Litigation Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

City of Grants Pass v. Johnson

Issue Does the Eighth Amendment’s Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause prohibit municipalities from enforcing generally applicable laws regulating sleeping and camping on public property? Holding In a 6-3 ruling, the …

State v. Gibbons

Issue 1. Whether a law that imposed a $5,000 mandatory minimum fine without regard to the defendant’s ability to pay, is facially unconstitutional under the Excessive Fines Clause of both …

Post-Ferguson Class Action Suits Challenging Fine and Fee Schemes in Missouri

Post-Ferguson Class Action Suits Challenging Fine and Fee Schemes in Missouri In 2014, when a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri shot and killed Michael Brown, the City of Ferguson …

Rosa v. Doe

Rosa v. Doe No. 21-2628, Nov. 20, 2023; WL 8009400 (2d Cir. 2023) Holding When assessing whether an incarcerated person qualifies for a waiver of filing fees in a federal …

City of Whitefish v. Curran

Issues 1. Can a court impose a fine on someone with a demonstrated inability to pay? 2. Is it an abuse of discretion to fail to offer alternatives to a …

State v. Brophy

Issues 1. Is the protection provided by the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment applicable to the states under Timbs v. Indiana? 2. Did the lower court properly rule …

Tyler v. Hennepin County, Minnesota, et al.

In a unanimous opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court holds that local governments seeking forfeiture of property as compensation for a public debt may not profit from it beyond the amount …

Roberts Webb et al. v. City of Maplewood

On March 6, 2023, a federal judge approved a $3.25 million settlement in this class-action lawsuit brought against the City of Maplewood, Missouri. The suit alleged that the City regularly …

Parham v. D.C.

Issue Starting in October of 2023, the District of Columbia will stop denying residents the ability to renew their driver’s license if they have outstanding debt to the city, including …

State of Washington v. Eyman

Issue Whether courts must consider a person’s ability to pay a fine when determining whether the fine is excessive under the Excessive Fines Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the …