(1) A person who has been convicted of an offense other than a capital felony may be sentenced to pay a fine in addition to any punishment described in s. 775.082; when specifically authorized by statute, he or she may be sentenced to pay a fine in lieu of any punishment described in s. 775.082. A person who has been convicted of a noncriminal violation may be sentenced to pay a fine. Fines for designated crimes and for noncriminal violations shall not exceed:

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   (a)() $15,000, when the conviction is of a life felony.

   (b)() $10,000, when the conviction is of a felony of the first or second degree.

   (c)() $5,000, when the conviction is of a felony of the third degree.

   (d)() $1,000, when the conviction is of a misdemeanor of the first degree.

   (e)() $500, when the conviction is of a misdemeanor of the second degree or a noncriminal violation.

   (f)() Any higher amount equal to double the pecuniary gain derived from the offense by the offender or double the pecuniary loss suffered by the victim.

   (g)() Any higher amount specifically authorized by statute.

Fines imposed in this subsection shall be deposited by the clerk of the court in the fine and forfeiture fund established pursuant to s. 142.01, except that the clerk shall remit fines imposed when adjudication is withheld to the Department of Revenue for deposit in the General Revenue Fund. If a defendant is unable to pay a fine, the court may defer payment of the fine to a date certain. As used in this subsection, the term “convicted” or “conviction” means a determination of guilt which is the result of a trial or the entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, regardless of whether adjudication is withheld.

   (2) In addition to the fines set forth in subsection (1), court costs shall be assessed and collected in each instance a defendant pleads nolo contendere to, or is convicted of, or adjudicated delinquent for, a felony, a misdemeanor, or a criminal traffic offense under state law, or a violation of any municipal or county ordinance if the violation constitutes a misdemeanor under state law. The court costs imposed by this section shall be $50 for a felony and $20 for any other offense and shall be deposited by the clerk of the court into an appropriate county account for disbursement for the purposes provided in this subsection. A county shall account for the funds separately from other county funds as crime prevention funds. The county, in consultation with the sheriff, must expend such funds for crime prevention programs in the county, including safe neighborhood programs under ss. 163.501–163.523.

   (3) The purpose of this section is to provide uniform penalty authorization for criminal offenses and, to this end, a reference to this section constitutes a general reference under the doctrine of incorporation by reference.

s. 4, ch. 71-136; s. 6, ch. 74-383; s. 1, ch. 77-97; s.