2023 Indiana Code › Title 35. Criminal Law and Procedure › Article 33. Preliminary Proceedings › Chapter 8. Bail and Bail Procedure › 35-33-8-3.3. Pretrial Services Fee

Sec. 3.3. (a) This section does not apply to a defendant charged in a city or town court.
(b) If a defendant who has a prior unrelated conviction for any offense is charged with a new offense and placed under the supervision of a probation officer or pretrial services agency, the court may order the defendant to pay the pretrial services fee prescribed under subsection (e) if:
(1) the defendant has the financial ability to pay the fee; and
(2) the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that supervision by a probation officer or pretrial services agency is necessary to ensure the:
(A) defendant's appearance in court; or
(B) physical safety of the community or of another person.
(c) If a clerk of a court collects a pretrial services fee, the clerk may retain not more than three percent (3%) of the fee to defray the administrative costs of collecting the fee. The clerk shall deposit amounts retained under this subsection in the clerk's record perpetuation fund established under IC 33-37-5-2.
(d) If a clerk of a court collects a pretrial services fee from a defendant, upon request of the county auditor, the clerk shall transfer not more than three percent (3%) of the fee to the county auditor for deposit in the county general fund.
(e) The court may order a defendant who is supervised by a probation officer or pretrial services agency and charged with an offense to pay:
(1) an initial pretrial services fee of at least twenty-five dollars ($25) and not more than one hundred dollars ($100);
(2) a monthly pretrial services fee of at least fifteen dollars ($15) and not more than thirty dollars ($30) for each month the defendant remains on bail and under the supervision of a probation officer or pretrial services agency; and
(3) an administrative fee of one hundred dollars ($100);
to the probation department, pretrial services agency, or clerk of the court if the defendant meets the conditions set forth in subsection (b).
(f) The probation department, pretrial services agency, or clerk of the court shall collect the administrative fee under subsection (e)(3) before collecting any other fee under subsection (e). Except for the money described in subsections (c) and (d), all money collected by the probation department, pretrial services agency, or clerk of the court under this section shall be transferred to the county treasurer, who shall deposit fifty percent (50%) of the money into the county supplemental adult probation services fund and fifty percent (50%) of the money into the county supplemental public defender services fund (IC 33-40-3-1). The fiscal body of the county shall appropriate money from the county supplemental adult probation services fund:
(1) to the county, superior, or circuit court of the county that provides probation services or pretrial services to adults to supplement adult probation services or pretrial services; and
(2) to supplement the salary of:
(A) an employee of a pretrial services agency; or
(B) a probation officer in accordance with the schedule adopted by the county fiscal body under IC 36-2-16.5.
(g) The county supplemental adult probation services fund may be used only to supplement adult probation services or pretrial services and to supplement salaries for probation officers or employees of a pretrial services agency. A supplemental probation services fund may not be used to replace other probation services or pretrial services funding. Any money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year does not revert to any other fund but continues in the county supplemental adult probation services fund.
(h) A defendant who is charged with more than one (1) offense and who is supervised by the probation department or pretrial services agency as a condition of bail may not be required to pay more than:
(1) one (1) initial pretrial services fee; and
(2) one (1) monthly pretrial services fee per month.
(i) A probation department or pretrial services agency may petition a court to:
(1) impose a pretrial services fee on a defendant; or
(2) increase a defendant's pretrial services fee;
if the financial ability of the defendant to pay a pretrial services fee changes while the defendant is on bail and supervised by a probation officer or pretrial services agency.
(j) An order to pay a pretrial services fee under this section:
(1) is a judgment lien that, upon the defendant's conviction:
(A) attaches to the property of the defendant;
(B) may be perfected;
(C) may be enforced to satisfy any payment that is delinquent under this section; and
(D) expires;
in the same manner as a judgment lien created in a civil proceeding;
(2) is not discharged by the disposition of charges against the defendant or by the completion of a sentence, if any, imposed on the defendant;
(3) is not discharged by the liquidation of a defendant's estate by a receiver under IC 32-30-5; and
(4) is immediately terminated if a defendant is acquitted or if charges against the defendant are dropped.
(k) If a court orders a defendant to pay a pretrial services fee, the court may, upon the defendant's conviction, enforce the order by garnishing the wages, salary, and other income earned by the defendant.
(l) In addition to other methods of payment allowed by law, a probation department or pretrial services agency may accept payment of a pretrial services fee by credit card (as defined in IC 14-11-1-7(a)). The liability for payment is not discharged until the probation department or pretrial services agency receives payment or credit from the institution responsible for making the payment or credit.
(m) The probation department or pretrial services agency may contract with a bank or credit card vendor for acceptance of a bank or credit card. However, if there is a vendor transaction charge or discount fee, whether billed to the probation department or pretrial services agency, or charged directly to the account of the probation department or pretrial services agency, the probation department or pretrial services agency may collect a credit card service fee from the person using the bank or credit card. The fee collected under this subsection is a permitted additional charge to the fee or fees the defendant may be required to pay under subsection (e).
(n) The probation department or pretrial services agency shall forward a credit card service fee collected under subsection (m) to the county treasurer in accordance with subsection (f). These funds may be used without appropriation to pay the transaction charge or discount fee charged by the bank or credit card vendor.
As added by P.L.173-2006, SEC.43. Amended by P.L.217-2014, SEC.189.