NY State Senate Bill 2009-S7018

Senate Bill S7018

2009-2010 Legislative Session

Imposes additional fines when a person fails to pay his or her fines or fails to complete counseling or community service when mandated

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Codes Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 08, 2010	referred to codes

co-Sponsors

2009-S7018 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10899
Current Committee:: Senate Codes
Law Section:: Penal Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §221.05, Pen L; amd §65-c, ABC L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: S3336
2013-2014: S2379
2015-2016: S990
2017-2018: S2598
2019-2020: S3897

2009-S7018 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Imposes additional fines when a person fails to pay his or her fines or fails to complete counseling or community service when mandated for unlawful possession of marihuana or unlawful possession of an alcohol beverage.

2009-S7018 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S7018

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend the penal law and the alcoholic beverage control law,
in relation to imposing additional fines when a person fails to pay
his or her fines or fails to complete counseling or community service
when mandated


 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
SECTION 1 amends section 221.05 of the Penal Law to add a new
paragraph 3, which provides that if a person who has been convicted of
unlawful possession fails to pay the fine set by the court within one
hundred twenty days after sentencing, the court may impose an
additional fine of not more than two hundred and fifty dollars. In
addition, the provisions of Criminal Procedure Law Section 120.20 and
Article 410, and Judiciary Law Article 20 may also be applied to
enforce compliance.

SECTION 2 amends paragraph 3 of section 65-c of the Alcoholic Beverage
Control Law by adding a new section (b )which provides that if a
person who has been found to have unlawfully possessed an alcoholic
beverage with intent to consume fails to pay such fine as may be set
by the court, or complete an alcohol awareness program or community
service required by the court, within one hundred twenty days of the
decision of the court, then in additional to the original fine,

awareness program or community service required by the court, the
court may impose an additional fine of not more than two hundred and
fifty dollars. In addition, the provisions of Criminal Procedure Law
Section 120.20 and Article 410, and Judiciary Law Article 20 may also
be applied to enforce compliance.

SECTION 3 provides that this act shall take effect on the ninetieth
day after it shall have become law.

 PURPOSE AND JUSTIFICATION :
Local Justices are reporting an alarming number of people,
particularly young people, who are simply disregarding the sentence of
the court in cases of simple possession of marijuana or underage
possession of alcohol. Many apparently realize that if they do not pay
the fine, or complete a course or community service, or even appear,
there is nothing more that the court can do. Because jail time is not
a possible sentence, the court cannot issue a warrant. The small fines
or educational and service requirements cannot be increased as an
incentive to complete the sentence of the court. In one local court,
out of ninety six arrests for underage alcohol possession, six persons
had failed to appear, one person has not paid his fine, two are still
pending pretrial and thirty-five (30%) have not completed their court
ordered alcohol awareness program. Sixty-eight (60%) have appeared,
paid their fine and completed their course, which is actually higher
than the rate of success in some courts because the court in question
tries to involve the young person's parents in the process. The
unenforceability of the current law encourages a lack of respect for
the courts and the law by young people and weakens the educational
purposes of these laws to discourage underage drinking and marihuana
possession.

 EXISTING LAW :
Penal Law section 221.05 makes simple possession of marijuana illegal,
and Alcoholic Beverage Control Law section 65-c makes possession of
alcohol with intent to consume by a minor illegal.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
New bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall become
law.

2009-S7018 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  7018

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              March 8, 2010
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  RANZENHOFER -- read twice and ordered printed, and
  when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes

AN ACT to amend the penal law and the alcoholic beverage control law, in
  relation to imposing additional fines when a person fails to  pay  his
  or her fines or fails to complete counseling or community service when
  mandated

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Section 221.05 of the penal law, as added by chapter 360 of
the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
S 221.05 Unlawful possession of marihuana.
  1. A person is guilty of unlawful possession of marihuana when  he  OR
SHE knowingly and unlawfully possesses marihuana.
  Unlawful  possession  of marihuana is a violation punishable only by a
fine of not more than one hundred dollars. However, where the  defendant
has  previously  been convicted of an offense defined in this article or
article [220] TWO HUNDRED TWENTY of this chapter, committed  within  the
three years immediately preceding such violation, it shall be punishable
(a)  only by a fine of not more than two hundred dollars, if the defend-
ant was previously convicted of one such offense committed  during  such
period,  and (b) by a fine of not more than two hundred fifty dollars or
a term of imprisonment not in excess of fifteen days  or  both,  if  the
defendant was previously convicted of two such offenses committed during
such period.
  2. IN THE EVENT A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF UNLAWFUL POSSESSION
OF  MARIHUANA  FAILS  TO PAY SUCH FINE AS MAY BE SET BY THE COURT WITHIN
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY DAYS AFTER THE DECISION OF THE COURT, THEN  IN  ADDI-
TION  TO  SUCH FINE, THE COURT MAY IMPOSE AN ADDITIONAL FINE OF NOT MORE
THAN TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS.
  3. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, SECTION
120.20 OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LAW SHALL APPLY IN THE EVENT  A  PERSON
WHO  HAS  BEEN  CHARGED WITH A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION FAILS TO APPEAR
BEFORE THE COURT ON THE DATE SET BY THE ACCUSATORY INSTRUMENT;  ARTICLES
FOUR  HUNDRED  TEN AND FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LAW

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                           LBD15360-03-0

S. 7018                             2

AND ARTICLE TWENTY OF THE JUDICIARY LAW  SHALL  APPLY  IN  THE  EVENT  A
PERSON  WHO  HAS  BEEN  FOUND TO HAVE VIOLATED THIS SECTION FAILS TO PAY
SUCH FINE AS MAY BE SET BY THE COURT  WITHIN  ONE  HUNDRED  TWENTY  DAYS
AFTER THE DECISION OF THE COURT.
  S  2.  Subdivision 3 of section 65-c of the alcoholic beverage control
law, as amended by chapter 137 of the laws of 2001, is amended  to  read
as follows:
  3.  (A) Any person who unlawfully possesses an alcoholic beverage with
intent to consume may be summoned before and examined by a court  having
jurisdiction  of  that charge; provided, however, that nothing contained
herein shall authorize, or be construed to authorize, a peace officer as
defined in subdivision thirty-three of  section  1.20  of  the  criminal
procedure  law or a police officer as defined in subdivision thirty-four
of section 1.20 of such law to arrest a person who unlawfully  possesses
an alcoholic beverage with intent to consume. If a determination is made
sustaining  such  charge the court may impose a fine not exceeding fifty
dollars and/or completion of an alcohol  awareness  program  established
pursuant  to section 19.25 of the mental hygiene law and/or an appropri-
ate amount of community service not to exceed thirty hours.
  (B) IN THE EVENT A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO  HAVE  UNLAWFULLY
POSSESSED AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE WITH INTENT TO CONSUME FAILS TO PAY SUCH
FINE  AS  MAY  BE  SET  BY  THE  COURT, OR COMPLETE AN ALCOHOL AWARENESS
PROGRAM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION 19.25 OF THE MENTAL HYGIENE  LAW
AND/OR  COMMUNITY  SERVICE  AS  REQUIRED BY THE COURT WITHIN ONE HUNDRED
TWENTY DAYS AFTER THE DECISION OF THE COURT, THEN IN  ADDITION  TO  SUCH
FINE,  PROGRAM  AND/OR  COMMUNITY SERVICE, THE COURT MAY IMPOSE AN ADDI-
TIONAL FINE OF NOT MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS.
  (C) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY  OTHER  PROVISION  OF  LAW  TO  THE  CONTRARY,
SECTION  120.20 OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE LAW SHALL APPLY IN THE EVENT A
PERSON WHO HAS BEEN ALLEGED TO  HAVE  VIOLATED  THIS  SECTION  FAILS  TO
APPEAR  BEFORE  THE  COURT  ON  THE DATE SET BY THE COURT; ARTICLES FOUR
HUNDRED TEN AND FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY OF THE CRIMINAL  PROCEDURE  LAW  AND
ARTICLE  TWENTY  OF  THE JUDICIARY LAW SHALL APPLY IN THE EVENT A PERSON
WHO HAS BEEN FOUND TO HAVE UNLAWFULLY POSSESSED  AN  ALCOHOLIC  BEVERAGE
WITH  INTENT  TO  CONSUME IN VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION FAILS TO PAY SUCH
FINE AS MAY BE SET BY  THE  COURT,  OR  COMPLETE  AN  ALCOHOL  AWARENESS
PROGRAM  ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION 19.25 OF THE MENTAL HYGIENE LAW
AND/OR COMMUNITY SERVICE AS REQUIRED BY THE COURT,  WITHIN  ONE  HUNDRED
TWENTY DAYS AFTER THE DECISION OF THE COURT.
  S  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law.

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Senate Bill S7018

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Sponsored By

Michael H. Ranzenhofer