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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.
6 Results
State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap | Level of offense | Mandatory | |
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New Mexico | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 31-12-3(A),(C) | Paying fines, fees or costs in installments; community service option |
A. Any person sentenced to pay a fine or to pay fees and costs in any criminal proceeding against him, either in addition to or without a term of imprisonment, may in the discretion of the court be allowed to pay such fine, fees or costs in installments of such amounts, at such times and upon such conditions as the court may fix. The defendant may also be required to serve a period of time in labor to be known as “community service” in lieu of all or part of the fine. If unable to pay the fees or costs, he may be granted permission to perform community service in lieu of them as well. The labor shall be meaningful, shall not be suspended or deferred and shall be of a type that benefits the public at large or any public, charitable or educational entity or institution and is consistent with Article 9, Section 14 of the constitution of New Mexico. Any person performing community service pursuant to court order shall be immune from civil liability arising out of the community service other than for gross negligence, shall not be entitled to wages or considered an employee for any purpose and shall not be entitled to workers’ compensation, unemployment or any other benefits otherwise provided by law. Instead, a person who performs community service shall receive credit toward the fine, fees or costs at the rate of the prevailing federal hourly minimum wage. Unless otherwise provided, however, the total fine, fees and costs shall be payable forthwith.
C. When a defendant sentenced to pay a fine in installments or ordered to pay fees or costs defaults in payment, the court, upon motion of the prosecutor or upon its own motion, may require the defendant to show cause why his default should not be treated as contumacious and may issue a summons or a warrant of arrest for his appearance. It shall be a defense that the defendant did not willfully refuse to obey the order of the court or that he made a good faith effort to obtain the funds required for the payment. If the defendant’s default was contumacious, the court may order him committed until the fine or a specified part of it or the fees or costs are paid. The maximum term of imprisonment for such contumacious nonpayment shall be specified in the order of commitment.
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Community service, Incarceration, Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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New Mexico | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 31-17-1(D) | Restitution Lien |
An order requiring an offender to pay restitution, validly entered pursuant to this section, constitutes a judgment and lien against all property of a defendant for the amount the defendant is obligated to pay under the order and may be recorded in any office for the filing of liens against real or personal property, or for garnishment. A judgment of restitution may be enforced by the state, a victim entitled under the order to receive restitution, a deceased victim's estate or any other beneficiary of the judgment in the same manner as a civil judgment. An order of restitution is enforceable, if valid, pursuant to this section, the Victims of Crime Act or Article 2, Section 24 of the constitution of New Mexico. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the ability of a victim to pursue full civil legal remedies.
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Civil judgment, Property liens | All | Yes |
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New Mexico | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 35-6-7 | Magistrate court; drug court fee; monthly remittances |
A. A magistrate court that has an adult drug court program may assess and collect from participants a “drug court fee” of fifty dollars ($50.00) a month. Program fee requirements may be satisfied by community service at the federal minimum wage. Proceeds from the drug court fee shall be deposited in the magistrate drug court fund.
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Community service | All | No |
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Texas | Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Art 43.09 (f),(j)-(k) | Fine Discharged |
(f) A court may require a defendant who is unable to pay a fine or costs to discharge all or part of the fine or costs by performing community service. (j) A court may not order a defendant to perform more than 16 hours per week of community service under Subsection (f) unless the court determines that requiring the defendant to perform additional hours does not impose an undue hardship on the defendant or the defendant’s dependents.
(k) A defendant is considered to have discharged $100 of fines or costs for each eight hours of community service performed under Subsection (f) of this article |
Community service | All | No |
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Texas | Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Art. 42A.752(a)-(b) | Continuation or Modification of Community Supervision After Violation |
(a) If after a hearing under Article 42A.751(d) a judge continues or modifies community supervision after determining that the defendant violated a condition of community supervision, the judge may impose any other conditions the judge determines are appropriate, including: (1) a requirement that the defendant perform community service for a number of hours specified by the court under Article 42A.304, or an increase in the number of hours that the defendant has previously been required to perform under that article in an amount not to exceed double the number of hours permitted by that article; (2) an extension of the period of community supervision, in the manner described by Article 42A.753; (3) an increase in the defendant’s fine, in the manner described by Subsection (b); or (4) the placement of the defendant in a substance abuse felony punishment program operated under Section 493.009, Government Code . . .
(b) A judge may impose a sanction on a defendant described by Subsection (a)(3) by increasing the fine imposed on the defendant. The original fine imposed on the defendant and an increase in the fine imposed under this subsection may not exceed the maximum fine for the offense for which the defendant was sentenced. The judge shall deposit money received from an increase in the defendant’s fine under this subsection in the special fund of the county treasury to be used for the same purposes for which state aid may be used under Chapter 76, Government Code. |
Community service, Extension of probation/supervision, Increased fine | All | No |
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Texas | Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Art. 42.15(b)-(d) | Fines and Costs |
(b) Subject to Subsections (c) and (d) and Article 43.091, when imposing a fine and costs, a court may direct a defendant: (1) to pay the entire fine and costs when sentence is pronounced; (2) to pay the entire fine and costs at some later date; or (3) to pay a specified portion of the fine and costs at designated intervals.
(c) When imposing a fine and costs in a misdemeanor case, if the court determines that the defendant is unable to immediately pay the fine and costs, the court shall allow the defendant to pay the fine and costs in specified portions at designated intervals. (d) A judge may allow a defendant who is a child, as defined by Article 45.058(h), to elect at the time of conviction, as defined by Section 133.101, Local Government Code, to discharge the fine and costs by: (1) performing community service or receiving tutoring under Article 45.0492, as added by Chapter 227 (H.B. 350), Acts of the 82nd Legislature, Regular Session, 2011; or (2) paying the fine and costs in a manner described by Subsection (b).
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Community service, Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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