News

Virginia 2018-2020 Budget Bill Amendment 33: Driver’s license reinstatement fee [Ends driver’s license suspension for fines and fees for 1 year]

This budget amendment prohibits Virginia courts from suspending driver’s licenses for unpaid fines and fees between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020.

Fines and Fees and Jail Time in New York Town and Village Justice Courts: The Unseen Violation of Constitutional and State Law

In this report, the Fund for Modern Courts lays out a comprehensive analysis of fines and fees-related due process violations in New York State town and village justice courts.

Martin v. City of Boise

Martin v. City of Boise, 920 F.3d 584 (9th Cir. 2019) This case concerns a series of city ordinances that plaintiffs alleged were unconstitutionally targeted at the city’s homeless population: …

Crime Survivors Speak: Texas Victims’ Experiences With Recovery and Views on Criminal Justice

In the past ten years, 41 percent of Texans have been a victim of crime. While the majority of victims describe their experience as traumatic, less than half felt supported …

Mississippi HB 1352: The Criminal Justice Reform Act [Ends driver’s license suspension for unpaid fines and fees, failure to appear]

The bill provides that when a person fails to pay their fines and fees (whether for traffic, misdemeanor, or felony offenses), a clerk will provide written notice advising that failure to pay within the following 90 days will result in the court pursuing collection of the debt. Before this law was passed, courts suspended driver’s licenses for nonpayment.

Nevada Assembly Bill 416: Authorizing courts to order community service in lieu of fees.

Nevada AB 416 clarifies that community service credits can be applied toward outstanding fines and fees, and provides that community service hours will be credited against debt at a rate of $10 per hour or the state’s minimum wage, whichever is higher.

Nevada Assembly Bill 434: Certain traffic offenses; payment of fines and fees; community service

Nevada AB 434 makes several changes regarding collection of fines, fees, and restitution. Previously, the law allowed courts to enter a civil judgment; garnish property or wages; suspend driver’s licenses; and incarcerate defendants for nonpayment.

Commercialized (In)justice: Consumer Abuses in the Bail and Corrections Industry

This report examines two concerning trends: the increasing use of fines and fees to fund the criminal legal system, and functions of that system being outsourced to private companies who profit from the criminal legal system.

Too Poor to Pay: How Arkansas’s Offender-Funded Justice System Drives Poverty & Mass Incarceration

This report identifies several promising issue areas for fines and fees reform in Arkansas, including nonpayment incarceration, driver’s license suspension for unpaid fines and fees, and probation fees. The authors interviewed 205 people who were charged and/or incarcerated over inability to pay fines and fees; performed court-watching in 8 counties; sent almost 300 records requests; and interviewed Arkansas criminal justice and social service stakeholders.

Personal Narrative: Chris S.

Chris S.’s driver’s license was suspended five times for failure to pay fines. He never received prior notice that his license was being suspended. He never had an opportunity to explain why it should not be suspended.