Opinion ID: 2538584
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Assessment of Court Costs and Fines on an Indigent Defendant

Text: Appellant next argues that the trial court erred when it imposed court costs and fines of $281. Appellant asserts that he is indigent, and that court costs and fines cannot be levied on indigent defendants. This issue is not preserved; however, we invoke our authority under RCr 10.26 and review this issue for palpable error. [14] For years, this Court has taken the position that the language in KRS 31.110(1)(b), the statute providing for waiver of costs for indigent defendants, controlled over KRS 23A.205(2), which provides the trial court discretion in imposing court costs. See Edmonson v. Commonwealth, 725 S.W.2d 595, 596 (Ky.1987). Accordingly, we have previously found it to be a palpable error to impose court costs on an indigent defendant. See, e.g., Wiley v. Commonwealth, 348 S.W.3d 570, 574 (Ky.2010). However, in light of our decision today in Maynes v. Commonwealth, 361 S.W.3d 922 (Ky.2012), Edmonson is no longer good law. Courts may now impose court costs on an indigent defendant, unless the court finds that the defendant is a poor person as defined by KRS 453.190(2) and that he or she is unable to pay court costs and will be unable to pay the court costs in the foreseeable future. KRS 23A.205. Thus, we reverse the trial court's imposition of court costs, and remand for a determination of whether Smith is (1) a poor person as defined by KRS 453.190(2), and (2) unable to pay court costs now, and will be unable to pay court costs in the foreseeable future. [15]