COLUMBIANA CO. SHERIFF Department changes its policy in cost of serving court papers

The department will charge for every trip necessary to serve the papers.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Changes in the amount the Columbiana County Sheriff's Department charges for its deputies to serve court papers is expected to raise an additional $30,000 annually.
Sheriff Dave Smith implemented a plan Monday that calls for his deputies to charge for the mileage involved in each trip necessary to serve various court papers.
Those documents include indictments, subpoenas, arrest warrants and notice of civil actions.
Under the new policy, the mileage rate stays the same -- 50 cents for the first mile and 20 cents for each mile after that.
Previously, the department charged mileage only for the first trip, regardless of how many trips were required to serve the paperwork.
Smith noted that in many cases, individuals try to avoid being served, making more trips necessary. Now those extra trips will increase the amount charged.
Court costs: In situations involving indictments and arrest warrants, the service expense will become part of court costs for the individual charged with a criminal offense, Smith explained.
In situations where a person files a lawsuit and wants a deputy to serve notice of the filing on the person being sued, the person who filed the suit will pay the service charge.
Smith was unable to estimate how much the department has been raising annually in service costs.
The estimated $30,000 in additional revenue that will be produced annually by the new policy will go into the county's general fund.
Smith said he hopes some of that money will be put back into the sheriff's budget.