Data Explorer: Enforcement Mechanisms | 50 State Criminal Justice Debt Tool

Poverty Penalties and Poverty Traps

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	State	Statute	Description/Statute Name	Statutory language	Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap	Level of offense	Mandatory
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Nebraska	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2206(1)	Fine and costs; commitment until paid; installments; deduction from bond; suspension or revocation of motor vehicle operator’s license.	(1)(a) In all cases in which courts or magistrates have now or may hereafter have the power to punish offenses, either in whole or in part, by requiring the offender + See more to pay fines or costs, or both, such courts or magistrates may make it a part of the sentence that the party stand committed and be imprisoned in the jail of the proper county until the fines or costs are paid or secured to be paid or the offender is otherwise discharged according to law if the court or magistrate determines that the offender has the financial ability to pay such fines or costs.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Nebraska	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2206(2)	Fine and costs; commitment until paid; installments; deduction from bond; suspension or revocation of motor vehicle operator’s license	(2) If the court or magistrate determines, pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, that an offender is financially unable to pay such fines or costs in one lump sum but + See more is financially capable of paying in installments, the court or magistrate shall make arrangements suitable to the court or magistrate and to the offender by which the offender may pay in installments. The court or magistrate shall enter an order specifying the terms of such arrangements and the dates on which payments are to be made. When the judgment of conviction provides for the suspension or revocation of a motor vehicle operator’s license and the court authorizes the payment of fines or costs by installments, the revocation or suspension shall be effective as of the date of judgment.	Payment plan/installment plan	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Nebraska	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2206(3)	Alternative to lump sum/installment payments	As an alternative to a lump-sum payment or as an alternative or in conjunction with installment payments, the court or magistrate may deduct fines or costs from a bond posted + See more by the offender to the extent that such bond is not otherwise encumbered by a valid lien, levy, execution, or assignment to counsel of record or the person who posted the bond.	Other	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Nebraska	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2206.01	Fine and costs; payment of installments; violation; penalty	Installments provided for in section 29-2206 shall be paid pursuant to the order entered by the court or magistrate. Any person who fails to comply with the terms of such order shall + See more be liable for punishment for contempt, unless such person has the leave of the court or magistrate in regard to such noncompliance or such person requests a hearing pursuant to section 29-2412 and establishes at such hearing that he or she is financially unable to pay.	Incarceration, Increased fine	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Nebraska	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2412 (3)	Fine and costs; nonpayment; commutation upon confinement; credit; amount	(1) (a) Any person arrested and brought into custody on a warrant for failure to pay fines or costs, for failure to appear before a court or magistrate on the due date + See more of such fines or costs, or for failure to comply with the terms of an order pursuant to sections 29-2206 and 29-2206.01, shall be entitled to a hearing on the first regularly scheduled court date following the date of arrest. (b) If the court or magistrate determines that the person is financially able to pay the fines or costs and the person refuses to pay, the court or magistrate may: (i) Order the person to be confined in the jail of the proper county until the fines or costs are paid or secured to be paid or the person is otherwise discharged pursuant to subsection (4) of this section; or (ii) Enter an order pursuant to subdivision (1)(d) of this section discharging the person of such fines or costs and order the person to complete community service for a specified number of hours pursuant to sections 29-2277 to 29-2279; (3) Nothing in this section shall authorize any person to be discharged from imprisonment before the expiration of the time for which he or she may be sentenced to be imprisoned as part of his or her punishment (4) (a) Any person held in custody for nonpayment of fines or costs or for default on an installment shall be entitled to a credit on the fines, costs, or installment of one hundred fifty dollars for each day so held. (b) In no case shall a person held in custody for nonpayment of fines or costs be held in such custody for more days than the maximum number to which he or she could have been sentenced if the penalty set by law includes the possibility of confinement.	Community service, Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Nebraska	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2404	Misdemeanor cases; fines and costs; judgment; levy; commitment	In all cases of misdemeanor in which courts or magistrates shall have power to fine any offender, and shall render judgment for such fine, it shall be lawful to issue + See more executions for the same, with the costs taxed against the offender, to be levied on the goods and chattels of any such offender, and, for want of the same, upon the body of the offender, who shall, following a determination that the offender has the financial ability to pay such fine pursuant to section 29-2412, be committed to the jail of the proper county until the fine and costs be paid, or secured to be paid, or the offender be otherwise discharged according to law.	Collection fee/interest, Incarceration	Misdemeanor	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Nebraska	(2)Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-1011	Violations; liability for expenses	Even if reimbursement for expenses is not ordered under subsection (1) of this section, the defendant shall be liable for all unreimbursed expenses incurred by a public or private agency + See more in conjunction with the care, impoundment, seizure, or disposal of an animal. The expenses shall be a lien upon the animal.	Property liens	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Nebraska	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2262(2)(l)-(m),(s)-(t)	Probation; conditions	(2) The court may, as a condition of a sentence of probation, require the offender: (l) To pay a fine in one or more payments as ordered; (m) To pay + See more for tests to determine the presence of drugs or alcohol, psychological evaluations, offender assessment screens, and rehabilitative services required in the identification, evaluation, and treatment of offenders if such offender has the financial ability to pay for such services; (s) To make restitution as described in sections 29-2280 and 29-2281; or (t) To pay for all costs imposed by the court, including court costs and the fees imposed pursuant to section 29-2262.06.	Condition or extension of supervision	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Nebraska	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2262.06(1),(5)	Fees; waiver; when; failure to pay; effect	(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, whenever a district court or county court sentences an adult offender to probation, the court shall require the probationer to pay a + See more one-time administrative enrollment fee and thereafter a monthly probation programming fee. (5) If a probationer defaults in the payment of monthly probation programming fees or any installment thereof, the court may revoke his or her probation for nonpayment, except that probation shall not be revoked nor shall the offender be imprisoned for such nonpayment if the probationer is financially unable to make the payment, if he or she so states to the court in writing under oath, and if the court so finds after a hearing.	Condition or extension of supervision	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 12.1-32-05(3)	Imposition of fine--Response to nonpayment	3. If the defendant does not pay the fine, or make any required partial payment, the court, upon motion of the prosecuting attorney or on its own motion, may issue + See more an order to show cause why the defendant should not be imprisoned for nonpayment. Unless the defendant shows that his default is excusable, the court may sentence him to the following periods of imprisonment for failure to pay a fine:a. If the defendant was convicted of a misdemeanor, to a period not to exceed thirty days. b. If the defendant was convicted of a felony, to a period not to exceed six months.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 12.1-32-05(2)	Imposition of fine--Response to nonpayment	The court may allow the defendant to pay any fine imposed in installments. When a defendant is sentenced to pay a fine, the court shall not impose at the same + See more time an alternative sentence to be served in the event that the fine is not paid.	Payment plan/installment plan	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 12.1-32-05(3)	Imposition of fine--Response to nonpayment	If the defendant does not pay the fine, or make any required partial payment, the court, upon motion of the prosecuting attorney or on its own motion, may issue an + See more order to show cause why the defendant should not be imprisoned for nonpayment. Unless the defendant shows that his default is excusable, the court may sentence him to the following periods of imprisonment for failure to pay a fine: a. If the defendant was convicted of a misdemeanor, to a period not to exceed thirty days. b. If the defendant was convicted of a felony, to a period not to exceed six months.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 29-26-22(4)	Judgment for fines--Court administration fee--Community service supervision fee--Special funds--Docketing and enforcement	...A judgment that the defendant pay a fine or fees, or both, may be docketed and if docketed constitutes a lien upon the real estate of the defendant in like + See more manner as a judgment for money rendered in a civil action. The court may allow the defendant to pay any assessed administration fee or community service supervision fee in installments. When a defendant is assessed administration fees or a community service supervision fee, the court may not impose at the same time an alternative sentence to be served if the fees are not paid.	Property liens	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 29-26-22.1	Judgment for fine or costs in criminal cases--Docketing and enforcement	The court may, within ten years of the date of entry of a judgment that imposes a fine or assesses costs against a defendant, order the judgment to be docketed + See more by the clerk of court in the judgment docket maintained pursuant to section 28-20-13 in the same manner in which a civil judgment for money is docketed. The docketing of the judgment has the same effect as the docketing of a civil judgment. The docketed judgment may be docketed in any other county in the same manner, it imposes a lien upon the real property owned by the defendant to the same extent, it is subject to the same statute of limitations, and it is enforceable by execution in the same manner as provided for a civil judgment for money.	Property liens	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 29-27-03	Judgment for imprisonment or as response to nonpayment of fine	If a judgment is for imprisonment, initially or as response to nonpayment of a fine in accordance with section 12.1-32-05, the defendant forthwith must be committed to the custody of + See more the proper officer and be detained by that officer until the judgment is complied with.	Incarceration	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 32-09.1-02	Creditors may proceed by garnishment	Any creditor is entitled to proceed by garnishment in any court having jurisdiction of the subject of the action against any person, any public corporation, the United States, the state + See more of North Dakota, or any institution, department, or agency of the state, indebted to or having any property in possession or under control, belonging to the creditor's debtor after securing a judgment against the debtor in a court of competent jurisdiction, in the cases, upon the conditions, and in the manner prescribed in this chapter. A garnishment action brought pursuant to this chapter is the exclusive procedure which may be used to execute on earnings of a debtor while those earnings are held by a third-party employer.	Wage/bank account garnishment	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 32-09.1-14	Default	If any garnishee who is duly summoned willfully fails to serve disclosure as required in this chapter, the court, upon proof by affidavit of the creditor, may render judgment against + See more the garnishee for an amount not exceeding the lesser of the plaintiff's judgment against the defendant or the retention amount as defined under section 32-09.1-07. The creditor shall serve the garnishee with a copy of the affidavit and a notice of intent to take default judgment. The court upon good cause shown may remove the default and permit the garnishee to disclose on terms as may be just.	Increased fine	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 40-11-12	Commitment of guilty person for nonpayment of fines or costs	Any person upon whom any fine or costs, or both, has been imposed for violation of a municipal ordinance may, after hearing, be committed upon order of the court to + See more jail or other place provided by the municipality for the incarceration of offenders until the fine or costs, or both, are fully paid or discharged by labor as provided in section 40-18-12. The court may not commit a person under this section when the sole reason for the person's nonpayment of fines or costs, or both, is the person's indigence. An order of commitment under this section shall not be for a period in excess of thirty days. As used in this section, “fine” does not include a fee established pursuant to subsection 2 of section 40-05-06.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 12.1-32-08(1)	Hearing prior to ordering restitution, reparation, or reimbursement of indigent defense costs and expenses--Conditions--Collection of restitution for insufficient funds checks--Continuing appropriation	An order that a defendant make restitution or reparation as a sentence or condition of probation may, unless the court directs otherwise, be filed, transcribed, and enforced by the person + See more entitled to the restitution or reparation or by the division of adult services in the same manner as civil judgments rendered by the courts of this state may be enforced.	Other	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 12.1-32-08(2)	Hearing prior to ordering restitution, reparation, or reimbursement of indigent defense costs and expenses--Conditions--Collection of restitution for insufficient funds checks--Continuing appropriation	When the restitution ordered by the court under subsection 1 is the result of a finding that the defendant issued a check or draft without sufficient funds or without an + See more account, the court shall impose as costs the greater of the sum of ten dollars or an amount equal to twenty-five percent of the amount of restitution ordered. The costs imposed under this subsection, however, may not exceed one thousand dollars. The state-employed clerks of district court shall remit the funds collected as costs under this subsection to the state treasurer for deposit in the restitution collection assistance fund. The funds deposited into the restitution collection assistance fund are appropriated to the judicial branch on a continuing basis for the purpose of defraying expenses incident to the collection of restitution, including operating expenses and the compensation of additional necessary personnel. The state's attorneys and county-employed clerks of district court shall remit the funds collected as costs under this subsection to the county treasurer to be deposited in the county general fund.	Increased fine	All	Yes

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