Ray et al. v. Judicial Correction Services Inc. et al.
This suit against Judicial Correction Services in Alabama alleges that people were placed on probation without adjudication of their guilt nor sentenced to serve jail time.
Ability to Pay
Why journalists should cover local jails
In this article for The Poynter Institute, Al Tompkins underscores the importance of journalists covering local jails and suggests several coverage angles that journalists can use to convince readers to care more about incarceration at the local level.
WA State Courts of Limited Jurisdiction: 2018 Reference Guide on Legal Financial Obligations in Criminal Cases
This bench card is meant to educate Washington State judges about procedural protections owed to defendants who are ordered to pay fines and fees in criminal court.
Missouri v. Wright
Wright pled guilty to misdemeanor offenses of stealing and resisting arrest. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail and to pay costs including a Board Bill of $1358.28. Wright …
Missouri Rule 37.04 Supervision of Courts Hearing Ordinance Violations and Minimum Operating Standards for Missouri Courts: Municipal Divisions
This rule change adopts an appendix that defines minimum operating standards for municipal courts and their personnel to abide by. Several of these new minimum standards relate to fines and fees practices.
LFO (Legal Financial Obligations) Calculator (State of Washington)
With the help of Microsoft and a Department of Justice grant, the state of Washington launched a web-based Calculator to enable judges, defendants, and public defenders to calculate fines and fees owed.
Report of the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Municipal Court Operations, Fines, and Fees
This report is a result of a comprehensive review of New Jersey municipal courts by the Supreme Court Committee on Municipal Court Operations, Fines, and Fees.
Black Love Resists in the Rust v. City of Buffalo
This case alleges that the City of Buffalo uses vehicle checkpoints in Black and Latino communities to generate revenue.
Abstention in the Time of Ferguson
The author argues for an exception to the Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37 (1971) abstention doctrine (Younger abstention) in cases challenging the criminalization of poverty.
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.