COLUMBIANA CO. Court recovers unpaid costs

A mediator hired by the court earlier this year has produced settlements in most cases assigned to him.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- An effort by Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to recover unpaid court costs has netted about $10,600 so far.
Common pleas court judges C. Ashley Pike and David Tobin detailed results of the program, which began in September 2001.
The effort netted $10,589 out of $15,706 in delinquent court costs from civil cases originating in 1999 and 2000.
Working with the county clerk of courts office, the court sent notices to those who had yet to pay.
If they didn't pay, they were required to appear before a magistrate to explain why.
"This is an ongoing program," Judge Pike said.
Domestic cases
Eventually a similar program will aim to recover delinquent costs for domestic relations cases, Judge Pike said.
Programs already are in place to recover court costs for juvenile and criminal cases.
In other court-related matters, the judges reported that a mediator hired in January has worked on 42 cases so far this year and has helped settle about 85 percent of them.
The mediator, Judge Loren Popio of Mahoning County, is assigned cases from Columbiana County Common Pleas Court that appear to be candidates for mediated settlements.
The mediator gets the parties together.
Reaching a settlement before a court trial saves litigants and the court time and money, Judge Pike explained.
Judge Popio is paid $250 per case. The annual ceiling on his contract is $10,000.
Money to pay for the judge's mediation services come from the court's annual budget.
leigh@vindy.com