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Below are the ability to pay laws that meet your search criteria. Many include a See related provisions prompt which searches our database for laws that may pertain to your result.
14 Results
State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Level of offense | Definition of ability to pay | Timeline | Burden of proof | Method of determination | Mandatory | Remedies if unable to pay | |
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Vermont | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 13 § 5238(f) | Co-payment and reimbursement orders |
A person who may be or has been ordered to pay all or part of the cost of representation by co-payment or reimbursement order may at any time petition the court making the order for remission of all of the amount or any part thereof. If it appears to the satisfaction of the court that payment of the amount due will impose manifest hardships on the defendant or the defendant's immediate family or that the circumstances of case disposition and the interests of justice so require, the court may remit all or part of the amount due or modify the method of payment.
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All |
Payment of the amount due will impose manifest hardships on the defendant or the defendant's immediate family or that the circumstances of case disposition and the interests of justice so require.
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At defendant's request before imposition of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Other | No |
Court will remit all or part of the amount due or modify the method of payment. |
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Vermont | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 13 § 7180(c)(3),(4)(C) | Remedies for failure to pay fines, costs, surcharges, and penalties |
(c) Civil contempt proceeding. (3) Hearing. -- The hearing shall be conducted in a summary manner. The court shall examine the defendant and any other witnesses and may require the defendant to produce documents relevant to the defendant's ability to pay the amount due. Evidence is admissible if it is of a type commonly relied upon by a reasonably prudent person in the conduct of his or her affairs. The Vermont Rules of Evidence shall not apply except that the rules related to privilege shall apply. The State shall not be a party except with the permission of the court. The defendant may be represented by counsel at the defendant's own expense.
(4)(C) If the court concludes that the defendant is not in contempt because the defendant does not have the ability to pay the amount due, the court may: (i) suspend all or any part of the amount due in the interests of justice, except that the court may not waive surcharges imposed pursuant to section 7282 of this title; (ii) order the defendant to participate in the Restorative Justice Program conducted by a community reparative board and direct the reparative board to determine an appropriate amount of community service to be performed in lieu of all or part of the amount due. |
All |
Not provided for |
At enforcement of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge after hearing | Yes |
Suspend all or any part of the amount due in the interests of justice, except that the court may not waive surcharges imposed pursuant to section 7282 of this title; order the defendant to participate in the Restorative Justice Program conducted by a community reparative board and direct the reparative board to determine an appropriate amount of community service to be performed in lieu of all or part of the amount due.
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Vermont | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 13 § 7180(f) | Community service for traffic offense |
(f) (1) A defendant who is not incarcerated may file a motion to convert all or part of a traffic offense fine to community service. The court may grant the motion if the defendant establishes that he or she has made a good faith effort to pay the fine but is unable to do so. A fine converted to community service pursuant to this subsection shall not be considered a modification of sentence and shall not be subject to the time limits of Vermont Rule of Criminal Procedure 35.
(2) Community service performed pursuant to a motion granted under this subsection shall be: (A) credited against outstanding fines at the then-existing rate of the Vermont minimum wage: (B) monitored by Diversion, a restorative justice panel of a community justice center, or a similar entity approved by the court, that shall report on the defendant's compliance status to the court; (C) performed in the county where the offense occurred. (3) A conversion of a fine to community service under this subsection: (A) shall not apply to surcharges, court costs, or other assessments; (B) shall be in addition to the contempt procedures applicable under this section. |
Traffic |
Made a good faith effort to pay the fine but is unable to do so. |
At defendant's request at enforcement | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Other | No |
Convert to community service |
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Vermont | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 13 § 2022 | Bad checks |
A person who issues or passes a check or similar sight order for the payment of money, knowing that it will not be honored by the drawee, shall be imprisoned for not more than one year or fined not more than $ 1,000.00, or both. The court shall order restitution in the amount of the check or order, together with a service charge not to exceed $ 5.00, if it is established that the defendant has the ability to pay.
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Misdemeanor |
Not provided for |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
No restitution or service charge ordered |
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Vermont | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 13 § 7043(d)(2),(e)(1) | Restitution |
(d) In awarding restitution, the Court shall make findings with respect to: . . . (2) The offender's current ability to pay restitution, based on all financial information available to the Court, including information provided by the offender.
(e)(1) An order of restitution shall establish the amount of the material loss incurred by the victim, which shall be the restitution judgment order. In the event the offender is unable to pay the restitution judgment order at the time of sentencing, the court shall establish a restitution payment schedule for the offender based upon the offender's current and reasonably foreseeable ability to pay, subject to modification under subsection (l) of this section. |
All |
Not provided for |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge after hearing | Yes |
Payment plan |
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Vermont | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 13 § 5238(b) | Co-payment and reimbursement orders |
(b) The court shall require any person assigned counsel pursuant to section 5236 of this title to pay for all or part of the cost of representation based upon his or her ability to pay. Unless the person and cohabiting family members are found to be financially unable to pay, in all cases the court shall order a minimum payment of $ 50.00.
(f) A person who may be or has been ordered to pay all or part of the cost of representation by co-payment or reimbursement order may at any time petition the court making the order for remission of all of the amount or any part thereof. If it appears to the satisfaction of the court that payment of the amount due will impose manifest hardships on the defendant or the defendant's immediate family or that the circumstances of case disposition and the interests of justice so require, the court may remit all or part of the amount due or modify the method of payment. |
All |
Manifest hardships on the defendant or the defendant's immediate family or that the circumstances of case disposition and the interests of justice so require |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
Not having to pay the cost or minimum fee for representation; court may remit all or part of the amount due or modify the method of payment. |
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Vermont | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 4 § 1109(c)(4)(A) | Remedies for failure to pay; contempt |
(4)(A) Hearing. The hearing shall be conducted in a summary manner. The hearing officer shall examine the defendant and any other witnesses and may require the defendant to produce documents relevant to the defendant's ability to pay the amount due. The State or municipality shall not be a party except with the permission of the hearing officer. The defendant may be represented by counsel at the defendant's own expense.
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All |
Not provided for |
At enforcement of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge after hearing | No |
May not be held in contempt for failure to pay. |
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Vermont | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 13 § 5255(b) | Recovery from defendant |
(b) The Defender General or the Commissioner of Taxes, on behalf of the State, may recover reimbursement from each person, other than a person covered by subsection (a) of this section, who has received legal assistance under this chapter and who, on the date on which suit is brought, is financially able to reimburse the State for it according to the standards of ability to pay applicable under subdivision 5201(3), section 5231, and subsection 5238 (b) of this title, but refuses to do so. Suit must be brought within three years after the date on which the benefit was received. The amount of recovery shall be equal to the average cost per case for representation supported by the budget of the Defender General for the calendar year in which legal assistance was completed as determined by the Defender General, less any reimbursement or co-payment actually paid for representation.
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All |
Not provided for |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
State may not recover reimbursement for received legal assistance. |
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Vermont | Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 13 § 5236 | Determination of financial need |
(a) The determination whether a person covered by sections 5231-5234 of this title is a needy person shall be deferred until his or her first appearance in court or in a suit for payment or reimbursement under section 5255 of this title, whichever occurs earlier. Thereafter, the court shall determine, with respect to each proceeding, whether the person is a needy person. As used in this section, an appeal is a separate proceeding. The determination of need, for purposes of an appeal, shall be based on a separate application submitted on or after the date of the order appealed from, except that an appeal from a proceeding under 33 V.S.A. chapter 51, 52, or 53 is not a separate proceeding and does not require a separate application.
(b) In determining whether a person is a needy person and the extent of his or her ability to pay, the court may consider such factors as income, property owned, outstanding obligations, and the number and ages of dependents as specified in rules of the Supreme Court adopted pursuant to section 5204 of this title. Release on bail does not necessarily disqualify a person from being a needy person. In each case, the person, subject to the penalties for perjury, shall certify in writing or by other record such information relating to ability to pay as the Supreme Court prescribes. (c) A determination of whether a person is a needy person under this section shall be made by the clerk of the court, or any other judicial officer of the court. After review of the initial determination by the presiding judge of the trial court the applicant, the State, or the Office of the Defender General may appeal the determination to a single Justice of the Supreme Court of this State, in accordance with the rules of the Supreme Court. (d) In determining whether a person is a needy person under this section and the extent of the person's ability to pay, the clerk of court or the judicial officer who is making that determination may require the applicant to provide proof of income at a time to be determined by the clerk or judicial officer. |
All |
In determining whether a person is a needy person and the extent of his or her ability to pay, court may consider such factors as income, property owned, outstanding obligations, and the number and ages of dependents
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Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | No |
N/A |
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Washington DC | DC ST § 16-711 (b) | Restitution or reparation |
(b) When restitution or reparation is ordered, the court shall take into consideration the number of victims, the actual damage of each victim, the resources of the defendant, the defendant's + See moreability to earn, any obligation of the defendant to support dependents, and other matters as pertain to the defendant's ability to make restitution or reparation.
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All |
"… the court shall take into consideration… resources of the defendant, the defendant's ability to earn, any obligation of the defendant to support dependents…" |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge after hearing | Yes | Not provided for |
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Washington DC | DC ST § 11-2604 (f) | Payment for representation |
(f) If a person for whom counsel is appointed under this section appeals to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, such person may do so without prepayment of fees + See moreand costs or security therefor and without filing the affidavit required by section 1915(a) of title 28, United States Code.
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All | Not provided for | Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Other | Yes |
May proceed without prepayment of fees |
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Washington DC | DC ST § 23-106 | Witnesses for defense; fees |
The court shall order at any time that a subpoena be issued for service upon a named witness on behalf of a defendant if the defendant makes an application for + See moresuch an order and makes a satisfactory showing that he is financially unable to pay the fees of the witness and that the presence of the witness is necessary to an adequate defense. If the court orders the subpoena to be issued the costs incurred by the process and the fees of the witness so subpoenaed shall be paid in the same manner in which similar costs and fees are paid in case of a witness subpoenaed in behalf of the prosecuting authority.
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All | Not provided for | At defendant's request before imposition of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Not provided for | Yes |
Subpoena and witness fees will be paid by government |
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Washington DC | DC ST § 11-2605 | Services other than counsel |
Counsel for a person who is financially unable to obtain investigative, expert, or other services necessary for an adequate defense may request them in an ex parte application. Upon finding, + See moreafter appropriate inquiry in an ex parte proceeding, that the services are necessary and that the person is financially unable to obtain them, the court shall authorize counsel to obtain the services.
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All |
financially unable to obtain necessary services |
At defendant's request before imposition of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge after hearing | No |
Cost paid for |
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Washington DC | D.C. Super. Ct. R. Crim. P. 113 (b) | Witness fees |
Payment from public funds. No witness entitled to any payment under paragraph (a) shall be paid from public funds except upon certification + See moreof the witness that the witness was compelled by subpoena to attend as a witness on behalf of a defendant unable to pay or was present pursuant to the direction of the Court or prosecutor, in a specified pending criminal case and that the witness did attend. Such certification shall be endorsed by the Court or by the counsel of record issuing the subpoena or direction and shall be submitted to the Clerk of the Court for certification. The Executive Officer upon submission of the endorsed and verified certification shall make payment by cash or check
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All | Not provided for | Not provided for | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Not provided for | No |
Cost paid for |
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