Criminal penalties: nonpayment of fines.

Existing law provides that a judgment that a criminal defendant pay a fine, other than a restitution fine or order, may also direct that he or she be imprisoned until the fine is satisfied. Existing law requires the judgment to specify the term of imprisonment for nonpayment of the fine, and prohibits that term from exceeding one day for each $30 of the fine, or exceeding the term for which the defendant may be sentenced for the offense of which he or she has been convicted. Existing law also provides that in all felony and misdemeanor convictions, either by plea or by verdict, when the defendant has been in custody, all days of custody of the defendant, as specified, are to be credited upon his or her term of imprisonment, or credited to any fine, on a proportional basis, that may be imposed, at the rate of not less than $30 per day, in the discretion of the court imposing the sentence. This bill would increase those rates from not less than $30 to not less than $125 per day.