§45-35A-56.09. Program requirements; jurisdiction; termination from program; liabiity for costs and fees.

(a) Upon acceptance of an offender into the pretrial diversion program by the city attorney, the city attorney and the offender shall submit the written application of the offender together with the statement of facts of the offender, the acceptance of the offender by the city attorney, and the agreement between the city attorney and the offender to the court presiding over the affected case of the offender for the approval of the court. The offender shall also enter a plea of guilty to the charge or charges involved. If the court rejects the agreement and guilty plea, any money paid by the offender in satisfaction of the application fee shall be refunded to the offender. The offender shall remain liable for any actual expenses already incurred by the city attorney or any agency or service provider in furtherance of the application and evaluation process and the same shall be deducted from any money so refunded to the offender.

(b) Upon approval of the agreement and acceptance of the guilty plea, the court shall expressly retain jurisdiction of the case, any other provision of law notwithstanding, and may withdraw and file the case or otherwise place it on an administrative docket until such time as the court has been notified that the offender has fulfilled the terms of the agreement, has been terminated from the program, or has otherwise withdrawn from the program. Imposition of punishment by the court shall be deferred until the offender has successfully completed the program or is terminated from the program.

(c) In the event the offender is terminated from the program, the court shall impose appropriate punishment in the same manner as with any plea of guilty or finding of guilt and shall not be bound by the terms of agreement as to what punishment to impose.

(d) Upon successful completion of the program by the offender, the city attorney shall notify the court in writing of that fact together with a request that the court enter an order of disposition of the case pursuant to the agreement between the offender and the city attorney.

(e) Regardless of whether the offender successfully completes the program or withdraws from or is terminated from the program, the offender shall be liable for and required to pay all court costs and fees, restitution, victim’s compensation fund assessment, and any and all other fees and assessments, in the same manner as if the offender had not applied for entry into the program and had been found guilty of the offense or offenses involved. No costs, fees, restitution, or assessments shall be waived or remitted, absent an express agreement to that effect between the city attorney and the offender, without a finding by the court that the offender does not have the reasonable ability to pay the same within the reasonably foreseeable future.

(Act 2012-445, p. 1248, §10.)