Keyword search across all of the laws in the states. Subject-area tabs above allow you to narrow results. Click the advanced search for further refinement.
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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.
17 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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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 + See morecapias 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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All |
"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 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.
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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 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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All |
"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 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.
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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, 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 for treatment or monitoring provided by court referral officers.
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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 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.
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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 | 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 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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All |
"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 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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All |
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 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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All |
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 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. |
All |
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 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.
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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 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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All |
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 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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Utah | Utah R. Crim. P. 15 | Expert Witnesses |
Upon showing that a defendant is financially unable to pay the fees of an expert whose services are necessary for adequate defense, the witness fee shall be paid as if + See morehe were called on behalf of the prosecution.
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All |
unable to pay fees |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Not provided for | No |
costs covered by state |
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Utah | Utah Code Ann. § 76-5-502 | Request for testing--Mandatory testing--Liability for costs | the alleged offender who is tested is responsible upon conviction for the costs of testing, unless the alleged offender is indigent. | All |
indigent |
Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
costs covered by state |
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Utah | Utah Code Ann. § 77-32a-3 | Ability to pay |
The court shall not include in the judgment a sentence that a defendant pay costs unless the defendant is or will be able to pay them. In determining the amount + See moreand method of payment of costs, the court shall take account of the financial resources of the defendant and the nature of the burden that payment of costs will impose and that restitution be the first priority
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All | Not provided for | Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes | Not provided for |
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Utah | Utah Code Ann. § 76-3-201.1 | Collection of criminal judgments--reduce fines |
When a defendant defaults in the payment of a criminal judgment account receivable or any installment of that receivable, the court, on motion of the prosecution, victim, or upon its + See moreown motion may: (a) order the defendant to appear and show cause why the default should not be treated as contempt of court; or (b) issue a warrant of arrest... (5) If it appears to the satisfaction of the court that the default is not contempt, the court may enter an order for any of the following or any combination of the following...(f) except as limited by Subsection (6) [restitution] ... reduce or revoke the unpaid amount of the criminal judgment account receivable
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All | Not provided for | At enforcement of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
reduction or revocation of fine |
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Utah | Utah Code Ann. § 77-32-202(2)(a) | Procedure for determination of indigence--Standards |
Any defendant claiming indigence who is charged with a crime the penalty of which is a class A misdemeanor or serious offense shall file with the court a fully complete + See moreaffidavit verified by a notary or other person authorized by law to administer an oath and file a copy of that affidavit with the prosecuting entity. The affidavit shall contain the factual information required in this section and by the court. . . Indigence means that a person: (i) does not have sufficient income, assets, credit, or other means to provide for the payment of legal counsel and all other necessary expenses of representation without depriving that person or the family of that person of food, shelter, clothing, and other necessities; or (ii) has an income level at or below 150% of the United States poverty level as defined by the most recently revised poverty income guidelines published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services; and (iii) has not transferred or otherwise disposed of any assets since the commission of the offense with the intent of establishing eligibility for the appointment of counsel under this chapter.
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All |
does not have sufficient income, assets, credit or other means to provide for payment of legal counsel and all other necessary expenses without depriving that person or the family of that person of basic necessities OR has income level at or below 150 percent of US poverty level and has not transferred or disposed of property since the commission of the offense
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Not provided for | Not provided for | Not provided for | No |
cost of attorneys fees covered |
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