judiciary Seeks Large Increases for Jury, Trial and Court Technology; Law Library Funds to Support Self‑Help Center
Summary
Circuit clerk and court staff asked the committee to raise jury mileage to $50,000, increase trial expense to $145,000 and add $14,500 for a server license; the law library will fund a self‑help center navigator role supported by a $15,000 access to justice grant and other local fees.
Circuit court and judiciary staff told the Law and Justice Committee on Aug. 26 that rising jury and trial costs and new court technology needs will push next year’s judiciary budget higher, and that law library fees will be used to help launch a self‑help center and pay a part‑time SRL (self‑represented litigant) navigator.
Tricia, the court’s jury coordinator, reported that the court held about 10 actual trials this fiscal year and had roughly 363 jurors called, with 179 failures to appear. She and clerk Laurie said jury mileage and related costs are rising, and the judiciary is asking the committee to increase the jury/mileage line to $50,000 to reflect current and anticipated mileage rate changes.
The judiciary also seeks a substantial increase in trial expense — from prior levels to $145,000 — to cover transcripts for indigent defendants, court‑appointed guardian ad litem fees, custody mediations for fee‑waived cases and other mandated expenses including interpreter services and expert witnesses in certain civil commitments. The clerk noted the county received $82,850 in reimbursements so far in FY25 for interpreter and SVP‑related expenses; those reimbursements flow to a separate account.
Clerk Laurie outlined law library and access‑to‑justice items: the law library fund balance was $162,341, financed by filing fees; the clerk expects a new court technology modernization grant to be announced in October. The law library will pay for the self‑help center and salary for an SRL navigator. The county received $15,000 in access‑to‑justice grant funds for FY26, including $12,000 earmarked for a navigator salary; Laurie asked the committee to include $18,000 in the law library budget for part‑time navigator pay and to budget $15,000 to hire a second part‑time navigator.
Child‑placement costs were also discussed. Staff said residential placements can be costly — examples cited included daily rates up to roughly $785 and a case that ran about a quarter‑million dollars over two years — and the judiciary recommends keeping a substantial placement line to cover long residential commitments.
The committee approved the judiciary reports, voted to forward the judiciary budget to finance and approved paying judiciary bills in open session.
Why it matters: Larger jury and trial budgets and new court technology licensing costs will affect county budget allocations; use of law library fees to expand self‑help services changes how filing fees are directed and how legal‑help services are funded locally.
