RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia lawmakers are considering imposing
the highest lawsuit filing fees in the country as one way of
dealing with the state's budget problems.
Most of the estimated $51 million generated by Sen. Richard
Stuart's bill would go to sheriff's departments.
Stuart, a Republican from Westmoreland County, says people using
the court system should have to pay for it. But opponents of the
bill say the increases would make access to the courts unaffordable
for low- to moderate-income Virginians and small businesses.
The fees now range from $27 to $160. Stuart's bill would boost
the range to $75 to $1,000. According to the National Center for
State Courts, that would make Virginia's basic filing fees the
highest in the land.
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