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 …
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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 …
“It’s Like a Reverse Robin Hood—We All Know They Can’t Pay”: How Court Actors Navigate The Logics of Monetary Sanctions
Court actors—judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation officers, and court clerks— manage conflicting priorities and contradictory logics when it comes to how legal financial obligations (LFOs) are assessed in the U.S. …
Arizona Senate Bill 1197: Juvenile offenders; monetary sanctions; repeal
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed a bill eliminating juvenile fees. Juveniles with previously assessed fees can apply to have their debt waived. The bill also prohibits juvenile courts from considering …
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 …
Debt Sentence: How Fines And Fees Hurt Working Families
This report shares the results of a national survey of over 5,600 adults to see how court-imposed fines and fees affect people across the country.
Fines and Financial Wellbeing
Unplanned financial shocks can have long-term effects on household finances. This article explores whether households can absorb unanticipated shocks by estimating the impacts of fines for traffic violations on household …
Clearing The Road For Ohioans With Suspended Licenses: A Look At Ohio’s Reinstatement Fee Amnesty Program
For drivers in Ohio, there are over 30 offenses, with penalties ranging from $15 to $600, that may trigger a license suspension. The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) then …
Which Town and Village Courts Collect The Most Fines and Fees in NY And CNY?
According to the State Comptroller’s Office, in 2022, New York’s nearly 1,200 towns and villages collected $189 million in fines, fees, and surcharges from traffic tickets, penalties imposed in criminal …
People Over Profits: A Truly Free, No Cost Tablet Program for Incarcerated People in San Francisco
Tablets are often utilized in jails and prisons to generate revenue from incarcerated individuals and their families, with high costs for the tablets and access to services making them unaffordable …