(a) Except as provided in subdivision (c), there may be levied a special assessment in an amount equal to one dollar ($1) for every fine, forfeiture, and traffic violator school fee imposed and collected by any court that conducts a night or weekend session of the court, on all offenses involving a violation of a section of this code or any local ordinance adopted pursuant to this code, except offenses relating to parking.
(b) When a person makes a deposit of bail for an offense to which this section applies, in a case in which the person is required to appear in a court that conducts a night or weekend session, the person making the deposit shall also deposit a sufficient amount to include the assessment prescribed in this section for forfeited bail. If bail is forfeited, the amount of the assessment shall be transmitted by the clerk of the court to the county treasury for disposition as prescribed by subdivision (d).
(c) If a court conducts night or weekend sessions at two or more locations, the court may do either of the following:
(1) Levy assessments only on those persons who are required to appear at the location where night or weekend sessions are held.
(2) Levy assessments on persons who have the option to appear at a location where night or weekend court sessions are held and that is within 25 miles of the location of the court where the person is otherwise required to appear.
(d) After a determination by the court of the amount of the assessment due, the clerk of the court shall collect the amount and transmit it as provided in subdivision (g).
(e) In any case where a person convicted of any offense to which this section applies is imprisoned until the fine is satisfied, the court shall waive the penalty assessment.
(f) As used in subdivisions (g) and (h), the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Court Facilities Trust Fund” means the fund established by Section 70352 of the Government Code.
(2) “Location” means a court facility holding night or weekend sessions under this section.
(3) “Transfer of responsibility” means the transfer of responsibility for court facilities from the counties to the state pursuant to Chapter 5.7 (commencing with Section 70301) of Title 8 of the Government Code.
(g) (1) If transfer of responsibility for a location has occurred, the clerk shall collect any assessment imposed pursuant to subdivision (c) and transmit it to the Court Facilities Trust Fund. Moneys deposited pursuant to this subdivision shall be used for any purpose provided by subdivision (b) of Section 70352 of the Government Code.
(2) If transfer of responsibility for a location has not occurred, the clerk shall collect any assessment imposed pursuant to subdivision (c) and transmit it to the county treasury to be deposited in the night court session fund, and the moneys in the fund shall be expended by the county for maintaining courts for which transfer of responsibility has not occurred and that have night or weekend sessions for traffic offenses.
(h) (1) The county treasurer of each county shall transfer from the night court session fund to the Court Facilities Trust Fund an amount that is the same percentage of the night court session fund as of January 1, 2009, as the square footage of locations for which transfer of responsibility has occurred on or before January 1, 2009, is to the total square footage of locations.
(2) For locations for which transfer of responsibility occurs after January 1, 2009, the county treasurer shall, at the time of transfer of any location, transfer from the night court session fund to the Court Facilities Trust Fund an amount that is the same percentage of the night court session fund as the square footage of the location for which transfer of responsibility is occurring is to the sum of the square footage of locations for which transfer of responsibility has not occurred and the square footage of the location being transferred.
(3) Upon the transfer of responsibility for all locations, the county treasurer shall transfer to the Court Facilities Trust Fund any amount remaining in the night court session fund.
(4) Any expenditures made from the fund for a purpose other than those specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (g) shall be repaid to the state for deposit in the Court Facilities Trust Fund.
(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 218, Sec. 7. Effective January 1, 2009.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018