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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Louisiana LA Rev Stat § 15:175 Proceedings to determine indigency
A.(1)(a) A preliminary inquiry and determination of indigency of any accused person shall be made by the court not later than arraignment and such determination may be reviewed by the
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court at any other stage of the proceedings. (b) A person will be deemed "indigent" who is unable, without substantial financial hardship to himself or to his dependents, to obtain competent, qualified legal representation on his own. "Substantial financial hardship" is presumptively determined to include all defendants who receive public assistance, such as Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, Disability Insurance, resides in public housing, or earns less than two hundred percent of the Federal Poverty Guideline. A defendant is presumed to have a substantial financial hardship if he or she is currently serving a sentence in a correctional institution or is housed in a mental health facility. (c) Defendants not falling below the presumptive threshold will be subjected to a more rigorous screening process to determine if their particular circumstances, including seriousness of the charges being faced, monthly expenses, local private counsel rates, would result in a "substantial hardship" were they to seek to retain private counsel. (d) If the court makes the preliminary determination that the accused is or may be indigent, the court shall require the accused to make application to the district public defender office or an attorney appointed or under contract to provide indigent defender services, who shall inquire further into the accused's economic status and, upon determining that the accused is indigent, shall file a certification thereof, in such form as the court may require and without paying costs in advance, in the record of the proceeding or enroll as counsel. (e) The accused shall be responsible for applying for indigent defense counsel and for establishing his indigency and entitlement to appointment of counsel. Any oral or written statements made by the accused in or for use in the criminal proceeding and material to the issue of his indigency shall be made under oath or an equivalent affirmation. (f) An accused person or, if applicable, a parent or legal guardian of an accused minor or an accused adult person who is claimed as a dependent on the federal income tax submission of his parent or legal guardian, who makes application to the district office certifying that he is financially unable to employ counsel and requesting representation by indigent defense counsel or conflict counsel, shall pay a nonrefundable application fee of forty dollars to the district office or its designee, which fee shall be in addition to all other fees or costs lawfully imposed. If the board or other appropriate official determines that the person does not have the financial resources to pay the application fee based upon the financial information submitted, the fee may be waived or reduced. An accused who is found to be indigent may not be refused counsel for failure to pay the application fee. (g) The proceeds shall be deposited to the judicial district indigent defender fund in the judicial district in which the application was made. (h) The funds collected pursuant to this Section and all interest or other income earned from the investment of such funds shall be used and administered by each district public defender. (i) The district public defender shall maintain a record of all persons applying for representation and the disposition of the application and shall provide this information to the board on a monthly basis as well as reporting the amount of funds collected or waived. (2) The district public defender or his assistants or an attorney providing indigent defender services pursuant to a contract with the board shall be allowed to summon witnesses to testify before the court concerning the financial ability of any accused person to employ counsel for his defense. (3) Failure of the judge to comply with provisions of this Section shall result in deduction of reasonable criminal defense costs from the Judicial Expense Fund. B.(1) In determining whether or not a person is indigent and entitled to the appointment of counsel, the court shall consider whether the person is a needy person and the extent of his ability to pay. The court may consider such factors as income or funds from employment or any other source, including public assistance, to which the accused is entitled, property owned by the accused or in which he has an economic interest, outstanding obligations, the number and ages of dependents, employment and job training history, and level of education. (2) Release on bail alone shall not disqualify a person for appointment of counsel. In each case, the person subject to the penalty of perjury shall certify in writing such material factors relating to his ability to pay as the court prescribes. C. Nothing in this Chapter shall prevent a criminal defendant from obtaining representation through the board at no charge.
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A person will be deemed "indigent" who is unable, without substantial financial hardship to himself or to his dependents, to obtain competent, qualified legal representation on his own. "Substantial financial

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hardship" is presumptively determined to include all defendants who receive public assistance, such as Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, Disability Insurance, resides in public housing, or earns less than two hundred percent of the Federal Poverty Guideline. A defendant is presumed to have a substantial financial hardship if he or she is currently serving a sentence in a correctional institution or is housed in a mental health facility.

Before imposition of fine or fee Burden on defendant to show inability to pay Determined by judge after hearing Yes

Indigent defendant is assigned a public defender after paying $40

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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. § 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. § 54-56e(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(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

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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

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an affidavit of indigency or inability to pay, and (2) 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. § 54-125f(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

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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

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or inability to pay, and (2) 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. § 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

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test be administered, at such person’s 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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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

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obligations of the offender; (B) the offender’s 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 offender’s 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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current financial resources of the offender or the offender’s 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

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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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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