Rutherford County Circuit Court Clerk Laura Bohling announced today that the Collection Division of the Circuit Court Clerk’s office has collected over one million dollars through FY 2014 as of the end of October.

“It is the duty of the Rutherford County Clerk of Courts to collect all court costs and fees assessed in all cases before the Circuit Criminal, Circuit Civil, General Sessions Criminal/Traffic, General Session Civil, and Juvenile Courts in Rutherford County. That’s why I created the collections division so that we can address this constitutional requirement through a more direct approach,” Bohling said.

“We have four full-time employees working exclusively in Court Collections. The concerted efforts of the Collections Staff have had great success in reducing lost revenue caused by non- payment of court ordered fines and fees.” she said. “Our hope is that we will give those facing paying back court costs a simpler way to complete the process and get themselves out of the legal system.”

The office can set up Voluntary Payment Agreements with defendants to help break down large costs to more manageable payments.

Money assessed in all court activity actually funds the operations of the court system, including the clerk’s offices, the judges’ offices, and the district attorney and public defender offices with excess fees turned over to the county general fund. Fines, judgments and restitution assessed in criminal and civil cases, are part of the judicial consequence of illegal, prohibited or unlawful behavior. Those funds are forwarded to victims.

Bohling implemented the Collection office in May of 2011. In Fiscal Year 2012 collections totaled $371,241.71 and in Fiscal Year 2013 collections totaled $467,923.77. Through the first four months of this fiscal year, the office has collected $245,458.17 resulting in a total of $1,084,623.65 in collections since the department’s creation.