Arizona courts collect filing fees and bar charges for criminal appeals

The supreme court sets an added fee for each superior court filing, appearance, and answer or response. The fee is charged by a superior court clerk for a filing, appearance, or answer or response. The fee may be deferred or waived. The supreme court may exempt filings in certain cases that use few court resources, do not offer a jury trial, or do not use digital evidence. It may not charge the fee for filings for a criminal jury trial. County treasurers send the collected fees to the state treasurer each month for the fair jury improvement fund.

Courts may not charge a criminal defendant a filing fee for an appeal. The prohibition applies to criminal defendants.

Courts may not impose administrative assessments related to a public defender or require repayment to the county for appointed legal services. This concerns people appointed a public defender under the listed circumstances, including defendants and juveniles. The text preserves reimbursement orders in guardianship or conservatorship cases under a separate law. Courts may not order a juvenile or the juvenile’s parent or guardian to pay these assessments or legal-service costs.