Traffic violator school: fees.

Existing law authorizes a court to order or permit a person who pleads guilty or who pleads no contest or who is convicted of a traffic offense to attend a licensed traffic violator school, after a deposit of a specified fee or bail, a plea of guilty or no contest, or a conviction. Existing law requires the clerk of the court to collect a fee from every person who is ordered or permitted to attend a traffic violator school pursuant to specified provisions of law, in an amount equal to the total bail set forth for the eligible offense on the uniform countywide bail schedule. Existing law authorizes the clerk to accept a payment of at least 10% of the required fee upon filing a written agreement by the defendant to pay the remaining amount according to an installment schedule of up to 90 days. This bill would instead require the clerk to permit a defendant who is ordered or permitted to attend traffic violator school, and who demonstrates to the court an inability to pay the total required fee immediately, to pay the fee in installments. The bill would make the defendant eligible to attend traffic violator school upon payment of the first installment.