Art. 43.09. [793] [878] [856] FINE DISCHARGED. (a) When a defendant is convicted of a misdemeanor and his punishment is assessed at a pecuniary fine or is confined in a jail after conviction of a felony for which a fine is imposed, if he is unable to pay the fine and costs adjudged against him, he may for such time as will satisfy the judgment be put to work in the county jail industries program, in the workhouse, or on the county farm, or public improvements and maintenance projects of the county or a political subdivision located in whole or in part in the county, as provided in the succeeding article; or if there be no such county jail industries program, workhouse, farm, or improvements and maintenance projects, he shall be confined in jail for a sufficient length of time to discharge the full amount of fine and costs adjudged against him; rating such confinement at $50 for each day and rating such labor at $50 for each day; provided, however, that the defendant may pay the pecuniary fine assessed against him at any time while he is serving at work in the county jail industries program, in the workhouse, or on the county farm, or on the public improvements and maintenance projects of the county or a political subdivision located in whole or in part in the county, or while he is serving his jail sentence, and in such instances he shall be entitled to the credit he has earned under this subsection during the time that he has served and he shall only be required to pay his balance of the pecuniary fine assessed against him. A defendant who performs labor under this article during a day in which he is confined is entitled to both the credit for confinement and the credit for labor provided by this article. (b) In its discretion, the court may order that for each day's confinement served by a defendant under this article, the defendant receive credit toward payment of the pecuniary fine and credit toward payment of costs adjudged against the defendant. Additionally, the court may order that the defendant receive credit under this article for each day's confinement served by the defendant as punishment for the offense. (c) In its discretion, the court may order that a defendant serving concurrent, but not consecutive, sentences for two or more misdemeanors may, for each day served, receive credit toward the satisfaction of costs and fines imposed for each separate offense. (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, in its discretion, the court or the sheriff of the county may grant an additional two days credit for each day served to any inmate participating in an approved work program under this article or a rehabilitation, restitution, or education program. (e) A court in a county served by a community supervision and corrections department that has an electronic monitoring program approved by the community justice assistance division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice may require a defendant who is unable to pay a fine or costs to discharge all or part of the fine or costs by submitting to electronic monitoring. A defendant that submits to electronic monitoring under this subsection discharges fines and costs in the same manner as if the defendant were confined in county jail. (f) A court may require a defendant who is unable to pay a fine or costs to discharge all or part of the fine or costs by performing community service. (g) In its order requiring a defendant to participate in community service work under Subsection (f) of this article, the court must specify: (1) the number of hours the defendant is required to work; and (2) whether the community supervision and corrections department or a court-related services office will perform the administrative duties required by the placement of the defendant in the community service program. (h) The court may order the defendant to perform community service work under Subsection (f) of this article only for a governmental entity or a nonprofit organization that provides services to the general public that enhance social welfare and the general well-being of the community. A governmental entity or nonprofit organization that accepts a defendant under Subsection (f) of this article to perform community service must agree to supervise the defendant in the performance of the defendant's work and report on the defendant's work to the district probation department or court-related services office. (i) The court may require bail of a defendant to ensure the defendant's faithful performance of community service under Subsection (f) of this article and may attach conditions to the bail as it determines are proper. (j) A court may not order a defendant to perform more than 16 hours per week of community service under Subsection (f) of this article unless the court determines that requiring the defendant to work additional hours does not work a hardship on the defendant or the defendant's dependents. (k) A defendant is considered to have discharged $100 of fines or costs for each eight hours of community service performed under Subsection (f) of this article. (l) A sheriff, employee of a sheriff's department, county commissioner, county employee, county judge, an employee of a community corrections and supervision department, restitution center, or officer or employee of a political subdivision other than a county is not liable for damages arising from an act or failure to act in connection with manual labor performed by an inmate pursuant to this article if the act or failure to act: (1) was performed pursuant to confinement or other court order; and (2) was not intentional, wilfully or wantonly negligent, or performed with conscious indifference or reckless disregard for the safety of others. (m) Fines and costs imposed by a municipal court, regardless of whether the court is a court of record, may be discharged in the manner provided by Subsection (f) of this article. A community supervision and corrections department or a court-related services office may provide the administrative duties and other services necessary for the placement in programs under this article of a defendant convicted in a municipal court, regardless of whether the municipal court is a court of record. Acts 1965, 59th Leg., vol. 2, p. 317, ch. 722. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 360, ch. 143, Sec. 1, eff. May 14, 1981; Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 347, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 785, Sec. 4.13, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Subsecs. (a), (d) amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 753, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Subsec. (e) added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1040, Sec. 3, eff. Aug. 28, 1989; Subsecs. (f) to (j) added by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 1040, Sec. 4, eff. Aug. 28, 1989. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 16, Sec. 4.06, eff. Aug. 26, 1991. Subsec. (l) added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 26, 1991. Subsec. (a) amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 578, Sec. 2, eff. June 11, 1993; Subsec. (l) amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 578, Sec. 2, eff. June 11, 1993; Subsec. (m) added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 414, Sec. 1, eff. June 6, 1993. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 5.04, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Subsec. (k) amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1545, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.

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Last modified: August 10, 2007