Justice swift, profitable

While making money was not their stated intent, Salt Lake City leaders have seen more than a half-million-dollar windfall from their new justice court, which opened last July.

With the promise of better, swifter justice, Mayor Rocky Anderson pushed for the new court and gained the City Council's support in a 5-to-2 vote in 2000. But justice aside, money has also been a by-product of the new court, which doesn't function as a third branch of government, but rather falls under the jurisdiction of the mayor's office.

The latest figures show that the justice court is doing good financial business when compared to the city's old system — filing cases in the state's 3rd District Court.

And that concerns Dave Buhler, one of two council members who opposed the court's creation. He, like another critic, attorney Mike Martinez, is worried that Salt Lake City has gained an easy cash cow.

"They might use enforcement as a money-making scheme," Buhler said.

Compared with budget numbers from the first eight months of last fiscal year, the new justice court has brought a 35 percent increase in fines collected for the city, a 6 percent increase in late fees collected, a 21 percent increase in traffic school revenues and an 11 percent increase in traffic mitigation fines.

In total, the city has gained nearly $550,000 in the first eight months of operation when compared to the city's court revenues before the justice court opened.

Besides those gains, the city has also reduced the fees it paid to the 3rd District Court for being a "court of record." Since the justice court is not a court of record, those fees have been drastically cut and soon will become zero. The fees have dwindled from $269,556 for last fiscal year to $36,499 in the first eight months of this fiscal year.

One potential problem with this, Buhler said, is that if the justice court — as a city department under the mayor — isn't making its budget predictions, the judges might feel pressured to find more people guilty or issue stricter sentences from the bench.

But city Court Administrator Mary Johnston said the financial boons aren't coming from aggressive Salt Lake City Police officers who are now gung ho about writing more tickets.