California Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

San Diego Is Owed More Than $260 Million In Delinquent Parking Tickets And Other Debts. Will It Ever Collect Them?

Though fines are intended to deter unwanted behaviors, many cities use them as a revenue source. For the first time in over 20 years, San Diego raised its parking citation …

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

MyCitations was developed and is maintained by the Judicial Council of California as an online tool to allow individuals with infraction violations to request a reduction in their fines and …

Improving Traffic Ticket Outcomes

Costly fines and fees from traffic citations disproportionately burden low income people with debt they cannot afford. To reduce the burden, California created MyCitations, an online ability-to-pay system. Between July …

Racial Disparities in Use of Force at Traffic Stops

Millions of traffic stops occur nationwide for reasons unrelated to safety. Officers not only use traffic stops as a pretext to conduct a search or investigate for other crimes but …

Playing Politics With Traffic Fines: Sheriff Elections and Political Cycles in Traffic Fines Revenue

The political budget cycle theory is the idea that elected officials change how they manage public money in the period immediately before elections to improve their chances of getting reelected. …

Better for Everyone: Repairing Harm for Crime Survivors and Young People: San Francisco’s New Approach to Youth Restitution

The purpose of juvenile restitution is to financially compensate the crime survivor for their loss and to hold the young person accountable for their actions. In San Francisco, crime survivors …

California AB-645 Vehicles: speed safety system pilot program

The California legislature passed a bill allowing for the use of automated speeding cameras as a pilot program in 6 California counties: Los Angeles, Glendale, Long Beach, San Francisco, San …

Litigation Victory Signals End to California Courts’ Illegal Late Fees That Penalized Poverty for Profit – $550 Million to $1 Billion Erased

For years, California courts have burdened low-income people with unlawful civil assessments. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, ACLU Foundation of Northern California, and …

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 …

Performance Audit of The City’s Towing Program

In FY 2017, San Diego contracted with companies for towing and impound services and established towing and storage rates for vehicle owners that disproportionately impact the city’s vulnerable populations. Disproportionate …