Courts only collect the arrest fee when a defendant is arrested and taken to jail.

• A. True
• B. False; arrest fee is also assessed when a defendant is issued a citation by a peace officer
• C. False; no arrest fee ever
• D. False; only assessed when defendant is convicted

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that fees are tied to the court’s processing of a case, not just the act of being arrested. An arrest fee covers the costs of handling a defendant in the court system—booking, records, notices, and scheduling—whether the person is actually taken into custody or simply issued a citation. When a peace officer issues a citation, the case still enters the court system, requires processing, and those costs are incurred, so the arrest fee can be assessed in that situation as well. Therefore, it isn’t true that the fee is charged only after an arrest and jail intake. Some jurisdictions may vary in exact practices, but the underlying concept is that the fee reflects processing costs for bringing a case to court, regardless of whether an arrest occurs.