RD179 - Compensation Board FY14 Fines and Fees Report - February 25, 2015


Executive Summary:
Court Clerks

• In FY14, Court Clerks assessed $618.8M and collected $258.6M in fines and fees.
• Court assessments between FY13 and FY14 increased by $80.5M.
• Collections by Court Clerks between FY13 and FY14 decreased by $5.3M.

Commonwealth’s Attorneys

• In FY14, total assessments of delinquent fines and fees (excluding restitution, but including the assessed increase amount to offset collections fees) were $192.9M.
• Assessments of delinquent restitution amounts sent to collections were $63.6M.
• Net assessments of delinquent fines and fees (including restitution) were $169.2M.
• Net assessments of delinquent fines and fees between FY13 and FY14 increased by $80.2M (a significant portion of this increase is attributed to restitution assessments, which were not included in FY13).
• In FY14, collections of delinquent fines and fees (excluding restitution) for Commonwealth’s Attorneys were $64.4M.
• Collections of restitution in FY14 totaled $1.5M, and collections of fee offset amounts totaled $2.7M.
• Net collections in FY14 were $54.8M.
• Net collections by Commonwealth’s Attorneys between FY13 and FY14 increased by over $6.4M (a portion of this increase is attributed to restitution collections and fee offset amounts collected, which were not included in FY13).

Trend Data for Assessments and Collections

• Court assessments have risen from $281.5M in FY98 to $618.8M in FY14.
• Court Clerks collected $192.2M in FY98 compared to $258.6M in FY14.
• Net assessments by Commonwealth’s Attorneys have increased from $95.5M in FY98 to $169.2M in FY14 (including restitution in FY14 for the first time).
• Collections excluding restitution by Commonwealth’s Attorneys were $29.2M in FY98 compared to $64.4M in FY14, where restitution and collections fee offset amounts are included.
• Net collections by Commonwealth’s Attorneys have risen from $22.9M in FY98 to $54.8M in FY14 (including restitution in FY14 for the first time).

Collection Agents

• In FY14, Commonwealth’s Attorneys contracted with nine private collection agents, six localities and one state agency for the collection of delinquent fines and fees.
• Collection fee percentages ranged from 17 percent to 35 percent.

In-House Collection Programs

• In FY14, fourteen Commonwealth’s Attorneys collected delinquent fines and fees in-house.
• Collection fee percentages ranged from 30 percent to 35 percent.