Poverty Penalties and Poverty Traps

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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.

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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
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to a correctional facility;
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
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citation 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.
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
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with 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.
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
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be punished by the court as provided by law.
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
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be punished by the court as provided by law.
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
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be punished by the court as provided by law.
Increased fine All No
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Washington DC DC ST § 16-706 Enforcement of judgments; commitment upon non-payment of fine
The Superior Court may enforce any of its judgments rendered in criminal cases by fine or imprisonment, or both. Except as otherwise provided by law, and subject to the relief
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provided in section 3569 of title 18, United States Code, in any case where the court imposes a fine, the court may, in the event of default in the payment of the fine imposed, commit the defendant for a term not to exceed one year.
Incarceration All No
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Washington DC DC ST § 50-2301.05 Monetary sanctions and fees (Traffic Adjudication)
(2) In addition to the civil fine, the following penalties may be imposed:(A) In the case of a person receiving a notice of infraction who fails to answer such notice
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within the time specified by § 50-2302.05(d)(1) and § 50-2303.05(d)(1), a penalty equal to the amount of the civil fine; (B) In the case of a person receiving a notice of infraction who fails to answer such notice by the close of business on the date set for the hearing or who answers but fails without good cause to appear at such hearing, with respect to infractions under subchapter II of this chapter, a penalty equal to twice the amount of the civil fine and, with respect to infractions under subchapter III of this chapter, a penalty equal to the amount of the civil fine plus $5.
Increased fine Traffic No
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Washington DC DC ST § 11-741 Contempt powers (DC Court of Appeals)
(a) Subject to the limitation described in subsection (b), and in addition to the powers conferred by section 402 of title 18, United States Code, the District of Columbia Court
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of Appeals, or a judge thereof, may punish for disobedience of an order or for contempt committed in the presence of the court.... (3)(A) An individual imprisoned for 6 consecutive months for civil contempt for disobedience of an order in a proceeding described in paragraph (1) who continues to disobey such order may be prosecuted for criminal contempt for disobedience of such order at any time before the expiration of the 12-month period that begins on the first day of such individual's imprisonment, except that an individual so imprisoned as of the date of the enactment of this subsection may be prosecuted under this subsection at any time during the 90-day period that begins on the date of the enactment of this subsection. ...
Incarceration All No
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Washington DC DC ST § 11-944 Contempt power (Superior Court of DC)
(a) Subject to the limitation described in subsection (b), and in addition to the powers conferred by section 402 of title 18, United States Code, the Superior Court, or a
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judge thereof, may punish for disobedience of an order or for contempt committed in the presence of the court.... (3)(A) An individual imprisoned for 6 consecutive months for civil contempt for disobedience of an order in a proceeding described in paragraph (1) who continues to disobey such order may be prosecuted for criminal contempt for disobedience of such order at any time before the expiration of the 12-month period that begins on the first day of such individual's imprisonment, except that an individual so imprisoned as of the date of the enactment of this subsection may be prosecuted under this subsection at any time during the 90-day period that begins on the date of the enactment of this subsection.
Incarceration All No
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Washington DC DC ST § 15-102 Lien of judgment, decree, or forfeited recognizance
(a) Each --(1) final judgment or decree for the payment of money rendered in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, or the Superior Court of the
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District of Columbia, from the date such judgment or decree is filed and recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of the District of Columbia, and (2) recognizance taken by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, or the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, from the date the entry or order of forfeiture of such recognizance is filed and recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of the District of Columbia, shall constitute a lien on all the freehold and leasehold estates, legal and equitable, of the defendants bound by such judgment, decree, or recognizance, in any land, tenements, or hereditaments in the District of Columbia, whether the estates are in possession or are reversions or remainders, vested or contingent. Such liens on equitable interest may be enforced only by an action to foreclose.
Property liens All Yes
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Washington DC DC ST § 15-320 Enforcement of decrees
a) For the purpose of executing a decree, or compelling obedience to it, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia or the Superior Court of the District
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of Columbia, in addition to the other procedures provided for by this chapter and Chapter 5 of Title 16, may:(1) issue an attachment against the person of the defendant; (2) order an immediate sequestration of his real and personal estate, or such part thereof as may be necessary to satisfy the decree; or (3) by order and injunction, cause the possession of the estate and effects whereof the possession or a sale is decreed to be delivered to the complainant, or otherwise, according to the tenor and import of the decree and as the nature of the case requires. In case of sequestration, the court may order payment and satisfaction to be made out of the estate and effects so sequestrated, according to the true intent and meaning of the decree. (b) When a defendant is arrested and brought into court upon any process of contempt issued to compel the performance of a decree, the court may, upon motion, order: (1) the defendant to stand committed; or (2) his estates and effects to be sequestrated and payment made, as directed by subsection (a) of this section; or (3) possession of his estate and effects to be delivered by order and injunction, as directed by subsection (a) of this section -- until the decree or order is fully performed and executed, according to the tenor and true meaning thereof, and the contempt cleared. (c) Where a decree only directs the payment of money, the defendant may not be imprisoned except in those cases especially provided for.
Property liens All No