Title IV, Judicial Branch

Exceptions -- Treatment of minor defendant. (1) Court costs for a criminal case in the District Court shall be one hundred dollars ($100), regardless of whether the offense is one for which prepayment is permitted. (2) There shall be no court costs for a parking citation when: (a…

governments and counties -- Funds used for police, jails, and transport of prisoners. (1) For the purposes of this section: (a) "Local government" means a city, county, charter county, urban-county, or consolidated local government; and (b) "Police department" means a police depa…

telephonic behavioral health jail triage system. In addition to the twenty dollar ($20) fee created by KRS 24A.176, in criminal cases a ten dollar ($10) fee shall be added to the costs imposed by KRS 24A.175 that the defendant is required to pay. The first five dollars ($5) of ea…

In criminal cases, the following fees shall be charged by the circuit clerk and paid to the clerk at the time the corresponding services are requested: (1) Preparing an attestation ...................................................................................... $0.50 (2) Pr…

(1) In addition to fees created by KRS 24A.175, 24A.176, and 24A.1765, an administrative fee of thirty dollars ($30) shall be added to the costs that the defendant is required to pay for the following crimes: (a) A sex crime, meaning an offense described in: 1. KRS Chapter 510; 2…

Task Force. In addition to the twenty dollar ($20) fee created by KRS 24A.176 and the ten dollar ($10) fee created by KRS 24A.1765, a ten dollar ($10) fee shall be added in misdemeanor cases to the costs imposed by KRS 24A.175. The fee collected under this section shall be alloca…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section all fees and costs collected pursuant to KRS 24A.170(1) shall be deposited in the general fund of the State Treasury. (2) Fees consisting of reimbursement for incidental direct outlays, including but not limited to postage …

A fiscal court, by ordinance, may assess additional fees and costs for the purpose of paying expenses for courthouses, bonds related to them, and administration expenses of the District Court as follows: (1) In all traffic offense cases, a fee of ten dollars ($10) may be added to…

All courts shall report convictions under KRS 186.560 to the Transportation Cabinet.

In any judicial district where a family court is established or has been established, the position of domestic relations commissioner is abolished, and no commissioner shall be appointed to hear or determine any matter within the jurisdiction of the family court.

The purpose of KRS 24A.200 to 24A.360 is to improve the administration of justice in small noncriminal cases, and make the judicial system more available and comprehensible to the public; to simplify practice and procedure in the commencement, handling, and trial of such cases in…

As used in KRS 24A.200 to 24A.360, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Division" means the small claims division of District Court; (2) "Party" means any person, natural or otherwise, who has been a party to the transaction in dispute; (3) "Clerk" means the clerk of the C…

A small claims division of each District Court shall be established by the first Monday of January, 1978.

(1) The small claims division shall have jurisdiction, concurrent with that of the District Court, in all civil actions, other than libel, slander, alienation of affections, malicious prosecution and abuse of process actions, when the amount of money or damages or the value of th…

as parties. (1) The appearance of an attorney-at-law on behalf of any party is permitted but not required. (2) No party may file an assigned claim or a class action in the division. (3) No person, firm, partnership, association, or corporation engaged, either primarily or seconda…

Exception. (1) No party shall file more than twenty-five (25) claims in any one (1) calendar year in the small claims division of any District Court in the Commonwealth. Any business engaged in trade or commerce shall be entitled to the maximum number of claims allowed under this…

(1) The plaintiff shall commence an action in the small claims division by filing a claim on a form provided by the clerk. (2) The plaintiff may bring an action in the small claims division in the judicial district where the party defendant or his agent resides or is doing busine…

The filing fee in the small claims division of the District Court shall be the same as the filing fee for claims of five hundred dollars ($500) or less filed in the District Court, except where personal service is not required pursuant to KRS 24A.280(2), the sheriff's fee and mil…

(1) The court shall set a time for hearing. The hearing time set shall be not less than twenty (20) days nor more than forty (40) days after service of process. (2) The clerk shall notify the defendant of the claim and his right to appear by sending the defendant a copy of the cl…

The defendant may file with the clerk a counterclaim against the plaintiff in an amount not in excess of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) exclusive of interest and costs, if the counterclaim arose out of the same transaction or occurrence that is the subject matter of t…

(1) No formal pleadings other than the claim and notice, and the counterclaim and notice, if appropriate, shall be required in the division. (2) All forms provided in KRS 24A.200 to 24A.360 shall be of a simplified, nontechnical form. (3) There shall be no pretrial discovery in t…

small claims division. (1) An action shall be removed from the small claims division to the regular docket of District or Circuit Court as appropriate whenever the defendant's counterclaim exceeds the jurisdictional limit of the division or the District Court. (2) An action shall…

requested. (1) All claims in the small claims division shall be tried without a jury. Upon filing a claim, the plaintiff shall be deemed to have waived his right to a jury trial in the division. This waiver shall be explained on the claim form provided by the clerk. (2) If the de…

The hearing and disposition of all matters in the small claims division shall be informal.

Any party aggrieved by the judgment of the small claims division may appeal within ten (10) days of the judgment to the Circuit Court in the judicial circuit where such division is located.

(1) The Attorney General shall prepare an informational pamphlet or suitable material in layman's language explaining the jurisdiction of the small claims division, procedures followed by the division, rights and responsibilities of parties to proceedings in the division, and oth…

KRS 24A.200 to 24A.360 shall be known and may be cited as the "Small Claims Act".

membership of boards and committees affecting them -- Prohibition against discrimination. (1) To ensure opportunities for participation by persons with disabilities and their families in the development of policies, support, and services that affect them: (a) Persons with one (1)…

consistent with the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act -- Disability awareness program. To ensure that Kentuckians with disabilities and their families enjoy full partnership in all programs, services, and activities throughout the Commonwealth: (1) Consistent with this subs…

commissioner. (1) For the purposes of this section the following words or phrases shall have the meaning indicated: (a) "Proceeding" includes pretrial, trial, appellate review, or other stages of litigation; (b) "Fiduciary" includes such relationships as executor, administrator, …

(1) When, from any cause, a judge of any Circuit or District Court fails to attend, or being in attendance cannot properly preside in an action pending in the court, or if a vacancy occurs or exists in the office of circuit or district judge, the circuit clerk shall at once certi…

Upon the death of a judge, or when from any cause the office is vacant, or when the judge is absent, his replacement or successor, no matter how chosen, may sign any orders of court left unsigned by his predecessor, the same as his predecessor might have done.

(1) Proceedings in any court having divisions shall be valid when prosecuted in any division thereof. (2) Any judge presiding over a division of a court mentioned in subsection (1) may hear and determine any case or question in any other division.

attorney. When it comes to the attention of any judicial officer that any justice or judge of the Court of Justice or any attorney may have been guilty of unprofessional conduct, he shall at once report the matter to the proper investigating and disciplinary authorities.

As used in KRS 26A.090 to 26A.115, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Operating costs allowance" means compensation equivalent to the annual expenses borne by the unit of government for utilities, janitorial service, rent, insurance, and necessary maintenance, repair, an…

units -- Procedure when local public facilities not available. (1) The Circuit and the District Court shall be held in the county courthouse of each county unless otherwise ordered by the Supreme Court in which case it may be held at any other location made available by the count…

construction contracted for after July 1, 1978. (1) The Court Facilities Standards Committee shall provide for periodic review of each court facility and may make recommendations for improvements. (2) No use allowance shall be paid respecting any capital costs contracted for any …

governments, and cities. Counties, urban-county governments, and cities providing space for court operations pursuant to KRS 26A.100 shall also provide adequate: (1) Lighting; (2) Heating; (3) Electricity; (4) Other utilities, except telephone service; and (5) Janitorial services…

(1) Each unit of government providing space in a court facility to the Court of Justice under the provisions of KRS 26A.100 shall be paid an operating costs allowance plus a use allowance to be administered by the Administrative Office of the Courts. (2) The precise amount paid f…

(1) As of January 1, 1978, all new equipment purchases for the Court of Justice shall be made by the Court of Justice and paid from state or other available funds. (2) The Court of Justice may contract with a local unit of government to furnish extraordinary specialized facilitie…

A court facility which is entirely dedicated to Court of Justice purposes may be conveyed to the Commonwealth for court purposes with or without consideration. Provided, however, that no such conveyance shall be accepted by the Commonwealth unless the Administrative Office of the…

(1) Courts shall implement measures to accommodate the special needs of children which are not unduly burdensome to the rights of the defendant, including but not limited to: (a) 1. Trained guardians ad litem or special advocates, if available, shall be appointed for all child vi…

procedure and guidelines -- Oversight -- Financing requirements -- Project standards -- Application. (1) The Chief Justice shall establish rules of procedure or guidelines on matters relating to the design, financing, and construction of court facilities. The rules or guidelines …

- Standards for longer term of issue -- Legislative oversight. (1) The use allowance in the judicial branch budget recommendation submitted under KRS 48.100 shall be determined as if bonds will be issued for a term of twenty (20) years at the prevailing market rate, computed from…

use -- Legislative oversight. (1) There is created a court facility use allowance contingency fund. The fund shall consist of money appropriated to it in the judicial branch budget by the General Assembly. Money in the fund shall not lapse but shall be carried forward to the next…

approval -- Legislative oversight. (1) Before the Court of Justice gives final approval to an increase in the budgeted scope of an authorized project or project pool listed in a judicial branch budget bill which would result in an increased use allowance, the director of the Admi…