Opinion ID: 3164794
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Costs, Fees, and Surcharges

Text: Â¶10Â Â Â Â Â Â Â When Nelson was convicted after the first trial, the court ordered her to pay several costs, fees, and surcharges, totaling $347.50. First, Nelson was ordered to pay $125.00 to the crime victim compensation fund. The court orders a defendant to pay this fine when a criminal action results in a conviction or deferred judgment. Â§ 24-4.1-119. These fines go into the crime victim compensation fund housed in each judicial district. Id.; Â§ 24-4.1-117(1), C.R.S. (2015). Other than a small portion allocated to the fundâs administrative costs, money in the fund is to be used âsolely for the compensation of victims.â Â§ 24-4.1-117(5). Nelson paid this fee.Â Â¶11Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Next, the court imposed a separate charge for the VAST fund. Â§ 24-4.2-104(1)(d). The court administrator in each judicial district is responsible for the VAST fund in that district. Â§ 24-4.2-104(1)(a)(I). Fees supporting this fund are âlevied on each criminal action resulting in a conviction or in a deferred judgment and sentence.â Â§Â§ 24-4.1-119, 24-4.2-104. Nelson paid $162.50 to the VAST fund. Â¶12Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Nelson was also charged a docket fee of $35.00, which funds the judicial stabilization cash fund and the state commission on judicial performance cash fund. Â§ 13-32-105. Nelson did not pay this docket fee. Â¶13Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Because Nelson was unable to pay the costs, fees, and restitution on the day that she was ordered to pay, she was charged a time payment fee of $25.00. Â§ 16-11-101.6(1), C.R.S. (2015). This fee is charged each year that the amount owed is not fully paid. Id. Â Time payment fees fund the judicial collection enhancement fund, which is located in the state treasury. Â§ 16-11-101.6(2).The General Assembly makes annual appropriations from the fund to cover âadministrative and personnel costs incurred in collecting restitution, fines, costs, fees, and other monetary assessments.â Id. Nelson did not pay the time payment fee. Â¶14Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Nelson began paying the fees according to a payment plan because she was not able to pay them when she was convicted. When a defendant pays according to a payment plan, the payments are credited in the following order: (1) crime victim compensation fund; (2) VAST fund; (3) restitution; (4) surcharges related to the address confidentiality program; (5) time payment fee; (6) late fees; and (7) any other fines, fees, or surcharges. Â§ 16-18.5-110, C.R.S. (2015). However, the State pays the cost of criminalÂ cases when a defendant is acquitted or when the court determines that the defendant is unable to pay. Â§ 16-18-101(1), C.R.S. (2015). Because Nelson paid only a portion of what she was originally ordered to pay, the money was credited only to the victim compensation fund, the VAST fund, and toward restitution.