MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2003 Regular Session
To: Judiciary A; Fees and Salaries of Public Officers
By: Representative Watson
AN ACT TO CREATE A SPECIAL FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE MISSISSIPPI CIVIL LEGAL ASSISTANCE FUND AND TO DESIGNATE ORGANIZATIONS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE FUNDS THEREFROM; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 25-7-9 AND 25-7-13, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROVIDE FOR FILING FEES IN CHANCERY AND CIRCUIT COURT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. (1) There is hereby created in the State Treasury a special fund designated as the Civil Legal Assistance Fund. The funds shall be administered by the Supreme Court through the Administrative Office of Courts. The Administrative Office of Courts may also accept monies from any public or private source for deposit into the fund. Money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned from the investment of monies in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of the funds. Money in the fund shall be utilized by the Administrative Office of Courts to provide legal representation for poor persons in civil matters as determined by the Supreme Court.
(2) All monies shall be allocated to only those organizations providing legal services to low income Mississippians, specifically those eligible to receive funds from the Legal Services Corporation, Washington, D.C.
(3) The monies appropriated shall be distributed to eligible legal services programs based on the percentage of poverty population within the program service area, consistent with the formula used by the Legal Services Corporation.
(4) Monies appropriated to the fund may be used to promote increased participation by the private bar in the delivery of legal services to the indigent through the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project.
(5) Recipients of funds shall have the following duties:
(a) To develop, operate, and administer programs within their respective service areas that provide free legal services to indigent clients involved in civil matters;
(b) To report annually to the Supreme Court, through the Administrative Office of Courts, on its activities, including providing a copy of its annual audit that accounts for the use of the funds; and
(c) To refund annually all unused or uncommitted funds.
SECTION 2. Section 25-7-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
25-7-9. (1) The clerks of the chancery courts shall charge the following fees:
(a) For the act of certifying copies of filed documents, for each complete document........................................ $ 1.00
(b) Recording deeds, wills, leases, amendments, subordinations, liens, releases, cancellations, orders, decrees, oaths, etc., including indexing 6.00
Sectional index entries per section or subdivision.. 1.00
(c) Recording deeds of trust.................. 10.00
Sectional index entries per section or subdivision.. 1.00
(d) (i) Recording oil and gas leases, etc., including indexing in general indices.......................................... 12.00
Sectional index entries per section or subdivision.. 1.00
(ii) Recording oil and gas cancellations, assignments, etc., including indexing in general indices:
First page.......................................... 5.00
Each additional page................................ 2.00
Abstracting each section or subdivision............. 1.00
Sectional index entries per section or subdivision.. 6.00
(e) Furnishing copies of any papers of record or on file and entering marginal notations on documents of record:
If performed by the clerk or his employee, per page. .50
If performed by any other person, per page.......... .25
(f) For each day's attendance on the board of supervisors, for himself and one (1) deputy, each................................. 20.00
(g) For other services as clerk of the board of supervisors an allowance shall be made to him (payable semiannually at the July and January meetings) out of the county treasury, an annual sum not exceeding....... 1,500.00
(h) For each day's attendance on the chancery court, to be approved by the chancellor:
For the first chancellor sitting only, clerk and two (2) deputies, each 30.00
For the second chancellor sitting, clerk only....... 30.00
Provided that the fees herein prescribed shall be the total remuneration for the clerk and his deputies for attending chancery court.
(i) On order of the court, clerks and not more than two (2) deputies may be allowed five (5) extra days for each term of court for attendance upon the court to get up records.
(j) For public service not otherwise specifically provided for, the chancery court may by order allow the clerk to be paid by the county on the order of the board of supervisors, an annual sum not exceeding5,000.00
The chancery clerk shall itemize on the original document a detailed fee bill of all charges due or paid for filing, recording and abstracting same. No person shall be required to pay such fees until same have been so itemized, but said fees may be demanded before the document is recorded.
(2) In accordance with Uniform Chancery Court Rule 9.01 as approved by Order of the Mississippi Supreme Court, the following fees shall be a total fee for all services performed by the clerk with respect to a complaint which shall be payable upon filing and shall accrue to the chancery clerk at the time of filing. The clerk or his successor in office shall perform all duties set forth without additional compensation or fee to wit:
(a) Divorce to be contested................... $75.00
(b) Divorce uncontested....................... 30.00
(c) Alteration of birth or marriage certificate 25.00
(d) Removal of minority....................... 25.00
(e) Guardianship or conservatorship........... 75.00
(f) Estate of deceased, intestate............. 75.00
(g) Estate of deceased, testate............... 75.00
(h) Adoption.................................. 75.00
(i) Land dispute.............................. 75.00
(j) Injunction................................ 75.00
(k) Settlement of small claim................. 30.00
(l) Contempt in child support................. 75.00
(m) Partition suit............................ 75.00
(n) Any cross-complaint....................... 25.00
Cost of process shall be borne by the issuing party. Additionally, should the attorney or person filing the pleadings desire the clerk to pay the cost to the sheriff for serving process on one person or more, or to pay the cost of publication, the clerk shall demand the actual charges therefor, at the time of filing.
SECTION 3. Section 25-7-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
25-7-13. (1) The clerks of the circuit court shall charge the following fees:
(a) Docketing, filing, marking and registering each complaint, petition and indictment........................................... $75.00
The fee set forth in this paragraph shall be the total fee for all services performed by the clerk up to and including entry of judgment with respect to each complaint, petition or indictment, including all answers, claims, orders, continuances and other papers filed therein, issuing each writ, summons, subpoena or other such instruments, swearing witnesses, taking and recording bonds and pleas, and recording judgments, orders, fiats and certificates; the fee shall be payable upon filing and shall accrue to the clerk at the time of collection. The clerk or his successor in office shall perform all duties set forth above without additional compensation or fee.
(b) Docketing and filing each suggestion for a writ of garnishment, suggestion for a writ of execution and judgment debtor actions and issuing all process, filing and recording orders or other papers and swearing witnesses $30.00
(2) Except as provided in subsection (1) of this section, the clerks of the circuit court shall charge the following fees:
(a) Filing and marking each order or other paper and recording and indexing same............................................ $ 2.00
(b) Issuing each writ, summons, subpoena, citation, capias and other such instruments.............................................. $ 1.00
(c) Administering an oath and taking bond..... $ 2.00
(d) Certifying copies of filed documents, for each complete document $ 1.00
(e) Recording orders, fiats, licenses, certificates, oaths and bonds:
First page................................ $ 2.00
Each additional page...................... $ 1.00
(f) Furnishing copies of any papers of record or on file and entering marginal notations on documents of record:
If performed by the clerk or his employee,
per page................................................. $ 1.00
If performed by any other person, per page$ .25
(g) Judgment roll entry....................... $ 5.00
(h) Taxing cost and certificate............... $ 1.00
(i) For taking and recording application for marriage license, for filing and recording consent of parents when required by law, for filing and recording medical certificate, filing and recording proof of age, recording and issuing license, recording and filing returns.................... $20.00
The clerk shall deposit Fourteen Dollars ($14.00) of each fee collected for a marriage license in the Victims of Domestic Violence Fund established in Section 93-21-117, on a monthly basis.
(j) For certified copy of marriage license and search of record, the same fee charged by the Bureau of Vital Statistics of the State Board of Health.
(k) For public service not particularly provided for, the circuit court may allow the clerk, per annum, to be paid by the county on presentation of the circuit court's order, the following amount........... $5,000.00
However, in the counties having two (2) judicial districts, such above allowance shall be made for each judicial district.
(l) For drawing jurors and issuing venire, to be paid by the county $ 5.00
(m) For each day's attendance upon the circuit court term, for himself and necessary deputies allowed by the court, each to be paid by the county $30.00
(n) Summons, each juror to be paid by the county upon the allowance of the court................................................ $ 1.00
(o) For issuing each grand jury subpoena, to be paid by the county on allowance by the court, not to exceed Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) in any one (1) term of court............................................ $ 1.00
(3) On order of the court, clerks and deputies may be allowed five (5) extra days for attendance upon the court to get up records.
(4) The clerk's fees in state cases where the state fails in the prosecution, or in cases of felony where the defendant is convicted and the cost cannot be made out of his estate, in an amount not to exceed Four Hundred Dollars ($400.00) in one (1) year, shall be paid out of the county treasury on approval of the circuit court, and the allowance thereof by the board of supervisors of the county. In counties having two (2) judicial districts, such allowance shall be made in each judicial district; however, the maximum thereof shall not exceed Eight Hundred Dollars ($800.00). Clerks in the circuit court, in cases where appeals are taken in criminal cases and no appeal bond is filed, shall be allowed by the board of supervisors of the county after approval of their accounts by the circuit court, in addition to the above fees, for making such transcript the rate of Two Dollars ($2.00) per page.
(5) The clerk of the circuit court may retain as his commission on all money coming into his hands, by law or order of the court, a sum to be fixed by the court not exceeding one-half of one percent (1/2 of 1%) on all such sums.
(6) For making final records required by law, including, but not limited to, circuit and county court minutes, and furnishing transcripts of records, the circuit clerk shall charge Two Dollars ($2.00) per page. The same fees shall be allowed to all officers for making and certifying copies of records or papers which they are authorized to copy and certify.
(7) The circuit clerk shall prepare an itemized statement of fees for services performed, cost incurred, or for furnishing copies of any papers of record or on file, and shall submit the statement to the parties or, if represented, to their attorneys within sixty (60) days. A bill for same shall accompany the statement.
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2003.