Q: My racing charge reduced to Negligent Driving 2nd degree, they charged me 553$ but online it says it's 250$.
RCW 46.61.525 - Washington
A: When the State amends a criminal offense like reckless driving where you are looking at a fine up to $5000, and jail up to 364 days and losing your license for 30 days and you get an infraction instead. Pay the money.
A:
$250 is the 'base fine'. A number of statutes add costs and assessments on to the base fine of any infraction (or criminal) fine.
The most significant is RCW 3.62.090, Public safety and education assessment. This adds 70% of the base, or about $175. The second PSEA assessment is half of the first, or 35%; about $87.50. Total now about 512.50.
Per RCW 46.63.110, the court is required to include $5 for EMT care system trust, $10 for auto theft prevention account, and $5 for TBI account. You are now at 532.50. Subsection (8) imposes another $20, I'm not sure what that's for other than it's a general traffic penalty to be added on. That gets you to 552.50.
As for that last 50 cents, the RCW allows courts to round up to the nearest dollar. Don't recall of the top of my head where that one comes from.
Hope that helps.
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