Recommended Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

United States Department of Justice “Dear Colleague” Letter (revised and updated)

On April 20, 2023 the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Office of Justice Programs, and Office for Access to Justice revised the 2016 Dear Colleague to include an updated discussion …

New Mexico HB 139: Eliminating Court Fees

The New Mexico Legislature approved a bill eliminating post-adjudication and bench warrant fees. The legislation also expands the definition of community service to encourage participation in job training, academic or …

New Mexico SB 47: Driver’s License Suspension Penalties

The New Mexico legislature passed a bill eliminating suspensions for failure to pay and failure to appear. The bill also requires the automatic reinstatement of licenses suspended solely for failure …

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 …

Punishing the Poor: An Assessment of the Administration of Fines and Fees in New Mexico Misdemeanor Courts

Low-income people in New Mexico accused of minor crimes are often caught in a vicious cycle where they are jailed because they can’t afford to pay monetary sanctions. In 2018, …

Report to the Legislature: Online Infraction Adjudication and Ability-to-Pay Determinations

This report uses data from California courts that have adopted the MyCitations tool to evaluate the pilot program. As of January 1, 2023, over 66,000 ability-to-pay requests were submitted through …

Stepping on the Gas: Accelerating Florida’s Growth by Restoring the Freedom to Drive

Introduction If you’re a hard-working, safe driver who’s struggling to make a fine or fee payment, Florida can take your license and, with it, your ability to drive and work. …

A Statewide Analysis of the Impact of Restitution and Fees on Juvenile Recidivism in Florida Across Race & Ethnicity

Introduction Every young person who comes into contact with Florida’s courts — regardless of guilt or innocence — is saddled with fees. Florida law authorizes 31 different court fees, costs …

Police Killings and Municipal Reliance on Fine-and-Fee Revenue

Between 2016 and 2021, more than 400 unarmed people were killed by police during traffic stops. In addition, metropolitan areas that rely more on revenue from fines and fees experience …

Interim Survey Results: The Impact of New Mexico’s Fines and Fees

FFJC took a mixed-methods research approach to understand the burden of fines and fees on economically vulnerable New Mexicans. FFJC New Mexico, in partnership with the New Mexico Advisory Board on Fines and Fees and ACLU New Mexico, administered a state-wide survey to gather data on New Mexicans’ experiences with court debt and the state’s criminal fine and fee system.