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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See all ability to pay policy recommendations in CJPP’s Policy Guide
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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.
3 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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Tennessee | Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-101(b)(2) | Assault - Domestic Abuse |
if the relationship between the defendant and the victim of the assault is such that the victim is a domestic abuse victim as defined in § 36-3-601, and if, as + See moredetermined by the court, the defendant possesses the ability to pay a fine in an amount not in excess of two hundred dollars ($200), then the court shall impose a fine at the level of the defendant's ability to pay, but not in excess of two hundred dollars ($200).
|
Misdemeanor |
No definition of ability to pay is provided. However, in imposing fines, courts must consider the defendant's ability to pay, prior criminal history, potential for rehabilitation, financial means, and other mitigating and enhancing factors.
|
Before imposition of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge after hearing | Yes |
Imposition of a lower fee |
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Tennessee | Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-102(e)(2) | Aggravated Assault - Domestic Abuse |
In addition to any other punishment that may be imposed for a violation of this section, if the relationship between the defendant and the victim of the assault is such + See morethat the victim is a domestic abuse victim as defined in § 36-3-601, and if, as determined by the court, the defendant possesses the ability to pay a fine in an amount not in excess of two hundred dollars ($200), then the court shall impose a fine at the level of the defendant's ability to pay, but not in excess of two hundred dollars ($200).
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All |
No definition of ability to pay is provided. However, in imposing fines, courts must consider the defendant's ability to pay, prior criminal history, potential for rehabilitation, financial means, and other mitigating and enhancing factors.
|
Before imposition of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge after hearing | Yes |
Imposition of a lower fee |
|
Add to Dashboard
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Tennessee | Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-111(c)(5) | Domestic Assault - Additional Fee |
In addition to any other punishment that may be imposed for a violation of this section, if, as determined by the court, the defendant possesses the ability to pay a + See morefine in an amount not in excess of two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225), then the court shall impose a fine at the level of the defendant's ability to pay, but not in excess of two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225).
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All |
No definition of ability to pay is provided. However, in imposing fines, courts must consider the defendant's ability to pay, prior criminal history, potential for rehabilitation, financial means, and other mitigating and enhancing factors.
|
Before imposition of fine or fee | Burden on defendant to show inability to pay | Determined by judge after hearing | Yes |
Imposition of a lower fee |
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.