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County staff to bring state-authorized $12.50 conviction surcharge to commission
Summary
A county workshop heard a presentation on a 2025 state statute that adds a $12.50 fee to each criminal conviction; the budget committee recommended forwarding a resolution to the full commission to collect the fee and use proceeds for local court- and prosecution-related purchases, replacing a $50 fee currently tied to economic crimes.
At a Cheatham County Commission workshop on Aug. 10, Ray Crouch Jr. told commissioners about a 2025 state statute that adds a $12.50 fee to defendants' court costs on conviction.
"The statute adds a $12.50 fee, to the defendant's court cost," Ray Crouch Jr. said, explaining the charge would apply to every conviction rather than the current $50 fee that only applies to certain economic crimes. He told the commission the collections would be submitted to the Tennessee district attorney general's conference via Miss Waller and that his office would be required to provide an itemized annual report showing how funds were spent in Cheatham County.
The budget committee voted to forward a resolution recommending the county adopt the statutory mechanism so the $12.50 can be collected locally and used for prosecution- and court-system items, such as courtroom audio-visual equipment, software, or interns. Commissioners discussed how the change would replace the existing $50 fee tied to theft/forgery cases and asked staff to include the item under the county budget for formal consideration by the full commission.
If approved by the commission, the county would follow the statute's reporting requirements, including providing an itemized list of expenditures annually to the commission and to the state. The budget committee's action was described as a referral to the full commission for a future vote.
