State of Iowa v. Pagliai
Issue Whether the parties in a criminal case can, by plea agreement, confer on the district court the authority to order defense counsel reimbursement fees in a dismissed case. Holding …
If You Can’t Afford an Attorney, One Will Be Appointed. And You May Get a Huge Bill
Although the majority of states try to recoup counsel fees for indigent defenders, Iowa charges some of the highest fees. Even in cases where individuals are acquitted, or charges are …
Champagne v. Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP
Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP (“Linebarger”) has an exclusive contract with the Iowa Judicial Branch to act as the sole private company collecting court debt, including court costs, such …
Iowa v. Jane Doe
Jane Doe, an indigent woman, was denied expungement for failure to pay court-appointed attorney fees. Doe argued that her equal protection rights were violated because defendants who owe fees to privately retained attorneys can expunge their criminal records, while defendants owing court-appointed attorney fees cannot.
Monetary Myopia: An Examination of Institutional Response to Revenue From Monetary Sanctions for Misdemeanors
This study assesses the use of fines and fees for misdemeanor crimes in Nevada and Iowa to highlight the perverse incentives embedded in the practice of using courts as revenue centers. The article proposes the concept of “monetary myopia,” or a short-sighted focus on revenue at the expense of other concerns, to explain the states’ behavior.
Graduating Economic Sanctions According to Ability to Pay
This article focuses on a potential reform with increasing bipartisan support: the graduation of economic sanctions according to a person’s financial circumstances, also known as "day fines" or "means-adjusted fines."
Iowa SB 2316: An Act relating to the collection of delinquent court debt and associated installment agreements.
Iowa Senate Bill 2316 makes changes to Iowa’s court debt collection practices. The amendments allow people to enter into a payment plan for court debt and outline the process for modifying payment plans when people are unable to pay.