True or False: Defendants under the age of 17 cannot be required to pay court costs before being granted the right to take a driving safety course.

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Not Applicable
• D. Cannot Determine

Answer: (A)

In juvenile cases, the court has authority to require payment of court costs as part of the disposition, and access to a driving safety course can be conditioned on satisfying those orders. The belief that someone under 17 cannot be required to pay court costs before being allowed to take the driving safety course isn’t correct. The system may require payment (or partial payment) of court costs prior to granting eligibility for the driving safety course, so the statement is false.

Context helps: a driving safety course is a remedial option used to address traffic violations, often aimed at avoiding harsher penalties. However, eligibility for that course isn’t guaranteed free of costs; the court can set conditions, and costs can be collected as part of the process. If a student is indigent, there are usually provisions to request waivers or reductions, but that doesn’t change the general possibility that costs may be required first.