The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 10, 1903

Time Honored 7.10 is Superseded

Mayor Northrup Announces Change in Assessment of Fees in Police Court

Marshall’s (sic) Fees Will Be $1.85

Claimed that Former Rate $3.10 was not Authorized by law. Other Fees the Same.

Mayor Northrup has instituted a change in the manner of assessing police court fines, which went into effect at the session of court held on Thursday afternoon. As a result, the time honored sum of $7.10, which for years has been set over against the name of the man fined for the offense of drunkenness, has been consigned to oblivion, and $5.85 will take its place.

Mayor Northrup looked up the matter of police court fines when he entered upon the duties of his office, and states that he found nothing in the law to make the marshal’s fee amount to $3.10, the sum at which it has been placed almost ever since Fort Dodge has had a police court. He says that the marshal’s fee legally amounts to but $1.85. Substituting this amount for the $3.10 formerly paid the marshal the amount $5.85 becomes the fine will hereafter fall to the lot of the plain drunk.

The fees for the ordinary fine of $1 and costs will be assessed as follows:

In addition to these customary fees, the following may be assessed when necessary:

Mayor Northrup announced this morning that his police court will be carried on under this system of fees during this term of office.

Tags: 1903