Ability to Pay

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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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Alabama Ala.Code 1975 § 12-19-182(b) Solicitor's fee
The solicitor's fee shall be collected in all criminal cases where the defendant is adjudged guilty, a bond forfeited, a penalty imposed, or where there is issued any alias or
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capias warrant of arrest. The solicitor's fee shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any other fees or costs. The solicitor's fee shall not be waived or remitted unless the defendant proves to the reasonable satisfaction of the sentencing judge that the defendant is not capable of paying the fee within the reasonable foreseeable future.
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"capable of paying the fee within the reasonable foreseeable future."

Not provided for Burden on defendant to show inability to pay Not provided for No Not provided for
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Alabama Ala.Code 1975 § 12-23-18 Alcohol and Drug Abuse Court Referral and Treatment Program: Waiver of fees

Any person determined to be indigent by the court may request waiver of all or part of the fees established by this chapter. In such cases where a waiver of

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fees is granted, such waiver shall be limited to the time when the offender is unable to pay. If the offender becomes able to pay during the course of monitoring or treatment, or another future date, the waiver of fees may be revoked. The judge may order an indigent offender to perform community service in lieu of payment of fees.

All Not provided for At defendant's request at enforcement Burden on defendant to show inability to pay Not provided for No Not provided for
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Alabama Ala.Code 1975 § 12-17-226.18 Pretrial diversion program: payment of costs

Notwithstanding subsection (c) of Section 12-17-226.10, upon conviction for any criminal offense, felony, misdemeanor, or violation of the Code of Alabama 1975, or ordinance violation, any fees or costs shall

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not be waived or remitted unless the defendant or party responsible for paying the fees proves to the reasonable satisfaction of the presiding or sentencing judge that the defendant or party is not capable of paying the fees or costs within the reasonably foreseeable future.

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"capable of paying the fees or costs within the reasonably foreseeable future"

Not provided for Not provided for Not provided for No Not provided for
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Alabama Al. R. Cr. P. 26.11(b) Fines and Restitution: Imposition of Fine

(b) IMPOSITION OF FINE. If the court is given authority to impose a fine, in determining whether to impose a fine, the court should consider:(1) Whether there are particular reasons

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which make a fine appropriate as punishment for the defendant; (2) The financial resources and obligations of the defendant and the burden that payment of a fine will impose; (3) The ability of the defendant to pay a fine forthwith on an installment basis or on other conditions to be fixed by the court; (4) The extent to which payment of a fine will interfere with the ability of the defendant to make restitution or reparation to the victim of the crime; and (5) The amount of gain derived by the defendant or loss sustained by the victim as a result of defendant's commission of the offense, which amount shall be determined by the court from evidence presented at the sentence hearing if not stipulated by the parties.

All Not provided for Not provided for Not provided for Not provided for No

(d) If the defendant cannot pay the costs, fine, and/or restitution immediately after pronouncement of the sentence as preferred, the court may permit payment of the costs, fine, and/or restitution,

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at some later date, or in specified installments. (h) REMEDIES FOR NONPAYMENT OF FINE OR RESTITUTION. If the defendant fails to pay a fine and/or restitution, the court may: (1) Reduce the fine to an amount the defendant is able to pay; (2) Continue or modify the schedule of payments of the fine and/or restitution; (3) Direct that the defendant be incarcerated until the unpaid fine and/or restitution, or any portion thereof, is paid, subject, however, to section (i) of this rule; (4) Order an employer to withhold amounts from wages to pay fines and/or restitution; or (5) Release the defendant from obligation to pay the fine.

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Alabama Ala.Code 1975 § 12-23-7 Drug testing program

Any person who fails to complete treatment and pay for it shall be charged with violation of probation or parole; provided, however, that indigents shall not be required to pay

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for treatment or monitoring provided by court referral officers.

All Not provided for Not provided for Not provided for Not provided for Yes Not provided for
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Alabama Ala.Code 1975 § 12-17-226.8(c) Pretrial diversion program: Assessment of administrative fee; indigence; use of funds.

c)(1) An applicant may not be denied access into the pretrial diversion program based solely on his or her inability to pay pretrial diversion program fees. Fees established by this

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division may be waived or reduced for just cause, including indigency of the applicant.(2) If an offender, upon application, claims indigency, he or she shall be brought before a court of competent jurisdiction for a determination of indigency. In the event that a court determines the offender to be indigent, any fees or costs shall not be waived or remitted unless the defendant or the party responsible for paying any fees or costs proves to the reasonable satisfaction of the judge presiding or sentencing judge that the defendant or party is not capable of paying the same within the reasonably foreseeable future. In the event the offender is determined to be indigent, a periodic review of the offender's indigent status may be conducted by the court upon motion of the district attorney to determine if the offender is no longer indigent.

All Not provided for At defendant's request before imposition of fine or fee Burden on defendant to show inability to pay Determined by judge after hearing No Not provided for
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Alabama Ala.Code 1975 § 15-12-25(a)(2) Appointed counsel: Payment of fees by defendant.

The court shall not order a defendant to pay the fees of court appointed counsel unless the defendant is or will be able to pay them. In determining the amount

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and method of payment of these fees, the court shall take into account the financial resources of the defendant and the nature of the burden that payment of the fees will impose. A defendant who has been ordered to pay the fees of court appointed counsel and who is not in contumacious default in the payment thereof may at any time petition the court which sentenced him or her for remission of the payment of these fees or of any unpaid portion thereof. If it appears to the satisfaction of the court that payment of the amount due will impose manifest hardship on the defendant or the immediate family of the defendant, the court may remit all or part of the amount due in fees or modify the method of payment.

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"manifest hardship"

Before imposition of fine or fee Not provided for Not provided for No

The court may remit all or part of the amount due in fees or modify the method of payment.

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Alabama Ala. Code 1975 §15-18-68(a)(1) Restitution to victims of crimes: Determination of amount

(a) In determining the manner, method, or amount of restitution to be ordered, the court may take into consideration all of the following: (1) The financial resources of the defendant

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and the victim and the burden that the manner or method of restitution will impose upon the victim or the defendant.

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Not provided for

Not provided for Not provided for Not provided for No

Not provided for

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Alabama Ala. Code 1975 §15-27-12 Expungement of records: Payment in full required

No order of expungement shall be granted unless all terms and conditions, including court ordered restitution, are satisfied and paid in full, including interest, to any victim, or the Alabama

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Crime Victim’s Compensation Commission, as well as court costs, fines, or statutory fees ordered by the sentencing court to have been paid, absent a finding of indigency by the court.

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Indigency

Not provided for Not provided for Administrative decision No

Not provided for

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Alabama Ala. Code 1975 §15-27-4(a)-(b) Expungement of records: Administrative filling fee.

(a) In addition to any cost of court or docket fee for filing the petition in circuit court, an administrative filing fee of three hundred dollars ($300) shall be paid

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at the time the petition is filed and is a condition precedent to any ruling of the court pursuant to this chapter.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a person seeking relief under this chapter may apply for indigent status by completing an Affidavit of Substantial Hardship and Order which shall be submitted with the petition. If the court finds the petitioner is indigent, the court may set forth a payment plan for the petitioner to satisfy the filing fee over a period of time, which shall be paid in full, prior to any order granting an expungement.

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Indigent

At defendant's request before imposition of fine or fee Not provided for Administrative decision No

Payment plan 

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Alabama Ala.Code 1975 §15-22-2(a)(1) Payment of costs of supervision.

(a)(1) Any person who is placed on parole by the Board of Pardons and Paroles or any person who is granted probation by a court of competent jurisdiction and who

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is subject to supervision by the Board of Pardons and Paroles and who has an income shall be required to contribute forty dollars ($40) per month toward the cost of his or her supervision and rehabilitation beginning 30 days from the date he or she has an income. The sum shall be deducted by the parolee or probationer from his or her monthly income and delivered to the Board of Pardons and Paroles each month for deposit in the General Fund of the State Treasury. By prior agreement between an employer and employee, an employer may deduct forty dollars ($40) from the monthly net earned income of the parolee or probationer and remit the amount to the Board of Pardons and Paroles each month. The responsibility of assuring the contribution shall remain that of the parolee or probationer. Exemptions from payments required by this section may be granted for undue hardship on a case by case basis by the sentencing court in probation and the Board of Pardons and Paroles in parole cases.

Misdemeanor, Felony

Undue hardship

Not provided for Not provided for Not provided for Yes

Exemption from payment

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Alabama Al. R. Cr. P. 26.11(b), (g) Fines and Restitution: Imposition of Fine and Inquiry into Defendant's Ability to Pay Fine or Restitution

(b) If the court is given authority to impose a fine, in determining whether to impose a fine, the court should consider: (1)  Whether there are particular reasons which make

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a fine appropriate as punishment for the defendant; (2)  The financial resources and obligations of the defendant and the burden that payment of a fine will impose; (3)  The ability of the defendant to pay a fine forthwith on an installment basis or on other conditions to be fixed by the court; (4)  The extent to which payment of a fine will interfere with the ability of the defendant to make restitution or reparation to the victim of the crime; and (5)  The amount of gain derived by the defendant or loss sustained by the victim as a result of defendant's commission of the offense, which amount shall be determined by the court from evidence presented at the sentence hearing if not stipulated by the parties.

(g) If a defendant fails to pay a fine or restitution as directed, the court may inquire and cause an investigation to be made into the defendant's financial, employment, and family standing, and the reasons for nonpayment of the fine and/or restitution, including whether nonpayment of the fine and/or restitution was contumacious or due to indigency.

 

 

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Indigency, 

At enforcement of fine or fee Not provided for Not provided for No

(h) REMEDIES FOR NONPAYMENT OF FINE OR RESTITUTION. If the defendant fails to pay a fine and/or restitution, the court may: (1) Reduce the fine to an amount the defendant

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is able to pay; (2) Continue or modify the schedule of payments of the fine and/or restitution; (3) Direct that the defendant be incarcerated until the unpaid fine and/or restitution, or any portion thereof, is paid, subject, however, to section (i) of this rule; (4) Order an employer to withhold amounts from wages to pay fines and/or restitution; or (5) Release the defendant from obligation to pay the fine.

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Missouri Mo. Ann. Stat. § 557.011 Authorized dispositions

In the event a sentence of confinement is ordered executed, a court may order that an individual serve all or any portion of such sentence on electronic monitoring; except that

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all costs associated with the electronic monitoring shall be charged to the person on house arrest. If the judge finds the person unable to afford the costs associated with electronic monitoring, the judge may order that the person be placed on house arrest with electronic monitoring if the county commission agrees to pay the costs of such monitoring. If the person on house arrest is unable to afford the costs associated with electronic monitoring and the county commission does not agree to pay from the general revenue of the county the costs of such electronic monitoring, the judge shall not order that the person be placed on house arrest with electronic monitoring.

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Unable to afford costs

Before imposition of fine or fee Not provided for Determined by judge without hearing No

Payment by county

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Missouri Mo. Ann. Stat. § 559.021(6) Conditions of probation--compensation of victims--free work, public or charitable--defendant not an employee for workers’ compensation purposes--payment to county restitution fund, when

A defendant who fails to make a payment to a county law enforcement restitution fund may not have his or her probation revoked solely for failing to make such payment

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unless the judge, after evidentiary hearing, makes a finding supported by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant either willfully refused to make the payment or that the defendant willfully, intentionally, and purposefully failed to make sufficient bona fide efforts to acquire the resources to pay.

All

Not provided for

At enforcement of fine or fee Burden on government to show ability to pay Determined by judge after hearing Yes

Probation not revoked

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Missouri Mo. Ann. Stat. § 479.260(1) Court costs and fees, judicial education fund, purpose, administration

Municipalities by ordinance may provide for fees in an amount per case to be set pursuant to sections 488.010 to 488.020 for each municipal ordinance violation case filed before a municipal judge, and in

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the event a defendant pleads guilty or is found guilty, the judge may assess costs against the defendant except in those cases where the defendant is found by the judge to be indigent and unable to pay the costs. 

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Indigent

Before imposition of fine or fee Not provided for Determined by judge without hearing Yes

Fees not assessed.

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Missouri Mo. Ann. Stat. § 600.090(1) Determination of ability to pay all or part of representation costs--lien for reasonable value of services, procedure--deposit of funds collected

If a person is determined to be eligible for the services provided by the state public defender system and if, at the time such determination is made, he is able

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to provide a limited cash contribution toward the cost of his representation without imposing a substantial hardship upon himself or his dependents, such contribution shall be required as a condition of his representation by the state public defender system.

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Able to provide limited cash contribution without imposing substantial hardship upon himself or his dependents.

Before imposition of fine or fee Not provided for Determined by judge without hearing Yes

Payment of total costs of representation

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Missouri Mo. Ann. Stat. § 558.008 Revocation of a fine

A defendant who has been sentenced to pay a fine may at any time petition the sentencing court for a revocation of a fine or any unpaid portion thereof. If

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it appears to the satisfaction of the court that the circumstances which warranted the imposition of the fine no longer exist or that it would otherwise be unjust to require payment of the fine, the court may revoke the fine or the unpaid portion in whole or in part or may modify the method of payment.

All

Unjust to require payment

At defendant's request at enforcement Not provided for Not provided for No

Revocation of fine

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Missouri Mo. Rev. Stat. § 479.260(2) Court costs and fees, judicial education fund, purpose, administration

In municipal ordinance violation cases which are filed in the associate circuit division of the circuit court, fees shall be assessed in each case in an amount to be set

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pursuant to sections 488.010 to 488.020. In the event a defendant pleads guilty or is found guilty, the judge shall assess costs against the defendant except in those cases where the defendant is found by the judge to be indigent and unable to pay the costs.

All

Indigent and unable to pay the costs

Before imposition of fine or fee Not provided for Not provided for Yes

Costs not assessed.

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Missouri Mo. Ann. Stat. § 558.004(1) Imposition of fines

In determining the amount and the method of payment of a fine, the court shall, insofar as practicable, proportion the fine to the burden that payment will impose in view

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of the financial resources of an individual. The court shall not sentence an offender to pay a fine in any amount which will prevent him or her from making restitution or reparation to the victim of the offense.

All

Financial resources and burden caused by fine.

Before imposition of fine or fee Not provided for Not provided for Yes

Fine proportional to defendant's resources

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Missouri Mo. Ann. Stat. § 600.086(3),(6) Eligibility for representation, rules to establish--indigency, how determined, procedure, appeal--false statements, penalty--investigation authorized

3. The determination of indigency of any person seeking the services of the state public defender system shall be made by the defender or anyone serving under him at any

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stage of the proceedings. Upon motion by either party, the court in which the case is pending shall have authority to determine whether the services of the public defender may be utilized by the defendant. Upon the courts finding that the defendant is not indigent, the public defender shall no longer represent the defendant. Any such person claiming indigency shall file with the court an affidavit which shall contain the factual information required by the commission under rules which may be established by the commission in determining indigency. 

6. The burden shall lie on the accused or the defendant to convince the defender or the court of his eligibility to receive legal services, in any conference, hearing or question thereon.

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Indigent

Before imposition of fine or fee Burden on defendant to show inability to pay Determined by judge without hearing No

Representation by public defender