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.
Poverty Penalties and Poverty Traps
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 poverty penalty and poverty trap policy recommendations in CJPP’s Policy Guide
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- Alabama (6)
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- Idaho (11)
- Illinois (11)
- Indiana (8)
- Iowa (12)
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- Kentucky (12)
- Louisiana (22)
- Maine (22)
- (-) Maryland (10)
- Massachusetts (19)
- Michigan (32)
- (-) Minnesota (6)
- Mississippi (14)
- Missouri (22)
- Montana (18)
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- Nevada (14)
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- New Jersey (20)
- New Mexico (14)
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- (-) Ohio (32)
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- Civil judgment (2)
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- Condition or extension of supervision (8)
- Driver's license suspension/impoundment (7)
- Extension of probation/supervision (0)
- Incarceration (3)
- Increased fine (7)
- Other (0)
- Payment plan/installment plan (7)
- Property liens (6)
- Wage/bank account garnishment (6)
- Work program/jail industry program (0)
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Level of Offense
Below are the poverty penalties and poverty traps that meet your search criteria. Many include a See related provisions prompt which searches our database for laws that may pertain to your result.
48 Results
| State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap | Level of offense | Mandatory | |
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Maryland | Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 7-503(a) | Installment | When a court imposes a fine, the court may order the defendant to pay the fine: (1) When the court imposes sentence; or (2) In specified installments at designated intervals. | Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Maryland | Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 7-503(c) | Condition Probation on Payment | If a court sentences a defendant to probation, the court may make payment of a fine a condition of the sentence. | Condition or extension of supervision | All | No |
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Maryland | Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 7-504(c)(3) | Imprisonment |
After an investigation that a court considers necessary as to the reasons for the failure or inability to pay a fine, the court: May order that the individual be committed + See moreto a correctional facility;
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Maryland | Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 7-505 | Collection of Unpaid Fines and Costs | Unpaid and undischarged fines and unpaid costs may be levied, executed on, and collected in the same manner as judgments in civil cases. | Property liens | All | No |
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Maryland | Md. Code Ann., Transp. § 26-207(a) | Revocation of Commercial License |
If a person holding a commercial driver's license fails to comply with a notice to appear in court or a notice for failure to pay a fine for a traffic + See morecitation issued to the person under the laws or regulations of another state, and the other state's driver licensing authority notified the Administration of the noncompliance, on receipt of the notice of noncompliance and after giving the person 10 days' written notice, the Administration shall suspend the driving privileges of the person until receipt of a notice of compliance from the other state.
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | All | No |
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Maryland | Md. Code Ann., Transp. § 27-103(a) | Revocation of License |
If a person fined under the Maryland Vehicle Law1 or under any federal traffic law or regulation for a violation occurring in Maryland does not pay the fine in accordance + See morewith the court's directive: (1) The court may so certify to the Administration; and (2) On such certification, after giving the person 10 days advance written notice, the Administration may suspend the driving privileges or license of the person until the fine has been paid.
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | All | No |
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Maryland | Md. Code Ann., Crim. Law §10-119(i) | Criminal Contempt Sanctions |
if the defendant willfully fails to pay the fine imposed by the court, that willful failure may be treated as a criminal contempt of court, for which the defendant may + See morebe punished by the court as provided by law.
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Increased fine | All | No |
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Maryland | Md. Code Ann., Crim. Law §10-127(c) | Criminal Contempt Sanctions | A defendant's willful failure to pay a fine imposed under this part may be treated as a criminal contempt punishable as provided by law. | Increased fine | All | No |
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Maryland | Md. Code Ann., Crim. Law §10-133(i) | Criminal Contempt Sanctions |
if the defendant willfully fails to pay the fine imposed by the court, that willful failure may be treated as a criminal contempt of court, for which the defendant may + See morebe punished by the court as provided by law.
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Increased fine | All | No |
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Maryland | Md. Code Ann., Crim. Law §10-137(i) | Criminal Contempt Sanctions |
if the defendant willfully fails to pay the fine imposed by the court, that willful failure may be treated as a criminal contempt of court, for which the defendant may + See morebe punished by the court as provided by law.
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Increased fine | All | No |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 1907.25(B) | Blocking of motor vehicle registration or transfer or registration for failure to pay fine or costs |
If a person is charged with an offense in county court and either fails to appear in court at the required time and place to answer the charge or pleads + See moreguilty to or is found guilty of the offense and fails within the time allowed by the court to pay any fine or costs imposed by the court, the court may enter information relative to the person's failure to pay any outstanding amount of the fine or costs on a form prescribed or approved by the registrar of motor vehicles pursuant to division (C) of this section and send the form to the registrar. Upon receipt of the form, the registrar shall take any measures necessary to ensure that neither the registrar nor any deputy registrar accepts any application for the registration or transfer of registration of any motor vehicle owned or leased by the person. However, for a motor vehicle leased by the person, the registrar shall not implement this requirement until the registrar adopts procedures for that implementation under section 4503.39 of the Revised Code. The period of denial relating to the issuance or transfer of a certificate of registration for a motor vehicle imposed under this section remains in effect until the person pays any fine or costs imposed by the court relative to the offense. When the fine or costs have been paid in full, the court shall inform the registrar of the payment by entering information relative to the payment on a notice of payment form prescribed or approved by the registrar pursuant to division (C) of this section and sending the form to the registrar.
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | All | No |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2947.14(A) | Satisfaction of fine |
(A) If a fine is imposed as a sentence or a part of a sentence, the court or magistrate that imposed the fine may order that the offender be committed to the jail or workhouse until the fine is paid or secured to be paid, or the offender is otherwise legally discharged, if the court or magistrate determines at a hearing that the offender is able, at that time, to pay the fine but refuses to do so. The hearing required by this section shall be conducted at the time of sentencing.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2949.15 | Writs of execution to issue |
If a nonindigent person convicted of a felony fails to pay the costs of prosecution pursuant to section 2949.14 of the Revised Code, the clerk of the court of common pleas shall forthwith issue to the sheriff of the county in which the indictment was found, and to the sheriff of any other county in which the person has property, executions against his property for fines and the costs of prosecution, which shall be served and returned within ten days, with the proceedings of such sheriff or the certification that there is no property upon which to levy, indorsed thereon. When a levy is made upon property under such execution, a writ shall forthwith be issued by the clerk for the sale thereof, and such sheriff shall sell the property and make return thereof, and after paying the costs of conviction, execution, and sale, pay the balance to the person authorized to receive it.
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Property liens | All | Yes |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2947.23(A)(1)(a)(i) | Judgment for costs and jury fees |
(A)(1)(a) In all criminal cases, including violations of ordinances, the judge or magistrate shall include in the sentence the costs of prosecution, including any costs under section 2947.231 of the Revised Code, and render a judgment against the defendant for such costs. If the judge or magistrate imposes a community control sanction or other nonresidential sanction, the judge or magistrate, when imposing the sanction, shall notify the defendant of both of the following: (i) If the defendant fails to pay that judgment or fails to timely make payments towards that judgment under a payment schedule approved by the court, the court may order the defendant to perform community service until the judgment is paid or until the court is satisfied that the defendant is in compliance with the approved payment schedule.
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Community service | All | No |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.25(C)(2) | Community control sanctions |
(C)(2) The sentencing court shall require as a condition of any community control sanction that the offender abide by the law and not leave the state without the permission of the court or the offender's probation officer. In the interests of doing justice, rehabilitating the offender, and ensuring the offender's good behavior, the court may impose additional requirements on the offender. The offender's compliance with the additional requirements also shall be a condition of the community control sanction imposed upon the offender.
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Condition or extension of supervision | All | Yes |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2949.09 | Execution for fine and costs |
When a judge or magistrate renders judgment for a fine, an execution may issue for such judgment and costs of prosecution, to be levied on the property, or in default thereof, upon the body of the defendant for nonpayment of the fine. The officer holding such writ may arrest such defendant in any county and commit him to the jail of the county in which such writ issued, until such fine is paid or secured to be paid or he is otherwise legally discharged.
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Property liens | All | No |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 4510.22 | Forfeiture for failure to appear or pay fine; denial of vehicle registration |
If a person who has a current valid Ohio driver's, commercial driver's license, or temporary instruction permit is charged with a violation of any provision in sections 4503.11, 4503.12, 4503.182, 4503.21, 4507.02, 4507.05, 4507.35, 4510.11, 4510.111, 4510.12, 4510.16, 4510.21, 4511.01 to 4511.76, 4511.81, 4511.82, 4511.84, 4513.01 to 4513.65, or 4549.01 to 4549.65 of the Revised Code or with a violation of any substantially equivalent municipal ordinance and if the person either fails to appear in court at the required time and place to answer the charge or pleads guilty to or is found guilty of the violation and fails within the time allowed by the court to pay the fine imposed by the court, the court may declare the forfeiture of the person's license. Thirty days after such a declaration of forfeiture, the court shall inform the registrar of motor vehicles of the forfeiture by entering information relative to the forfeiture on a form approved and furnished by the registrar and sending the form to the registrar. The court also shall forward the person's license, if it is in the possession of the court, to the registrar. The registrar shall impose a class F suspension of the person's driver's or commercial driver's license, or temporary instruction permit for the period of time specified in division (B)(6) of section 4510.02 of the Revised Code on any person who is named in a declaration received by the registrar under this section. The registrar shall send written notification of the suspension to the person at the person's last known address and, if the person is in possession of the license, order the person to surrender the person's license or permit to the registrar within forty-eight hours.
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | Misdemeanor | No |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.28(G)(3) | Financial sanctions; court costs |
(G) Each court imposing a financial sanction upon an offender under this section may designate the clerk of the court or another person to collect the financial sanction. The clerk, or another person authorized by law or the court to collect the financial sanction may do the following: (3) To defray administrative costs, charge a reasonable fee to an offender who elects a payment plan rather than a lump sum payment of any financial sanction.
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Increased fine, Payment plan/installment plan | Misdemeanor | No |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.18(D)(2)(c) | Proceeding in the aid of execution |
. . . Once the financial sanction is imposed as a judgment or order under this division, the victim, private provider, state, or political subdivision may do any of the following: (c) A proceeding in aid of execution under Chapter 2333. of the Revised Code, including: (i) A proceeding for the examination of the judgment debtor under sections 2333.09 to 2333.12 and sections 2333.15 to 2333.27 of the Revised Code; (ii) A proceeding for attachment of the person of the judgment debtor under section 2333.28 of the Revised Code; (iii) A creditor's suit under section 2333.01 of the Revised Code.
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Civil judgment | Felony | No |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2947.23(C) | Judgment for costs and jury fees |
The court retains jurisdiction to waive, suspend, or modify the payment of the costs of prosecution, including any costs under section 2947.231 of the Revised Code, at the time of sentencing or at any time thereafter.
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Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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.