:format(jpg)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/baltimorebanner/SOO3XNZAMZCXPEF26TJVW65E5U.jpg)
The Baltimore Circuit Court clerk’s office has not fixed “longstanding deficiencies” and failed to refer accounts that owed more than $7 million in outstanding criminal court fees to the state for collections, a new audit has found.
The Maryland Office of Legislative Audits released the report on Monday and looked at the period of Sept. 26, 2017 to Oct. 15, 2021.
As allowed under state law, the Baltimore Circuit Court clerk’s office is responsible for billing people, mailing them letters about overdue payment and referring delinquent accounts to the Maryland Department of Budget and Management’s Central Collection Unit, according to the audit. But the agency, the report found, did not forward 30,150 accounts that had balances before 2008 and owed a total of $7.6 million to the state for collections.
Four previous audits of the clerk’s office dating to 2008 mentioned similar issues.
“We audit all state agencies. And it’s very rare, very rare, that we have outstanding issues going back 14 years — even the most complicated problems,” said Josh Adler, assistant director of the Maryland Office of Legislative Audits.
“I’d say the biggest issue here is the continuing problems,” he added. “It’s very concerning that this is public money, and they’re not adhering to state regulations.”
As of June 30, 2021, people owed $12.7 million in outstanding criminal court fees in Baltimore, the audit stated.
Circuit Administrative Judge Audrey J. S. Carrión signed two administrative orders last year stating that accounts with balances prior to 2008 were uncollectible, according to the audit. But the clerk’s office is still required to send them to the state for collections anyway.
Earlier this year, the clerk’s office had still not referred 22,750 of those accounts that owed a total of $6.2 million to the state for collections.
The clerk’s office did not pursue collecting money from an additional approximately 10,400 accounts that owed a total of $3.2 million, according to the audit.
In those cases, judges delayed when people had to start paying until after they were released from jail or prison.
The clerk’s office, the report stated, did not always keep records about when people were being released or periodically monitor those accounts.
The audit also found that the office did not have sufficient safeguards in place for how it collected land recordation, licensing and civil court fees.
In its response attached to the audit, the clerk’s office reported that it met with the state and asked to wipe out criminal costs and fines from 1961-2007. The agency agreed to immediately implement some of the other recommendations.
Clerk of Circuit Court Marilyn Bentley could not immediately be reached. She’s served in the position since 2016, but did not seek re-election.
dylan.segelbaum@thebaltimorebanner.com
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/baltimorebanner/590ca0a2-d048-4478-8073-9c2274dc4dcb.png)
Dylan Segelbaum is the courts reporter at The Baltimore Banner.
:format(jpg)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/baltimorebanner/UTOU6RCPLZEOREZ3XZNRG2ZDKY.jpg)
:format(jpg)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/baltimorebanner/YO2XC34J6JHOZKTPKVPUWFEYVE.jpg)
:format(jpg)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/baltimorebanner/5VYMTB6UOFHKXG72LMP42HMWOU.jpg)
:format(jpg)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/baltimorebanner/7V65VJ4Z2FCCNPYEXDDIMABSPE.JPG)