Municipal Court of the City of Decatur; the assessment and collection of a technology fee; authorize

Extra fees on Decatur court fines

Decatur’s Municipal Court can add a technology fee to each criminal or quasi-criminal (criminal-like) fine. The city’s governing authority sets and can change the fee, capped at $15 per fine. The judge can waive it case by case. The money can only fund approved court and police technology, including computers, scanning, fax, communications, projection and printing equipment. Approved police uses also include cameras worn by officers or mounted in vehicles, other cameras, drones and 9-1-1 operations. The court clerk and city finance chief must keep the money separate from other city funds. The city manager directs spending, which can include reimbursing the city’s technology department for court or police services.