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Personal Narrative: James Thomas

On a rainy night, James took shelter under a bridge and was arrested for criminal trespass. Mr. Thomas was found guilty and assessed court costs. He advised the clerk of his circumstances and never heard anything else about the outstanding debt until 2016, when he was denied a Tennessee’s driver’s license.

Advisory for Recipients of Financial Assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice on Levying Fines and Fees on Juveniles

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and Office for Access to Justice issued a formal advisory to recipients of DOJ funds about the enforcement of fines and fees in juvenile courts.

Oregon HB 2424: Directs Department of Transportation to create program by which certain persons may apply for reduction or waiver of moneys owed to department. […]

This bill directs Oregon’s Department of Transportation to create a program that allows certain individuals who have had their driver’s licenses suspended to apply for a reduction or waiver of the criminal justice debt that prevents them from regaining driving privileges.

Tennessee’s Court Fees and Taxes: Funding the Courts Fairly

In response to concern from House Civil Justice Committee members about the practice of fee increases, Senator Jon Lundberg requested a study on court fees. The resulting report reviews all …

Longitudinal Associations among Child Support Debt, Employment, and Recidivism after Prison

Using longitudinal data from a prisoner reentry program, the authors look to examine the impact of child support debt on employment and recidivism. Findings indicate that more debt was not …

Court Fines And Fees: Criminalizing Poverty In North Carolina

In the last 20 years, criminal and court fees have increased by 400 percent in North Carolina, and a large sum is disbursed to the state General Fund, which the …

Missoula v. Franklin

This case challenges the imposition of a surcharge by the City of Missoula that is not authorized by state law.

Virginia Supreme Court Rule 3B:2. Uniform Fine Schedule.

This rule creates a standardized schedule for fines that can be imposed without a court hearing (i.e., fines imposed by a clerk or magistrate after a motorist enters a written guilty plea and waives their court hearing). The rule provides that clerks and magistrates may not impose any fine amount that differs from this schedule, but the schedule does not restrict judges’ discretion in court hearings.

Unequal Justice Bail and Modern Day Debtors’ Prison in Nebraska

The imposition of bail and monetary sanctions on indigent Nebraskans has led to individuals held pretrial making up half of the state’s local jail populations, and others sitting out their …

Punishing Poverty: The high cost of probation fees in Massachusetts

Massachusetts’ probation fees disproportionately impact low-income communities and make it harder for people to succeed. People who can least afford additional fees are more likely to be on probation and …