TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - An appellate court says every defendant convicted of a crime must pay a $20 fee to support Crime Stoppers programs.
The full 1st District Court of Appeal on Wednesday unanimously withdrew a prior decision by a three-judge of the same court that said the assessment applied only to defendants who are fined.
The new ruling noted that the law requiring the fee was revised on July 1, 2010, to change language that made the fee a surcharge to any fine imposed.
The 14 participating judges wrote that the cost is no longer an additional surcharge. One of the 15 judges did not take part in the decision.
