HB 83 - Mobile County Preservation of Justice Act

• Establishes additional court costs in Mobile County district and circuit courts to address severe funding crisis, with Circuit Court handling over 25,000 filings and District Court handling over 41,000 filings.

• Imposes $25 additional court costs in district court for civil cases (excluding small claims) and criminal cases (excluding traffic and juvenile cases).

• Imposes $100 additional court costs in circuit court for civil cases including domestic relations (excluding protection from abuse and child support cases) and all criminal cases.

• Creates the Mobile County Preservation of Justice Fund to collect these fees, with funds used to restore staffing in the circuit clerk's office, judges' offices, and court administrator's office under a Memorandum of Understanding effective October 1, 2019.

• Allows judges to waive or remit court costs based on sworn affidavit showing substantial hardship, and prohibits the requirement that Mobile County Commission expend additional funds beyond the collected court costs.