50-State Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder Bringing transparency to areas of significant legal complexity.
Ability to Pay
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.
16 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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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 + See moreinability 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 persons 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. § 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. |
All |
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. § 54-56e(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 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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All |
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. |
All |
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(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 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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All |
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. § 54-56j(f) | Pretrial school violence prevention program. |
. . . no student shall be excluded from such program for inability to pay such cost provided (1) the parent or guardian of such student files with the court an affidavit of indigency or inability to pay, and (2) the court enters a finding thereof.
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All |
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. § 54-125f(d) | Pilot zero-tolerance drug supervision program. |
. . . if the participant is determined to be indigent, based upon financial affidavits, the Board of Pardons and Paroles shall pay the cost of the test |
All |
indigent, based upon financial affidavits |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Administrative decision | Yes |
Department of Correction shall pay the cost |
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Connecticut | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-38c(i) | Pretrial family violence education program; fees. |
. . . no person shall be excluded from such program for inability to pay any such fee, provided (1) the person files with the court an affidavit of indigency or inability to pay, and (2) the court enters a finding thereof
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All |
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. § 18-100e(d) | Pilot zero-tolerance drug supervision program (urinalysis fee) |
(d) Any person who has submitted to a urinalysis drug test pursuant to subsection (c) of this section that produced a positive result may request that a second urinalysis drug test be administered, at such persons expense, to confirm the results of the first test, except that if the participant is determined to be indigent, based upon financial affidavits, the Department of Correction shall pay the cost of the test. The second drug test shall be a urinalysis drug test, separate and independent of the initial test.
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All |
indigent, based upon financial affidavits |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Administrative decision | Yes |
Department of Correction shall pay the cost |
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Connecticut | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-28(c) | Authorized sentences. |
. . . In determining the appropriate terms of financial restitution, the court shall consider: (A) The financial resources of the offender and the burden restitution will place on other obligations of the offender; (B) the offenders ability to pay based on installments or other conditions; (C) the rehabilitative effect on the offender of the payment of restitution and the method of payment; and (D) other circumstances, including the financial burden and impact on the victim, that the court determines make the terms of restitution appropriate. If the court determines that the current financial resources of the offender or the offenders current ability to pay based on installments or other conditions are such that no appropriate terms of restitution can be determined, the court may forego setting such terms.
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All |
current financial resources of the offender or the offenders current ability to pay based on installments or other conditions are such that no appropriate terms of restitution can be determined |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
The court may forgo setting restitution |
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Connecticut | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-39c(b) | Community service labor program. |
. . . 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 inability to pay, (2) such indigency is confirmed by the Court Support Services Division, and (3) the court enters a finding thereof.
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All |
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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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 604-A:9(I) | Repayment |
I. Any adult defendant who has had counsel or a public defender assigned to the defendant at the expense of the state shall be ordered by the court under paragraph I-b to repay the state through the unit of cost containment, the fees and expenses paid by the state on the defendant's behalf according to a schedule established by the administrator of the cost containment unit with the approval of the administrative justices of the courts on such terms as the court may order consistent with the defendant's present or future ability to pay, such ability to be determined by the unit of cost containment . . . At no time shall the defendant be required to repay, for legal services, an amount greater than the state's flat rate for a contract attorney as established contractually pursuant to RSA 604-B. If the defendant is placed on probation or sentenced to a period of conditional discharge, the defendant shall repay the state, through the department of corrections, all fees and expenses paid on his behalf on such terms as the court may order consistent with the defendant's present or future ability to pay.
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All |
Present or future ability to pay, as determined by the unit of cost containment. |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
Payment plan and reduced costs |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 516:16-a | Defaults; Witness Fees for Law Enforcement Officers |
Any person who defaults on a scheduled court appearance on a motor vehicle offense shall be responsible for paying the current witness fee for any law enforcement officer required to attend such appearance, unless the court determines that such person is indigent.
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Traffic |
Indigent |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Determined by judge without hearing | Yes |
Not specified |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 604-A:2-c | Determination of Financial Ability |
The determination of a defendant's financial ability to obtain counsel shall be made by comparing the defendant's assets and incomes with the minimum cost of obtaining qualified private counsel. The defendant's assets shall include all real and personal property owned in any manner by the defendant, excluding only those assets which are exempt from attachment and execution under RSA 511:2. The defendant's income shall include all income, whether earned or not, from any source, unless exempt from attachment under any state or federal law, and shall be reduced only by the amount of expenses which are reasonably necessary for the maintenance of the defendant and his dependents. In determining a defendant's financial ability to obtain counsel, the rules adopted by the commissioner under RSA 604-A:10, IV, shall contain a method for considering the defendant's ability to borrow some or all of the necessary funds. The rules shall also consider the possibility of the defendant paying his counsel fees in periodic installments.
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All |
Comparison of the defendant's assets and incomes with the minimum cost of obtaining qualified private counsel. |
Before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Not provided for | Yes |
Installment plan |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 499:18-b | Waiver of Court Costs and Fees |
Except as otherwise specifically provided by the rules of the court, any person, by reason of poverty, may seek relief from the payment of any fees provided by law which are payable to any court, clerk of court, or sheriff. The court, upon the application of such person, which application may be filed without fee, may, in its discretion, order the payment of such fees waived. In any case in which a person is represented by a legal aid society, a federally funded legal services project, or counsel assigned in accordance with the rules of the court, all filing costs shall be waived by the clerk without the necessity of a court order. Fees for the service of process by sheriffs shall be a charge against the state.
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All |
Poverty |
At defendant's request before imposition of fine or fee | Not provided for | Other | Yes |
Fee waiver |
The Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder is a project of the National Criminal Justice Debt Initiative of the Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard Law School in collaboration with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and with user experience design by metaLAB (at) Harvard.
For more information, please visit cjpp.law.harvard.edu.