Fees and Court Costs

There are fees and costs associated with DUI and other criminal offenses. Depending on your type of sentence or supervised release conditions, you will have to pay these fees and costs in order to comply.

As is, these fees are ridiculous. Corrections is currently asking the court to ratify rate increases.

Below is a list of the fees and the proposed increases:

-Victims Panel: From $40.00 to $75.00
-DWS Class: From $40.00 to $75.00
-Bench and Full Probation: From $50.00 per month to $100.00 per month
-DWI Detention Center: From $125.00 to $150.00
-Work Crew Sign-up Fee: From $20.00 to $40.00
-Deferred Prosecution Monitoring: From $50.00 per month to $100.00 per month

Besides the above fees rising, other fees may be added. They are:

-Electronic Home Confinement Hook-up Fee: $40.00
-Pre-trial Supervised Release: $50.00 per month, extracted at sentencing.

These fees will only cause more driving while suspended arrests. If you cannot comply with your fees given to you at sentencing or pre-trial hearings, the court will notify the Department of Licensing, after they send you to collections. If the fees are not paid, your license will be suspended. This also often leads to an arrest warrant.

With regard to the supervised release fee, if your case is continued for strategic purposes or by the court, you are paying $50.00 per month to comply. Most of our cases range from 2-8 months, which can be $100.00 to $400.00, on top of about $1,200.00 in other legal financial responsibilities.

Should people who are struggling to pay the cost of treatment as it is have to pay double?

What went up to cause this raise? Where is the extra money needed and where is it going?

Should other fines and fees be lowered to compensate these raises in fees?

If you think these increases are uncalled for, please contact your local District Court Judges (www.clark.wa.gov/courts/district/judges.html) before it’s too late.