3-10-601. Collection and disposition of fines, penalties, forfeitures, and fees. (1) Except as provided in 61-8-726 and 75-7-123, a justice’s court shall collect the fees prescribed by law for justices’ courts and shall pay them into the county treasury of the county in which the justice of the peace holds office, on or before the 10th day of each month, to be credited to the general fund of the county.

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(2)Except as provided in 61-8-726, 75-7-123, and subsection (4) of this section, all fines, penalties, and forfeitures that are required to be imposed, collected, or paid in a justice’s court must, for each calendar month, be paid by the justice’s court on or before the 5th day of the following month to the treasurer of the county in which the justice’s court is situated, except that they may be distributed as provided in 44-12-213 if imposed, collected, or paid for a violation of Title 45, chapter 9 or 10.

(3)Except as provided in 46-18-236(7), 61-8-726, and 75-7-123, the county treasurer shall, as provided in 15-1-504, distribute money received under subsection (2) as follows:

(a)50% to the department of revenue for deposit in the state general fund; and

(b)50% to the county general fund.

(4)(a) The justice’s court may contract with a private person or entity for the collection of any final judgment that requires a payment to the justice’s court.

(b)In the event that a private person or entity is retained to collect a judgment, the justice’s court may assign the judgment to the private person or entity and the private person or entity may, as an assignee, institute a suit or other lawful collection procedure and other postjudgment remedies in its own name.

(c)The justice’s court may pay the private person or entity a reasonable fee for collecting the judgment. The fee incurred by the justice’s court must be added to the judgment amount.