John Isern, district court administrator for the 20th Judicial District, presented a $5,000 check to the Barton County Commission Monday morning. The money came from a now-defunct bond program.
Thirty years ago, the presiding chief judge established the court bond system, Isern said. Low-risk offenders would pay 10 percent of their bond and after the case was resolved and they met their obligations, they would get 90 percent of that money back.
The remaining 10 percent would go the court. And, each year, the court would present a check to the Commission, sometimes totally over $20,000.
However, in 2007, state law changed, making the court bond system impractical to maintain since counties could no longer charge administration fees, Isern said. Instead, offenders pay a cash or surety bond, of which the county doesn’t get a cent.
Despite the cancelation of the program, Isern said there were funds in the account dating back as far as 20 years from 275 defendants who had never reclaimed their money. This left $77,163 sitting in the bank.
So, over the last 18 months, Clerk of the District Court Mary Gatton and fellow staff member Michelle Heckele have researched the cases. Their goal was to find who was owed money and get it to them.
Thus far, between resolved cases, money turned over to the state’s unclaimed property program, a $1,400 check given to the county last summer and the latest $5,033, $70,000 has been dispersed. There is still a balance of nearly $7,000, and the court office is trying to dispense it as well.
“It worked well,” Isern said of the court bond system. However, only four or five counties implemented it so there wasn’t enough pull to fight off changes to the law.
There may be one or two more checks coming, but then that will be it, Isern said.
“It’s hard not to accept money,” Commissioners Don Davis said.