The proposed bill, if enacted, would significantly alter the current statutes regarding court fees and assessments for criminal defendants. Under the new provisions, the court would be prohibited from assessing any fees related to the appointment of public defenders or court-appointed counsel, as well as from imposing jury fees or appellate filing fees on criminal defendants. Specifically, the bill would remove prohibit the court from making any assessments related to public defender services, including indigent administrative assessments any reimbursement to the county for legal services. Additionally, the Supreme Court would be restricted from imposing additional fees for jury trials in criminal cases, which are currently collected for the Fair Jury Improvement Fund. Furthermore, the bill would amend the requirements for presentence reports by removing excluding the defendant's ability to contribute to legal defense costs from the information that probation officers must investigate. It would also eliminate the need for an appellant to file an affidavit regarding their inability to pay for certified copies of the record on appeal, thereby ensuring that such costs are charged to the county. Overall, these changes aim to alleviate the financial burden on criminal defendants and streamline the court's fee structure.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 11-584, 12-115, 12-253, 12-306, 12-332, 13-4034, 22-371, 36-3704, 8-221, 14-5414, 35-146, 35-147, 21-222, 35-313, 12-302, 12-304, 13-3994
House Engrossed Version: 11-584, 12-115, 12-253, 12-306, 12-332, 13-4034, 22-371, 36-3704, 8-221, 14-5414, 35-146, 35-147, 21-222, 35-313, 12-302, 12-304, 13-3994