Existing law imposes various fees, contingent upon a criminal arrest, prosecution, or conviction, for the cost of administering the criminal justice system, including traffic violator school fees, costs for when a minor is adjudged a ward of the court, as specified, or costs incurred by a state or local agency for the disposal of various substances if the person is a manufacturer of a controlled substance, as specified.

This bill would repeal the authority to collect many of those fees, among others. The bill would make the unpaid balance of most court-imposed costs unenforceable and uncollectible and would require any portion of a judgment imposed by those costs to be vacated. The bill would relieve a person who is sentenced to state prison or confined in a county jail from being required to pay any trial court filing fees or costs related to the person’s underlying criminal conviction.

Existing law requires, among others, the state and certain cities, to accept personal checks in addition to any other authorized form of payment drawn, as specified, for the payment of certain obligations if the person issuing the check meets specified conditions.

This bill would authorize those entities to accept personal checks, in addition to any other authorized form of payment, as payment for court-ordered debt relating to a criminal proceeding without regard to those conditions. The bill would prohibit a public entity from imposing a charge to recover processing and collection costs for returned checks for court-ordered debt relating to a criminal proceeding.

The bill would make related findings and declarations.

The bill would also make various conforming changes.