Sec 12-102.01. Criminal case processing and enforcement improvement fund

A. The criminal case processing and enforcement improvement fund is established consisting of monies appropriated to the fund. The purpose of the fund is to improve the processing of criminal cases in the superior court and the justice courts and the enforcement of court orders, including the collection of court ordered fees, fines, penalties, assessments, sanctions and forfeitures.

B. The supreme court shall administer the fund. The supreme court shall allocate monies in the fund to counties for the planning and implementation of collaborative projects that are designed to improve the processing of criminal cases and the enforcement of court orders, including the collection of court ordered fees, fines, penalties, assessments, sanctions and forfeitures. At a minimum, each project shall involve the county attorney, county public defender, county legal defender, county contract indigent defense counsel, superior court, clerk of the superior court, county manager and justice courts in the county. Additional criminal justice entities may also be included in the project.

C. To be eligible for funding, pursuant to this section, a county shall submit to the supreme court a plan that demonstrates how the county attorney, county public defender, county legal defender, county contract indigent defense counsel, superior court including the clerk of the superior court, justice courts and other identified criminal justice entities will work together collaboratively to both:

1. Identify current problems with criminal case processing and the enforcement of court orders, including the collection of court ordered fees, fines, penalties, assessments, sanctions and forfeitures.

2. Identify possible solutions and efficiencies to improve the case processing time and the enforcement of court orders, including the collection of court ordered fees, fines, penalties, assessments, sanctions and forfeitures.

D. By January 8 of each year, the supreme court shall report to the governor, the legislature, each county board of supervisors, the joint legislative budget committee and the Arizona criminal justice commission on the progress of the criminal case processing projects and the enforcement of court orders, including the collection of court ordered fees, fines, penalties, assessments, sanctions and forfeitures. The county attorney, indigent defense counsel and county board of supervisors in each county and the attorney general shall assist the supreme court in preparing the report by providing information relevant to the report. This information may be combined into one report with the information required pursuant to section 12-102.02, subsection D.

E. All monies distributed or spent from the fund shall be used to supplement, not supplant, funding at the level provided in fiscal year 1997-1998 by the counties and the state to improve the processing of criminal cases and the enforcement of court orders, including the collection of court ordered fees, fines, penalties, assessments, sanctions and forfeitures.

F. Monies in the fund are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations and are subject to legislative appropriation.

G. On notice from the supreme court, the state treasurer shall invest and divest monies in the fund as provided by section 35-313, and monies earned from investment shall be credited to the fund.