P. v. Ramos CA4/1
Defendant and appellant Andrea Marie Ramos pled guilty to one count of transporting methamphetamine in violation of Health and Safety Code section 11379, subdivision (a). In addition to imposing a four-year term of imprisonment, the court ordered that Ramos pay a drug program fee as provided under section 11372.7, subdivision (a) and a criminal laboratory analysis fee as provided under section 11372.5, subdivision (a). The amounts imposed—$615 for the drug program fee and $205 for the criminal laboratory analysis fee—appear to include penalty assessments under a number of statutory provisions. Relying on the holding and reasoning in People v. Watts (2016) 2 Cal.App.5th 223, 234-237 (Watts), Ramos argues the two fees are not penal in nature and, accordingly, not subject to imposition of a penalty assessment. We disagree with Watts and adhere to the well-established consensus, which treats the fees as fines subject to the penalty assessments.
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