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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Alaska Alaska Stat. Ann. § 12.55.051(c) Enforcement of Fines and Restitution

A defendant who has been sentenced to pay a fine or restitution may request a hearing regarding the defendant's ability to pay the fine or restitution at any time that

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the defendant is required to pay all or a portion of the fine or restitution. The court may deny the request if it has previously considered the defendant's ability to pay and the defendant's request does not allege changed circumstances. If, at a hearing under this subsection, the defendant proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant will be unable through good faith efforts to satisfy the order requiring payment of the fine or restitution, the court shall modify the order so that the defendant can pay the fine or restitution through good faith efforts. The court may reduce the fine ordered, change the payment schedule, or otherwise modify the order. The court may not reduce an order of restitution but may change the payment schedule.

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"Defendant will be unable through good faith efforts to satisfy the order requiring payment of the fine or restitution."

At defendant's request at enforcement Burden on defendant to show inability to pay Determined by judge after hearing No

Reduction of fine; modification of fee schedule; or any other modification the Court thinks appropriate.

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Alaska Alaska Stat. Ann. § 18.85.120 Determination of Indigency; Repayment

(a) The determination of a person's indigency shall be made by the court in which an action against the person is pending. The determination shall be made by the court

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and shall set out the basis for the finding that the person is indigent. (b) In determining whether a person is indigent and in determining the extent of the person's inability to pay, the court shall consider such factors as income, property owned, outstanding obligations, and the number and ages of dependents. Release on bail does not preclude a finding that a person is indigent. In each case, the person, subject to the penalties for perjury, shall certify under oath, and in writing or by other record, material factors relative to the person's financial resources and ability to pay that the court prescribes.

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"The court shall consider such factors as income, property owned, outstanding obligations, and the number and ages of dependents."

Before imposition of fine or fee Burden on defendant to show inability to pay Determined by judge without hearing No Not provided for
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Alaska Alaska Stat. Ann. § 12.55.039(b) Surcharge

A court may not fail to impose the surcharge required under this section. The surcharge may not be waived, deferred, or suspended. A court may allow a defendant who is

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unable to pay the surcharge required to be imposed under this section to perform community work under AS 12.55.055(c) in lieu of the surcharge.

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"Unable to pay the surcharge."

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

Community Service

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Alaska Alaska Stat. § 12.55.045(g),(j),(k) Restitution and Compensation

(g) The court may not, in ordering the amount of restitution, consider the defendant’s ability to pay restitution; (j)  A defendant who is convicted of an offense for which restitution may be

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ordered shall submit financial information as ordered by the court. The Alaska Court System shall prepare a form, in consultation with the Department of Law, for the submission of the information; the form must include a warning that submission of incomplete or inaccurate information is punishable as unsworn falsification in the second degree under AS 11.56.210. A defendant who is convicted of (1) a felony shall submit the form to the probation office within 30 days after conviction, and the probation officer shall attach the form to the presentence report, or (2) a misdemeanor shall file the form with the defendant’s response or opposition to the restitution amount. The defendant shall provide a copy of the completed form to the prosecuting authority;  (k)  The court, on its own motion or at the request of the prosecuting authority or probation officer, may order a defendant on probation who has been ordered to pay restitution to submit financial information to the court using the form specified in (j) of this section. The defendant shall file the completed form with the court within five days after the court’s order. The defendant shall provide a copy of the completed form to the prosecuting authority and the person’s probation officer, if any.

All Not provided for Not provided for Not provided for Not provided for No Not provided for
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Alaska Alaska Stat. § 18.85.155(a) Payment by Municipality

When a municipality prosecutes a person who has been determined by the court to be indigent under AS 18.85.120 for a violation of a municipal ordinance that is a serious crime, the

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municipality shall pay for the services of the attorney appointed by the court to defend the indigent person.

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"Indigent under AS 18.85.120"

Not provided for Not provided for Not provided for Yes

The municipality shall pay for the services of the attorney appointed by the court to defend the indigent person.

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Alaska Alaska Stat. § 33.30.028(b) Responsibility for Costs of Medical Care

The commissioner shall require prisoners who are without resources under (a) of this section to pay the costs of medical, psychological, and psychiatric care provided to them by the department.

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At a minimum, the prisoner shall be required to pay a portion of the costs based upon the prisoner’s ability to pay.

All Not provided for Not provided for Not provided for Administrative decision No

Required to pay a portion of the costs.

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Alaska Alaska Stat. § 12.55.100(f) Conditions of Probation

 

While on probation and as a special condition of probation for an offense where the aggravating factor provided in AS 12.55.155(c)(29) has been proven or admitted, the court shall require that the

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defendant submit to electronic monitoring. Electronic monitoring under this subsection must provide for monitoring of the defendant’s location and movements by Global Positioning System technology. The court shall require a defendant serving a period of probation with electronic monitoring as provided under this subsection to pay all or a portion of the costs of the electronic monitoring, but only if the defendant has sufficient financial resources to pay the costs or a portion of the costs. A defendant subject to electronic monitoring under this subsection is not entitled to a credit for time served in a correctional facility while the defendant is on probation. In this subsection, “correctional facility” has the meaning given in AS 33.30.901.

All

"Sufficient financial resources to pay the costs or a portion of the costs."

Not provided for Not provided for Not provided for No Not provided for
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Alaska Alaska Stat. § 09.19.010 Limitation on Exemption From Filing Fees

(c)  Based on the submission under (b) of this section, the court may grant an exemption from part of the applicable filing fees if the court finds that exceptional circumstances

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prevent the prisoner from paying full filing fees. Imprisonment and indigency do not constitute exceptional circumstances if the prisoner has available income or resources that can be applied to the filing fee; (d)  If the court orders an exemption under (c) of this section, the court shall determine the amount of the exemption and set a filing fee to be paid by the prisoner. In setting the fee, the court, at a minimum, shall require the prisoner to pay filing fees equal to 20 percent of the larger of the average monthly deposits made to the prisoner’s account described in (b)(2) of this section, or the average balance in that account, not to exceed the amount of the full filing fee required under applicable court rules.

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"Exceptional circumstances prevent the prisoner from paying full filing fees"

At defendant's request before imposition of fine or fee Burden on defendant to show inability to pay Administrative decision No

Fee is recalculated based on prisoner's resources.

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Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-30(e) Conditions of probation and conditional discharge. If the court finds that the person subject to electronic monitoring is indigent and unable to pay the costs of electronic monitoring services, it shall waive such costs. All

indigent and unable to pay the costs

At enforcement of fine or fee Not provided for Not provided for Yes

The court shall waive such costs

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Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-56i(g) Pretrial drug education and community service program.
No person may be excluded from any such program for inability to pay such fee or cost, provided (1) such person files with the court an affidavit of indigency or
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inability to pay, (2) such indigency or inability to pay is confirmed by the Court Support Services Division, and (3) the court enters a finding thereof. The court may waive all or any portion of such fee depending on such person’s ability to pay. If the court finds that a person is indigent or unable to pay for a substance abuse treatment program, the costs of such program shall be paid from the pretrial account established under section 54-56k.
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indigency

Before imposition of fine or fee Burden on defendant to show inability to pay Not provided for Yes

costs of such program shall be paid from the pretrial account

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Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-74. Remission of fine.
Any judge of the Superior Court may remit any fine, if in his judgment such course will tend to the reformation of offenders or the furtherance of the ends of
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justice.
All Not provided for At enforcement of fine or fee Not provided for Not provided for No

Remission of fine

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Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-151 Cost of transcript and printing on appeal.
In any appeal in a criminal action, where it appears to the trial court that the accused is without funds with which to defray the costs of securing a transcript
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of the evidence, or printing the briefs and the appendices to the briefs, such costs shall be defrayed by the state.
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"without funds with which to defray the costs"

At enforcement of fine or fee Not provided for Not provided for Yes

costs shall be defrayed by the state

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Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-147 Rules for payment of expenses. Waiver of fee or cost.
(a) The judges of the Superior Court may establish rules, in addition to those established by statute, for the payment of the expenses of all criminal proceedings or prosecutions, except
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such expenses as are incurred by the Division of Criminal Justice.(b) No fee or cost imposed pursuant to any provision of the general statutes on a person who is a defendant or has been convicted in a criminal proceeding or prosecution shall be waived by the court, except as authorized by such provision or for good cause shown.
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"good cause shown" to waive fees

Before imposition of fine or fee Burden on defendant to show inability to pay Not provided for No

waiver of fee or cost

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Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 17a-696(e) Order for suspension of prosecution and treatment for alcohol or drug dependency.

. . . (4) the accused person, unless such accused person is indigent, has paid to the clerk of the court an administration fee of twenty-five dollars.

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indigent

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

waiver of fee

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Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 17a-696(e) Order for suspension of prosecution and treatment for alcohol or drug dependency.

The accused person shall, unless indigent, pay the cost of treatment ordered under this section.

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indigent

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

waiver of cost of treatment

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Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-56i(i) Pretrial drug education and community service program (program reinstatement fees)

. . . Unless good cause is shown, such program fee shall not be waived.

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"good cause"

Before imposition of fine or fee Burden on defendant to show inability to pay Not provided for No

waiver of fees

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Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-56e(e) Accelerated pretrial rehabilitation

. . . No person may be excluded from such program for inability to pay such fee, provided (1) such person files with the court an affidavit of indigency or

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inability to pay, (2) such indigency or inability to pay is confirmed by the Court Support Services Division, and (3) the court enters a finding thereof.

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indigency

Before imposition of fine or fee Burden on defendant to show inability to pay Not provided for Yes

admission to program without paying fees

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Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-56g(g) Pretrial alcohol education program (victim impact panel program fees)

. . . provided such organization shall offer a hardship waiver when it has determined that the imposition of a fee would pose an economic hardship for such person.

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economic hardship

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

hardship waiver

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Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-56g(e) Pretrial alcohol education program (reinstatement fees)

. . . Unless good cause is shown, such fees shall not be waived.

All

"good cause"

Before imposition of fine or fee Burden on defendant to show inability to pay Not provided for No

waiver of fees

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Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-56g(c) Pretrial alcohol education program

. . . No person may be excluded from either program for inability to pay such fee or cost, provided (1) such person files with the court an affidavit of

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indigency or inability to pay, (2) such indigency or inability to pay is confirmed by the Court Support Services Division, and (3) the court enters a finding thereof. If the court finds that a person is indigent or unable to pay for a treatment program, the costs of such program shall be paid from the pretrial account established under section 54-56k. If the court finds that a person is indigent or unable to pay for an intervention program, the court may waive all or any portion of the fee for such intervention program.

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indigency

Before imposition of fine or fee Burden on defendant to show inability to pay Not provided for Yes

costs of such program shall be paid from the pretrial account