§1568.1. Juvenile court for the parish of Orleans; retention of unclaimed bonds; procedure; fee

A. The Orleans Parish Juvenile Court by a majority of its judges acting en banc may appropriate and use for the necessary expenses and operation of the court all sums of money represented by unclaimed cash bonds on deposit with the court under the following conditions:

(1) When proceedings under R.S. 14:74 or under the Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Statute have been instituted and subsequently dismissed and a cash appearance bond remains on deposit with the court and cannot be returned to the owner in spite of diligent effort by the court because the whereabouts of the party posting the bond remain unknown and two years have elapsed from the date of the dismissal of court proceedings.

(2) When a case was filed under R.S. 14:74 or under the Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Statute and five years have elapsed from the last hearing without further action by any party at interest to reset the case for further judicial redress, and no support payments have been made pursuant to the court order by the party cast in judgment for at least five years, and the whereabouts of the party posting the cash bond remain unknown in spite of diligent effort to locate and return the money to the proper owner, and there is no warrant outstanding.

B. Before any such sums are appropriated under the provisions of this Section, the court shall publish a notice in the official daily journal for the parish seeking information concerning the whereabouts of the party at interest.

C. When these procedures have been followed and the court cannot return the money to the proper party at interest, the court may appropriate and use the cash bond money by depositing it in the judicial expense fund of the court to be used for the necessary expenses and operation of the court functions as determined by the judges.

D. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section, the owner of a cash bond so appropriated, upon proper identification and evidence of ownership, may reclaim the bond money at any time even though appropriated and used pursuant to this Section. The court shall set aside a reserve of ten percent of all such sums appropriated against this contingency and shall maintain an ongoing inventory of all such funds.

E. Whenever the efforts of the court to locate the party posting the bond has resulted in the return of the bond money, the court shall be entitled to reimbursement for the cost of the advertisement plus an additional fee not to exceed twenty-five dollars which may be withheld from the bond money.

Acts 1984, No. 648, §1.