SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A new report says court fees and fines in Illinois have ballooned over the years because they’ve become bloated with surcharges to pay for programs and services.
Sometimes the added surcharges fund things unrelated to a case, such as law libraries and zero-interest loans for fire departments to buy new trucks.
The findings come from the Statutory Court Fee Task Force, which was created by the Illinois Legislature. The group published its report in late June after a yearlong study.
In McLean County, a DUI offender recently paid $1,742 in fees that went to 25 state and local funds, few of which had any relation to the case.
The task force is recommending that lawmakers rewrite the state’s system for imposing fines during next year’s legislative session.