488.018. Disbursement of court costs.

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

488.018. Disbursement of court costs.

Disbursement of court costs.

488.018. 1. Beginning July 1, 2000, or an earlier date which may bedesignated by order of the supreme court, upon written notice to allcircuit clerks of this state, the clerk of each court of this state shalldisburse court costs collected by, or under the authority of, the clerk, inthe manner provided by supreme court rule. Such rule may provide that allor portions of such court costs be deposited into a special fund or fundsto be established by the state courts administrator. Such funds shall notbe considered to be state funds, except those funds disbursed to thedepartment of revenue pursuant to subdivisions (4) and (5) of subsection 2of this section; but shall be held in trust by the state courtsadministrator for benefit of those persons or entities entitled to receivesuch funds pursuant to subsection 2 of this section. All amounts depositedinto such fund or funds shall be maintained by the state courtsadministrator, invested in the manner required of the state treasurer forstate funds by sections 30.240, 30.250, 30.260 and 30.270, RSMo, anddisbursed as provided by this section.

2. The state courts administrator shall disburse the amountscontained in the special fund or funds within thirty days of receipt ofsuch amounts as follows:

(1) Refunds for overpayments or erroneous payments of court costs;

(2) Reimbursement in the amounts allowed by law to individuals orentities other than the court for services provided by such individuals orentities;

(3) Payment to persons or entities of additional charges allowed forspecific purposes, as provided by law;

(4) Eighty percent of the remainder of such amounts, less anyinterest earned on such fund or funds, shall be paid to the director of thedepartment of revenue for deposit into the general revenue fund, and theremaining twenty percent of such amounts, less interest, to each countytreasury, or in the case of the city of St. Louis, the city treasury, inorder to defray the costs incurred by the state, and each county and thecity of St. Louis, related to the administration of the judicial system.The proportion of such total amount paid to each county and the city of St.Louis pursuant to this section shall be paid in the proportions as thecourt's deposits to the fund or funds bear to the total deposits to thefund, on an annual basis;

(5) Any interest earned on such fund shall be payable to the directorof the department of revenue for deposit into a revolving fund to beestablished pursuant to this subdivision. The state treasurer shall be thecustodian of the fund, and shall make disbursements, as allowed by lawfulappropriations, only as follows:

(a) Sixty percent of the interest earned on such fund or funds lessany costs incurred in the administration of such fund or funds maintainedby the state courts administrator shall be paid to each court of thisstate, in the proportions as the court's deposits to the fund or funds bearto the total deposits to the fund, on an annual basis;

(b) Forty percent of the interest earned on such fund or fundsmaintained by the state courts administrator shall be paid to the supremecourt.

All of such interest earned and appropriated to courts pursuant to thissubdivision shall be expended by the courts for goods and services relatedto the administration of the judicial system.

3. The supreme court may establish and provide for by rule suchaccounting guidelines, procedures, forms, controls and reviews relating tothe collection, deposit, payment and disbursement of all court costscollected pursuant to sections 488.010 to 488.020*. The supreme court mayprovide by rule for proper disbursement of moneys in event of a discrepancyin moneys collected and subject to disbursement.