True or False: A court may issue a capias pro fine for a juvenile who fails to pay a fine.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Capias pro fines are never used in juvenile cases
• D. A court may issue capias pro fine only when the offender is an adult

Answer: (B)

A capias pro fine is an arrest warrant issued to compel someone to appear or to pay a court-ordered fine. In juvenile proceedings, the approach to nonpayment focuses on rehabilitation and judicial discretion rather than punitive detention for not paying. Courts typically won’t issue an arrest warrant to jail a juvenile merely for failing to pay a fine; instead, they may adjust the amount, set up a payment plan, waive the fine, convert it to community service, or use other noncustodial remedies. If a juvenile ignores a court order to appear, a capias to address that failure to appear may be possible, but not for the specific act of nonpayment alone. So the statement is false.