(a) In Etowah County, additional court costs in the amount of five dollars ($5) per day shall be assessed and collected against each person incarcerated or booked in the Etowah County Jail. The court costs assessed pursuant to this section shall be in addition to any other court costs or other costs and charges imposed on persons incarcerated or booked in the Etowah County Jail.
(b) The court costs imposed by this section shall be assessed against a defendant upon conviction by the appropriate court where the defendant is convicted. The sheriff shall be required to notify the appropriate court clerk on a regular basis of the exact amount of the assessment to be collected for entry on the docket sheet.
(c) The revenues derived from the court costs shall be credited on a monthly basis to a law enforcement fund to be used by the Sheriff of Etowah County for equipment and professional development of the sheriff’s department in the public interest as the sheriff sees fit.
(d) In any case where the court costs provided by this section are not paid, the district attorney of the county shall assist in the collection of the fees in the same manner as other court ordered monies and shall be entitled to the same fees. In addition, the sheriff may contract for the collection of the fees and may pay a portion of the fees as a cost of collection. The sheriff may apply funds held while a person is incarcerated in the county jail toward any assessment of court costs pursuant to this section after the assessments are entered by the court clerk.
Last modified: May 3, 2021