To amend section 2947.23 of the Revised Code to authorize courts to impose periods of community service upon offenders who fail to pay judgments for court costs relating to the criminal action.

Section 1. That section 2947.23 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 2947.23.  (A) In all criminal cases, including violations of ordinances, the judge or magistrate shall include in the sentence the costs of prosecution and render a judgment against the defendant for such costs. If a jury has been sworn at the trial of a case, the fees of the jurors shall be included in the costs, which shall be paid to the public treasury from which the jurors were paid.

(B) If an offender fails to pay the judgment described in division (A) of this section or fails to timely make payments towards that judgment under a payment schedule approved by the court, the court may order the offender to perform community service in an amount of not more than forty hours per month until the judgment is paid or until the court is satisfied that the offender is in compliance with the approved payment schedule. Ordering an offender to perform community service under this division does not lessen the amount of the judgment and does not preclude the state from taking any other action to execute the judgment.

Section 2.  That existing section 2947.23 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.