Section 68635 Of Article 6. Waiver Of Court Fees And Costs From California Government Code >> Title 8. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 6.
68635
. (a) This section applies only to waivers of trial court
fees.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a person
who is sentenced to the state prison or confined in a county jail
shall pay the full amount of the trial court filing fees and costs to
the extent provided in this section.
(c) To apply for an initial fee waiver, a person who is sentenced
to the state prison or confined in a county jail shall complete,
under penalty of perjury, a Judicial Council application form giving
the current address of the inmate and a statement that he or she is
incarcerated, together with a statement of account for any moneys due
to the inmate for the six-month period immediately preceding the
application. The form shall be certified by the appropriate official
of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation or a county jail.
(d) When the pleadings or other papers are filed, the court shall
assess and, if funds exist, collect as partial payment, a partial
filing fee of 20 percent of the greater of either of the following:
(1) The average monthly deposits to the inmate's account.
(2) The average monthly balance in the inmate's account for the
six-month period immediately preceding the application.
(e) After the initial filing fee is partially paid, the inmate
shall make monthly payments of 20 percent of the preceding month's
income credited to the inmate's account. The Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation, or a county jail, shall forward
payments from this account to the clerk of the court each time the
amount in the account exceeds ten dollars ($10) until the filing fees
are paid in full.
(f) The fees collected by the court under this section shall not
exceed the amount of the fees that would be charged to a person who
is not incarcerated.
(g) The court may delegate to a clerk the authority to process
requests for fee waivers from inmates under this section.
(h) An inmate shall not be prohibited from filing pleadings or
other papers solely because the inmate has no assets and no means to
partially pay the initial filing fee.