Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard Law School
50-State Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder Bringing transparency to areas of significant legal complexity.
50-State Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder Bringing transparency to areas of significant legal complexity.
Case Law
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When does this apply
| State | Citation | Question | Brief answer | Language from the opinion | When does the case apply? | |
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Delaware | Potter v. State, 547 A.2d 595, 598 (Del. 1988) |
Under state constitutional or statutory law, what are the minimum requirements for a constitutionally adequate ability-to-pay determination? Include any guidance about the substantive standards to apply, the burden of proof, + See morethe sources of information that should be considered, and the timing of the determination (i.e. before imposition, before enforcement action, only if incarceration is threatened).
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In felony cases that may result in a prison sentence, the Delaware Supreme Court holds that the trial court must make a determination of indigence if indigence is raised as + See morean issue. The defendant has the burden of proof and is entitled to a hearing on the issue of indigence. The Court is silent on the substantive factors that must be considered when making a determination of indigence.
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If the issue of indigence is raised in a case involving a felony charge which may result in a prison sentence, this Court has held that the trial court has + See morea duty to make a determination on the record as to the defendant's alleged indigence before the case proceeds to trial. Stacey v. State, Del.Supr., 358 A.2d 379, 380 (1976) (per curiam). The defendant has the burden of establishing a right to counsel at public expense, but he is entitled to a hearing on the issue of indigence. Id. This Court also held that it is error for a trial court to presume that a defendant is not entitled to counsel from a silent record. Id. Potter v. State, 547 A.2d 595, 598 (Del. 1988)
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Ability to pay |
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Iowa | State v. Van Hoff, 415 N.W.2d 647, 649 (Iowa 1987) |
Under state constitutional or statutory law, what are the minimum requirements for a constitutionally adequate ability-to-pay determination? Include any guidance about the substantive standards to apply, the burden of proof, + See morethe sources of information that should be considered, and the timing of the determination (i.e. before imposition, before enforcement action, only if incarceration is threatened).
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A determination of reasonableness ... is more appropriately based on [a defendant's] ability to pay the current installments than his ability to ultimately pay the total amount due. | A determination of reasonableness ... is more appropriately based on [a defendant's] ability to pay the current installments than his ability to ultimately pay the total amount due. | Ability to pay |
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Iowa | State v. Kurtz, 878 N.W.2d 469, 473 (Iowa Ct. App. 2016) | A defendant who seeks to upset a restitution order has the burden to demonstrate either the failure of the court to exercise discretion or an abuse of that discretion. | A defendant who seeks to upset a restitution order, however, has the burden to demonstrate either the failure of the court to exercise discretion or an abuse of that discretion. | Ability to pay | |
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Iowa | Goodrich v. State, 608 N.W.2d 774, 776 (Iowa 2000) | Ability to pay must be determined before imposition. |
Constitutionally, a court must determine a criminal defendant's ability to pay before entering an order requiring such defendant to pay criminal restitution pursuant to Iowa Code section 910.2. Section 910.2 + See moreauthorizes a court to order the offender to make restitution of court costs and court-appointed attorney's fees “to the extent that the offender is reasonably able to do so.
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Iowa | State v. Kurtz, 878 N.W.2d 469, 472 (Iowa Ct. App. 2016) | Are there limits to the state’s ability to recoup fees for counsel under the state constitution? |
The restitution ordered to the victim is made without regard to the defendant's ability to pay; however, other reimbursement and costs are ordered only to the extent that the defendant + See moreis reasonably able to pay.
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The restitution ordered to the victim is made without regard to the defendant's ability to pay; however, other reimbursement and costs are ordered only to the extent that the defendant + See moreis reasonably able to pay. . . . Thus, before ordering payment for court-appointed attorney fees and court costs, the court must consider the defendant's ability to pay.
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Ability to pay |
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Michigan | People v. Jackson, 483 Mich. 271, 769 N.W.2d 630 (2009) |
Under state constitutional or statutory law, what are the minimum requirements for a constitutionally adequate ability-to-pay determination? Include any guidance about the substantive standards to apply, the burden of proof, + See morethe sources of information that should be considered, and the timing of the determination (i.e. before imposition, before enforcement action, only if incarceration is threatened).
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Defendant is not entitled to an assessment of ability to pay fee for court-appointed attorney until the imposition of the fee is enforced |
Indeed, whenever a trial court attempts to enforce its imposition of a fee for a court-appointed attorney under MCL 769.1k, the defendant must be advised of this enforcement action and + See morebe given an opportunity to contest the enforcement on the basis of his indigency. Thus, trial courts should not entertain defendants' ability-to-pay-based challenges to the imposition of fees until enforcement of that imposition has begun. . . . The operative question for any such evaluation will be whether a defendant **643 is indigent and unable to pay at that time or whether forced payment would work a manifest hardship on the defendant at that time.
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Ability to pay |
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Michigan | People v. Cunningham, 496 Mich. 145, 147, 852 N.W.2d 118, 120 (2014) | Imposing costs beyond those specified in statute |
The authority to impose criminal costs is statutory. Statute stating that if defendant is guilty, court may impose any cost in addition to the minimum state cost, does not provide + See morecourts with the independent authority to impose any costs upon defendants, and instead, statute provides courts with authority to impose only those costs that the Legislature has separately authorized by statute.
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“The right of the court to impose costs in a criminal case is statutory.” . . . . Thus, courts may impose costs in criminal cases only where such costs + See moreare authorized by statute. In a variety of circumstances, the Legislature has chosen to provide courts with the authority to impose costs. For instance, with regard to certain offenses, courts may require criminal defendants to pay the “costs of prosecution.” . . . we conclude that MCL 769.1k (1)(b)(ii ) does not provide courts with the independent authority to impose “any cost.” Instead, we hold that MCL 769.1k(1)(b)(ii ) provides courts with the authority to impose only those costs that the Legislature has separately authorized by statute.
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Utah | Neilson v. Dennett, 450 P.2d 93, 95 (Utah 1969) |
Under state constitutional or statutory law, what are the minimum requirements for a constitutionally adequate ability-to-pay determination? Include any guidance about the substantive standards to apply, the burden of proof, + See morethe sources of information that should be considered, and the timing of the determination (i.e. before imposition, before enforcement action, only if incarceration is threatened).
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ability to pay should be determined at the time order is imposed to pay money. |
However, in this case it was incumbent upon the trial court to find that the appellant at the time the order was made had the ability to pay over the + See moremoney and thereafter refused to do so before the judge could hold the appellant in contempt for failure to pay
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Ability to pay |
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Utah | State v. Vincent, 883 P.2d 278, 283 (Utah 1994) | Other applicable case law |
A defendant has the initial burden of establishing indigence. The defendant must establish that payment would place an undue hardship on the defendant's ability to provide for the basic necessities + See moreof life
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[T]he defendants bear the initial burden of establishing their indigence. Generally speaking, a person is indigent for purposes of sections 77321 and 2 if payments for counsel or transcripts would + See moreplace an undue hardship on the defendant's ability to provide the basic necessities of life for the defendant and the defendant's family.
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Ability to pay |
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Utah | State v. Haston, 811 P.2d 929, 936 (Utah Ct. App. 1991), rev'd, 846 P.2d 1276 (Utah 1993) | Other applicable case law |
Imposition of fine and the amount of the fine is left to the discretion of the court. A judge need not give an explanation for the fine he or she + See moreimposes.
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Imposition of a fine, and the accompanying mandatory surcharge, is a matter left to the discretion of the trial court. Utah Code Ann. §§ 6363a1 (1989), 763301.5(5) (1990). No particular + See moreexplanation needs to be made by the trial court.
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Fines and fees |