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County auditor: $477,000 in unclaimed juror pay has been offset; court formalizes current practice
Summary
County Auditor Robert Cohen said $477,000 in unclaimed juror payments over the last 20 years have been used to offset juror expenses; the court voted 5-0 to formalize continuing the current practice of retaining those funds in the juror payment fund rather than remitting to the general fund.
Robert Cohen, Collin County’s auditor, told the court that a review of juror payment procedures found there had been no formal direction regarding unclaimed juror pay and that roughly $477,000 of such funds had been applied to offset juror payment expenses over the past 20 years.
"During a review of our current processes for juror payments, we realized we didn't have official direction from the court on what to do with unclaimed juror payments," Cohen said, and he requested the court provide formal direction on whether to keep unclaimed funds in the juror payment fund or remit them to the general fund for other uses.
Cohen explained the practical effect and statutory limit: funds would be considered unclaimed after 90 days under the statute and then no longer eligible to be claimed; he also described a new automated system that will notify potential claimants and should reduce future unclaimed checks.
A commissioner moved to formalize the current practice — retaining unclaimed juror payments in the juror payment fund to offset juror expenses — and another commissioner seconded the motion. The court approved the motion 5-to-0.
The court’s direction formalizes a practice that Cohen said has historically reduced general fund demands for juror payment expenses but leaves open the mechanics staff will use to present formal language in a future packet if the court prefers more explicit wording.
