(A) Deferred prosecution fee.
(1) The following findings of facts are adopted herewith:
(a) Deferred prosecution of a charge is beneficial to an accused.
(b) Deferred prosecution involves additional time, effort and follow-up on the part of the court staff, which involves a cost to taxpayers.
(c) The cost of the follow-up involved with a deferred prosecution shall be borne by the recipient of this favorable option.
(d) Based on all of the specifics involved with monitoring and follow-up in a deferred prosecution, $50 is a fair and reasonable cost to charge each accused/recipient involved.
(2) A deferred prosecution fee for the deferred prosecution program is hereby established for the Municipal Court in the amount of $50. This fee shall apply to any charge or charges deferred for an accused based on certain conditions being accomplished. The Municipal Court shall promulgate paperwork, procedures and policies to administer this program and fee.
(B) Administrative service fee.
(1) The following are adopted as findings of fact as evidence of specific work done by the court for offenders who are found guilty in the Mount Pleasant Municipal Court:
(a) Court continuances due to conflicts with the assigned court date.
(b) Record checks for other agencies and for employment purposes.
(c) Researching information requested on court case dispositions.
(d) Faxing information, then mailing the original.
(e) Processing warrants for non- sufficient checks. Takes staff away from the office in order to process with the magistrate’s office.
(f) Processing cases with the Court of General Sessions results in staff going to the Charleston County Clerk of Court’s office to have tickets signed off, which verifies that specific cases were disposed of.
(g) Sending notices to offenders by certified mail to insure individuals are notified. This is done to avoid having offenders tried in their absence.
(h) As a courtesy to offenders, this court sends certified letters notifying them of pending bench warrants. This letter is to advise them that they have ten days in which to pay their fine in order to avoid a formal arrest.
(i) Expungement of offenders’ court records.
(j) Requests for copies of tickets, letters, and the like are made on a daily basis.
(2) The amount of $10 is found to be a fair and reasonable amount to charge all guilty offenders in the Municipal Court.
(3) An administrative service fee for offenders who are found guilty in the Municipal Court is hereby established for the Municipal Court in the amount of $10. The Municipal Court shall promulgate paperwork, procedures and policies to administer the fee.
(Ord. 00045, passed 8-8-00)
Cross-Reference:
Collection of delinquent debts, see § 40.20