Porter County Courts, Indiana Filing Fees and Waivers

CRITICAL

A person accessing court files electronically must pay the required fee.

Pay the required fee.

CRITICAL

Before taking a matter requiring pre-filing judicial action, such as a filing-fee waiver, to the judge, the filer must determine the case assignment at the Clerk’s Office; a cause number is assigned only after the parties return to the Clerk following the judge’s action.

If a case being filed requires some action by a judge before filing, e.g., waiver of filing fees, the party filing the action must go to the Clerk's Office to determine case assignment before taking the case to the Judge. In such cases, no cause number will be assigned until the parties return to the Clerk after action by the Judge.

CRITICAL

Applies to

New case

A cause number may be obtained by submitting an appearance form and paying the filing fee, or by presenting the Clerk with a court order waiving that fee.

The cause number may be obtained upon submission of an appearance form and payment of the filing fee to the Clerk [or upon presentation to the Clerk of a court order waiving the filing fee].

CRITICAL

A party seeking to convert a small claims case to the plenary docket must first pay the difference in filing fees.

Should any party seek to have a small claims case converted to the plenary docket, the party shall first pay the difference in filing fee between small claims and the plenary docket.

CRITICAL

An individual released on recognizance must pay the fee to the Sheriff’s Department upon conviction, which must issue a receipt and notify the Clerk for entry on the case summary.

(c) RECOGNIZANCE PROMISE TO APPEAR RELEASE: The arrested individual is responsible for payment of the fee upon conviction directly to the Porter County Sheriff’s Department who shall issue a receipt and promptly notify the Clerk of Court the fee has been paid and the cause number for which it has been paid. The Clerk of Court shall note said payment on the chronological case summary.

CRITICAL

Each party must pay the annually determined TransParenting fee, which may be waived if the party submits a verified affidavit of poverty and is found indigent upon investigation.

A fee determined annually and payable per party is required and is used to cover all costs of the TransParenting program including the presenter's fees, handouts, applications and program administration. The fee may be waived if a party presents a verified affidavit of poverty and it appears upon investigation that the party is indigent.

CRITICAL

Fee

$25

The defendant must pay an additional $25 late-payment fee, which the Clerk must collect.

The defendant shall pay an additional $25.00 fee pursuant to IC 33-37-5-22 and the Clerk of the Court shall collect the late payment fee.

CRITICAL

People ordered to participate in PCADOS or another certified court-ordered alcohol and drug treatment program must pay all applicable and necessary fees.

Those persons directed to participate in the Porter County Alcohol and Drug Offenders Service (PCADOS), or any certified alcohol and drug treatment program ordered by the Court, shall pay all applicable and necessary fees.

CRITICAL

After a jury request is granted, the requesting party must pay the Clerk the difference in filing fees within ten days or the Court may deny the jury-trial request.

Within ten (10) days after the jury request has been granted, the requesting party shall pay the Clerk the difference between the small claims and plenary docket filing fee. If not timely filed, the Court may deny the request for jury trial.

CRITICAL

An individual on probation who has not paid the fee must pay it as a condition of probation in a manner consistent with their financial ability, with payment made to the Sheriff’s Department.

(d) PAYMENT AS A CONDITION OF PROBATION: An individual who has been placed on probation and who has not paid the Inmate Processing Fee shall pay the same as a condition of probation in a manner consistent with their financial ability to do so. The payment shall be made to the Porter County Sheriff’s Department who shall issue a receipt with the appropriate cause number and notify the Clerk of Court of the payment. The Clerk of Court shall note the payment on the chronological case summary.

CRITICAL

Fee

$75

For covered defendants, the Clerk must deduct $80 from a cash bond for the inmate processing and death benefit fees, ahead of other deductions unless a court orders otherwise or waives the inmate processing fee.

(a) CASH BONDS: The Clerk of Court shall deduct $80.00 from the cash bond ($75.00 Inmate Processing Fee and $5 Death Benefit Fee) of all defendants designated above, and this deduction shall take precedence over all other deductions from cash bonds, unless a court shall specifically order to the contrary, or shall waive the Inmate Processing Fee. The Sheriff shall promptly notify the Clerk of Court of the posting of such bond.

CRITICAL

If an inmate released after conviction has not paid the fee, up to the full fee may be deducted from the inmate’s commissary fund; the Death Benefit Fee is excluded.

(e) INMATE COMMISSARY ACCOUNT: An inmate released after conviction who has not other paid the Inmate Processing Fee shall have deducted from the inmate’s commissary fund at the Porter County Jail an amount up to the full amount of the Inmate Processing Fee. The Death Benefit Fee is excluded from this collection method. The Porter County Sheriff shall issue a receipt with the appropriate cause number and notify the Clerk of Court of the payment. The Clerk of Court shall note the payment on the chronological case summary.

CRITICAL

Fee

$75

Eligible defendants owe a $75 inmate processing fee, charged once for simultaneous incarcerations across multiple cases and for each separate incarceration on a separate case.

Every defendant who has been arrested, incarcerated in the Porter County Jail, and who has been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony offense in Porter County arising from such arrest are liable for an Inmate Processing Fee in the sum of $75.00. In the event an individual is incarcerated on multiple criminal cases simultaneously, only one Inmate Processing Fee shall apply to that period of incarceration. In the event an individual is incarcerated at different times on separate cases, the fee shall apply to each case and each incarceration.

CRITICAL

Fee

$80

An additional $80 cash bond must be posted for every case in which a surety bond is posted, and the Sheriff must promptly notify the Clerk.

(b) SURETY BONDS: For every case in which a surety bond is posted, whether posted individually, or as a dual bond required by a court, an added cash bond of $80 must be posted. The Sheriff shall promptly notify the Clerk of Court of the posting of such bonds.

WARNING

Fee

400 $

Applies to

Basic education services

Basic Education Services (12 hours) cost $400.

Basic Education Services (12 Hours) $400

WARNING

Fee

100 $

Applies to

Assessment only

Assessment only costs $100.

Assessment Only $100

WARNING

Fees and fee deadlines are determined at the clinical evaluation or assessment.

Fees are to be determined at the time of the clinical evaluation or assessment. Fee deadlines are determined a the time of the evaluation or assessment.

WARNING

Fee

200 $

Applies to

Informational session with assessment

An informational session with assessment costs $200.

Informational Session with Assessment $200

WARNING

Fee

200 $

Applies to

Transfer

Transfers cost $200.

Transfers $200

WARNING

Fee

400 $

Applies to

Advanced education services

Advanced Education Services (20 hours) cost $400.

Advanced Education Services (20 Hours) $400

WARNING

Fee

100 $

Applies to

One day class informational session

A one-day class informational session (8 hours) costs $100.

One Day Class Informational Session (8 Hours) $100

WARNING

If a qualifying plenary-docket case is transferred to small claims court, no difference in filing fees is reimbursed.

Should a case be filed on the plenary docket seeking less than the statutory maximum damages of small claims court, the plenary court may have the matter transferred to small claims court without reimbursement of any difference in filing fees.

WARNING

A defendant found indigent and unable to pay may apply to the Court for an order waiving collection of the fee.

(f) INDIGENCY: Any Defendant found to be indigent and unable to pay the Inmate Processing Fee may apply to the Court for an Order waiving collection of the fee.