California Government Code 70372 – (a) (1) Except as otherwise provided in this article, there …
(a) (1) Except as otherwise provided in this article, there shall be levied a state court construction penalty, in the amount of five dollars ($5) for every ten dollars ($10), or part of ten dollars ($10), upon every fine, penalty, or forfeiture imposed and collected by the courts for all criminal offenses, including, but not limited to, all offenses involving a violation of a section of the Fish and Game Code, the Health and Safety Code, or the Vehicle Code or any local ordinance adopted pursuant to the Vehicle Code. This penalty is in addition to any other state or local penalty, including, but not limited to, the penalty provided by § 1464 of the Penal Code and Section 76000.
(2) This construction penalty does not apply to the following:
Terms Used In California Government Code 70372
- Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
- City: includes "city and county" and "incorporated town" but does not include "unincorporated town" or "village. See California Government Code 20
- County: includes city and county. See California Government Code 19
- Court facilities: consist of all of the following:
California Government Code 70301
- Person: includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, or company. See California Government Code 17
- Process: includes a writ or summons issued in the course of judicial proceedings of either a civil or criminal nature. See California Government Code 22
- Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
- State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Government Code 18
- Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which the term occurs unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Government Code 10
(A) Any restitution fine.
(B) Any penalty authorized by § 1464 of the Penal Code or Chapter 12 (commencing with Section 76000) of Title 8.
(C) Any parking offense subject to Article 3 (commencing with Section 40200) of Chapter 1 of Division 17 of the Vehicle Code.
(D) The state surcharge authorized by § 1465.7 of the Penal Code.
(3) Any bail schedule adopted pursuant to Section 1269b of the Penal Code or adopted by the Judicial Council pursuant to § 40310 of the Vehicle Code may include the necessary amount to pay the penalty established by this section, the penalties authorized by § 1464 of the Penal Code and Chapter 12 (commencing with Section 76000) of Title 8, and the surcharge authorized by § 1465.7 of the Penal Code for all matters where a personal appearance is not mandatory and the bail is posted primarily to guarantee payment of the fine. After a determination by the court of the amount due, the clerk of the court shall collect the penalty and transmit it immediately to the county treasury and the county treasurer shall transmit these sums as provided in subdivision (f).
(b) In addition to the penalty provided by subdivision (a), for every parking offense where a parking penalty, fine, or forfeiture is imposed, an added state court construction penalty of four dollars and fifty cents ($4.50) shall be included in the total penalty, fine, or forfeiture. These moneys shall be taken from fines and forfeitures deposited with the county treasurer prior to any division pursuant to Section 1462.3 or 1463.009 of the Penal Code. In those cities, districts, or other issuing agencies which elect to accept parking penalties, and otherwise process parking violations pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 40200) of Chapter 1 of Division 17 of the Vehicle Code, that city, district, or issuing agency shall observe the increased bail amounts as established by the court reflecting the added penalty provided for by this subdivision. Each agency that elects to process parking violations shall pay to the county treasurer four dollars and fifty cents ($4.50) for the parking penalty imposed by this subdivision for each violation that is not filed in court. Those payments to the county treasurer shall be made monthly, and the county treasurer shall transmit these sums as provided in paragraph (2) of subdivision (f). In the event these payments were deposited in a local courthouse construction fund and expended pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 592 of the Statutes of 2003, no county or processing agency shall be liable for the failure to transmit the payments to the Controller during the 2008 calendar year.
(c) If multiple offenses are involved, the state court construction penalty under subdivision (a) shall be based upon the total fine or bail for each case. If a fine is suspended, in whole or in part, the state court construction penalty under subdivision (a) shall be reduced in proportion to the suspension.
(d) If any deposited bail is made for an offense to which this section applies, and for which a court appearance is not mandatory, the person making the deposit shall also deposit a sufficient amount to include the state court construction penalty prescribed by subdivision (a) for forfeited bail. If bail is returned, the state court construction penalty paid thereon pursuant to subdivision (a) shall also be returned.
(e) In any case where a person convicted of any offense, to which this section applies, is in prison until the fine is satisfied, the judge may waive all or any part of the state court construction penalty, the payment of which would work a hardship on the person convicted or their immediate family.
(f) Within 45 days after the end of the month that moneys are deposited in the county treasury pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b), the county treasurer shall transmit the moneys to the Controller to be deposited into the State Court Facilities Construction Fund.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 79, Sec. 21. (AB 143) Effective July 16, 2021.)