§ 983. Ability of defendant to pay court financial obligations--Factors--Hardship waiver--Cost ...
Oklahoma Statutes AnnotatedTitle 22. Criminal ProcedureEffective: November 1, 2023
Effective: November 1, 2023
22 Okl.St.Ann. § 983
§ 983. Ability of defendant to pay court financial obligations--Factors--Hardship waiver--Cost hearings--Delinquency--Warrants--Court cost compliance program
B. 1. Except in cases provided for in Section 983b of this title, when the judgment and sentence of a court, either in whole or in part, imposes court financial obligations upon a defendant, the court at the time of sentencing may immediately, or at any point thereafter until the debt is either paid or waived, determine the ability of a defendant to pay the court financial obligations. The court may make such determinations at a cost hearing or upon written motion or affidavit by the defendant. The ability of a defendant to pay court financial obligations may not impact the sentence imposed.
C. 1. At the time of a plea or sentencing, the court shall inform the defendant of the total court financial obligations owed, the consequences of failing to pay the court financial obligations, and that the defendant may request a cost hearing if at any time he or she is unable to pay the court financial obligations, at which point the court may waive all or part of the debt owed. If the total amount of court financial obligations owed is not available at the time of the plea or sentencing, the court shall inform the defendant that court financial obligations have been incurred and the time and location where the defendant may learn of the total amount owed.
2. The court shall order the defendant to appear immediately after sentencing at the office of the court clerk to provide current contact information and to either select payment terms or request a cost hearing. Failure to immediately report to the court clerk shall result in the full amount of court financial obligations to be due thirty (30) days from the date of the plea or sentencing in district courts or thirty (30) days from the date of the plea or sentencing in municipal courts.
Upon any change in circumstances affecting the ability of a defendant to pay, a defendant may request a cost hearing before the court by contacting the court clerk.
4. The district court for each county and all municipal courts shall provide a cost hearing for any defendant upon request, either by establishing a dedicated docket or on an as-requested basis. A defendant who requests a cost hearing will receive a summons by personal service or by United States mail to appear in court as required by subsection G of this section. If a defendant fails to appear for a requested cost hearing, the court may issue either a cost cite and release warrant or a cost arrest warrant. No fees shall be assessed or collected from the defendant as a consequence of either requesting a cost hearing or the issuing of a cost cite and release warrant.
D. In determining the ability of the defendant to pay court financial obligations, the court may rely on testimony, relevant documents, and any information provided by the defendant using a cost hearing affidavit promulgated by the Court of Criminal Appeals. In addition, the court may make inquiry of the defendant and consider any other evidence or testimony concerning the ability of the defendant to pay.
2. The court clerk shall periodically review cases for delinquency at least once every six (6) months and, upon identifying a delinquent defendant, notify the court which shall, within ten (10) days thereafter, set a cost hearing for the court to determine if the defendant is able to pay. The cost hearing shall be set within forty-five (45) days of the issuance of the summons. The hearing shall be set on a date that shall allow the court clerk to issue a summons fourteen (14) days prior to the cost hearing. Defendants shall incur no additional fees associated with the issuance of the summons.
SUMMONS
You are ORDERED to appear for a COST HEARING at a specified time, place, and date to determine if you are financially able to pay the fines, costs, fees, or assessments or an installment due in Case No.__________.
YOU MUST BE PRESENT AT THE HEARING.
At any time before the date of the cost hearing, you may contact the court clerk and pay the amount due or request in writing or in person prior to the court date, that the hearing be rescheduled for no later than thirty (30) days after the scheduled time.
THIS IS NOT AN ARREST WARRANT. However, if you fail to appear for the cost hearing or pay the amount due, the court will issue a WARRANT and refer the case to a court cost compliance liaison which will cause an additional administrative fee of up to thirty-five percent (35%) to be added to the amount owed and may include additional costs imposed by the court.
5. A municipal court, in lieu of mailing the summons provided for in this subsection, may give the summons to the defendant in person at the time of sentencing or subsequent appearance of a specific date, time, and place, not fewer than thirty (30) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days from the date of sentencing to appear for a cost hearing if the court financial obligations remain unpaid.
H. 1. If a defendant is found by a law enforcement officer to have an outstanding cost cite and release warrant, the law enforcement officer shall issue a Warning/Notice to appear within ten (10) days of release from detention on the warrant to the court clerk of the court in which the court financial obligations are owed. If the officer has the necessary equipment, the officer shall immediately transmit the Warning/Notice electronically to the court clerk of the court in which the court financial obligations are owed. The law enforcement officer shall not take the defendant into custody on the cite and release warrant, and no other law enforcement officer who encounters the defendant during this ten-day period may take the defendant into custody on the warrant. If the law enforcement officer is unable to transmit the Warning/Notice electronically to the court clerk, the officer shall inform the appropriate department staff member within the agency of the law enforcement officer of the Warning/Notice within five (5) days. The department staff member shall then promptly notify the law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction that issued the warrant electronically. The electronic communication shall be treated as a duplicate original for all purposes in any subsequent hearings before the appropriate court.
5. The provisions for issuing a separate summons described in subsection G of this section shall not apply to a municipal court if the municipal court has previously provided actual personal notice to the defendant of an opportunity for a cost hearing. If such notice was given and the defendant fails to appear, the municipal court may issue either a cost cite and release warrant or a cost arrest warrant.
6. All warrants for failure to appear at a cost hearing or for failure to pay court financial obligations which have been issued prior to the effective date of this act1 and which remain unserved, shall be treated as cost cite and release warrants. All warrant fees assessed for warrants for failure to appear at a cost hearing or for failure to pay court financial obligations issued prior to the effective date of this act shall remain in effect unless waived by the court.
J. 1. After a cost hearing where a defendant is found able to pay a court financial obligation, either in whole or in part, and then becomes delinquent in that payment, a court may conduct a willfulness hearing at any time beginning immediately after a cost hearing has been held and a decision rendered on the court financial obligations. Findings of a defendant's prior ability to pay may be considered as evidence of ability to pay or willfulness at the hearing. The requirements of this paragraph shall not be construed to prohibit the court from holding subsequent cost hearings on the same court financial obligations.
K. In addition, the district court or municipal court, within one hundred twenty (120) days from the date upon which the person was originally ordered to make payment, and if the court finds and memorializes into the record that the defendant is financially able but willfully refuses to pay the court financial obligations, or an installment due, may send notice of nonpayment of any court-ordered fine and costs for a moving traffic violation to Service Oklahoma with a recommendation of suspension of driving privileges of the defendant until the total amount of any court financial obligation has been paid. Upon receipt of payment of the total amount of the court financial obligations for the moving traffic violation, the court shall send notice thereof to Service Oklahoma, if a nonpayment notice was sent as provided for in this subsection. Notices sent to Service Oklahoma shall be on forms or by a method approved by Service Oklahoma.
L. Every county of this state shall fully utilize and participate in the court cost compliance program. Cases shall be referred to the court cost compliance program no more than sixty (60) days after the court has ordered the referral pursuant to paragraph 4 of subsection G of this section, unless the defendant pays the amount owed on the court financial obligation or an installment due. When the court refers a case, the updated contact information on file shall be forwarded to a court cost compliance liaison for collection purposes.
Credits
Laws 1971, c. 341, § 5, emerg. eff. June 24, 1971; Laws 1990, c. 259, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1990; Laws 1991, c. 238, § 34, eff. July 1, 1991; Laws 1999, c. 359, § 6, eff. Nov. 1, 1999; Laws 2000, c. 159, § 1, emerg. eff. April 28, 2000; Laws 2000, c. 323, § 2, emerg. eff. June 5, 2000; Laws 2018, c. 128, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2018; Laws 2023, c. 247, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2023.
Footnotes
O.S.L. 2023, c. 247, eff. Nov. 1, 2023.
22 Okl. St. Ann. § 983, OK ST T. 22 § 983
Current with emergency effective legislation through Chapter 329 of the Second Regular Session of the 59th Legislature (2024). Some sections may be more current, see credits for details.
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