Carter v. Montgomery
Hundreds of individuals were assessed fines by the Montgomery Municipal Court for misdemeanors, primarily traffic tickets like driving with a suspended license and other low-level crimes of poverty. When they …
Traffic Fines and Fees
Independent Review: The City of Buffalo School Zone Safety Program & An Analysis of Citation Data from the City of Buffalo Speed Camera Program
The City of Buffalo installed 20 speed cameras as part of their School Zone Safety Program to reduce School Zone vehicle crashes. This analysis attempts to determine whether the City …
Living with Conviction: Sentenced To Debt For Life In Washington State
Through storytelling and legal empowerment, Living with Conviction: Sentenced to Debt for Life in Washington State partners with formerly incarcerated individuals to advocate for the end of onerous legal financial …
IL HB3653
This bill ends the practice of suspending driver’s licenses for unpaid automated speed and red light camera tickets. The bill also requires the Secretary of State to rescind license holds …
Seattle receives national recognition for preventing crashes with lower speed limits
The Seattle Department of Transportation recently reduced speed limits to 25 mph, resulting in a 22 percent decrease in crashes. In addition to reducing speed limits, the city increased speed …
Utah H.B. 143 Driver License Suspension Amendments
This bill ends the suspension of driver’s licenses solely for the nonpayment of fines or the failure to appear in court. You can read the full text of the bill …
Traffic Tickets Plunged in Florida. It May Mean Painful Budget Cuts for Many Services
Florida’s dependence on fines and fees revenue has led to budget cuts for many services as traffic tickets have plunged since March 2020. Revenue from mostly traffic tickets helps pay …
Fiscal Pressures, the Great Recession, and Monetary Sanctions in Washington Courts
Using data from all municipal and district courts in Washington between 2000 and 2014, where a fine, fee, cost, or other legal financial obligation (LFO) was imposed, the author analyzes …
Money and Punishment, Circa 2020
In conjunction with the 23rd Annual Liman Colloquium held in the Fall of 2020, the Arthur Liman Center for Public Interest Law at Yale Law School, the Fines and Fees …
The Price of Justice: Fines, Fees and the Criminalization of Poverty in the United States
Mass incarceration and the rising cost of the justice system correlate with the high number and value of fines and fees imposed throughout the justice system. As federal funding for …