Westmoreland County court fees to increase in 2020

The new year will ring in higher court costs for criminal defendants in Westmoreland County.

Eight different fees will be increased by about 2% when the courthouse opens for business on Jan. 2, Clerk of Courts Bryan Kline said.

“I have the authority to raise fees every three years and, with the budgeting issues in Westmoreland County, it is my fiduciary responsibility to raise those fees,” Kline said.

The fee hikes were based on changes to the consumer price index calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics for Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, according to Kline.

The largest increase will impact convicted criminal defendants at the conclusion of their felony and misdemeanor cases. Those defendants under the new fee scheduled will pay a $225.50 fee, an increase of $4.20.

Other increases will impact pretrial fees for defendants who are enrolled in the Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition, a jail diversionary program for first-time nonviolent offenders, and for defendants convicted of summary offenses. Fees to file appeals of Common Pleas Court cases and summary convictions along with other general court filings also will increase, Kline said.

Court costs collected by Kline’s office are split between the state and county governments. The money directed to the county is used for general government operations, Kline said.

Kline’s office in 2018 collected more than $6.2 million in court costs, fines and restitution payments. It is expected to collect a similar amount this year, he said.

County commissioners last week passed a 2020 budget of $341 million that relies on money from a surplus account and a 2.4% property tax increase — the first since 2005.