Collin County formalizes practice to retain unclaimed juror payments after auditor reports $477,000 over 20 years

Robert Cohen, Collin County’s auditor, told the Commissioners Court that a review of juror-pay procedures showed roughly $477,000 in unclaimed juror payments over the last 20 years and that the court had not previously given formal direction on how to treat those funds. "We have been historically just leaving those unclaimed funds in the juror payment fund and using those funds to offset future juror payment expenses," Cohen said, adding the statute allows funds to be considered unclaimed after 90 days.

Cohen said the county’s new automated system will notify potential claimants more reliably and that the amount of unclaimed funds should decline. He asked the court for formal instruction: continue the current practice, transfer funds to the general fund, or donate them.

Commissioner Webb moved to formalize continuing the current practice and another commissioner seconded the motion. "That hereby decides to keep the current practice in place as it regards unclaimed juror pay," the presiding official read as the motion language; the court voted 5-0 to adopt that direction.

The court recorded that former jurors who believe they have unclaimed funds should contact the district clerk, the auditor’s office, or the treasury; Cohen said the county maintains a list of unclaimed funds. The court did not adopt a transfer or donation of the funds; its direction was to continue treating the funds in the juror payment fund and use them to offset juror-payment costs.