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Poverty Penalties and Poverty Traps
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See all poverty penalty and poverty trap policy recommendations in CJPP’s Policy Guide
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- Civil judgment (4)
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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.
21 Results
| State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap | Level of offense | Mandatory | |
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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 § 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 § 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 § 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 |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.18(D)(2)(a) | Financial sanctions; restitution; reimbursements |
. . . 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: (a) An execution against the property of the judgment debtor under Chapter 2329. of the Revised Code.
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Property liens | Felony | No |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.18(D)(2)(d) | Financial sanctions; restitution; reimbursements. |
. . . 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: (d) The attachment of the property of the judgment debtor under Chapter 2715. of the Revised Code;
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Property liens | Felony | No |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.18(D)(2)(e) | Financial sanctions; restitution; reimbursements. |
. . . 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: (e) The garnishment of the property of the judgment debtor under Chapter 2716. of the Revised Code.
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Property liens, Wage/bank account garnishment | Felony | No |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 1901.44(A)(2) | Community service in lieu of court costs; failure to pay |
Notwithstanding any other provision of the Revised Code, if at the time of sentencing or at any time after sentencing a municipal court finds that a person who is found guilty of an offense will not be able to pay costs in full when they are due, the court may order the offender to pay the costs in installments according to a schedule set by the court.
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Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.37(B)(1) | Policy requiring prisoner to pay costs of confinement |
Each prisoner covered by a repayment policy adopted as described in division (A) of this section shall receive at the end of the prisoner's confinement an itemized bill of the expenses to be reimbursed. The policy shall allow periodic payments on a schedule to be implemented upon a prisoner's release.
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Payment plan/installment plan | All | Yes |
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Ohio | Ohio Rev. Code § 1907.25(A)(2) | Community service in lieu of court costs; failure to pay |
Notwithstanding any other provision of the Revised Code, if at the time of sentencing or at any time after sentencing a county court finds that a person who is found guilty of an offense will not be able to pay costs in full when they are due, the court may order the offender to pay the costs in installments according to a schedule set by the court.
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Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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South Dakota | S.D. Codified Laws § 32-35-60 | Installment payments |
A judgment debtor upon due notice to the judgment creditor may apply to the court in which such judgment was rendered for the privilege of paying such judgment in installments and the court, in its discretion and without prejudice to any other legal remedies which the judgment creditor may have, may so order and fix the amounts and times of payment of the installments.
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Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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South Dakota | S.D. Codified Laws § 23A-40-10 | Funds of defendant — Order for reimbursement — Applicability — Credit against lien |
If the court finds that funds are available for payment from or on behalf of a defendant to carry out, in whole or in part, the provisions of this chapter, the court may order that the funds be paid, as court costs or as a condition of probation, to the court for deposit with the county or municipal treasurer, to be placed in the county or municipal general fund or in the public defender fund in those counties establishing the office pursuant to subdivision 23A-40-7(1) as a reimbursement to the county or municipality to carry out the provisions of this section. The court may also order payment to be made in the form of installments or wage assignments, in amounts set by a judge of the circuit court or a magistrate judge, either during the time a charge is pending or after the disposition of the charge, regardless of whether the defendant has been acquitted or the case has been dismissed by the prosecution or by order of the court. The provisions of this section also apply to persons who have had counsel appointed under chapters 26-7A, 26-8A, 26-8B, and 26-8C. The reimbursement is a credit against any lien created by the provisions of this chapter against the property of the defendant.
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Payment plan/installment plan, Wage/bank account garnishment | All | No |
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South Dakota | S.D. Codified Laws § 23A-40-11 | Lien for cost of provision of counsel — Limitation |
A lien, enforceable as provided by this chapter, upon all the property, both real and personal, of any person, including the parents of a minor child, for whom legal counsel or a public defender has been appointed under the provisions of § 23A-40-6, subdivisions 23A-40-7(2) and (3), or § 26-7A-31 may be filed. The services rendered and expenses incurred are a claim against the person and that person's estate, enforceable according to law in an amount to be determined by a judge of the circuit court or a magistrate judge and paid by the county or municipality chargeable for them. A lien on the parents of a minor child pursuant to this section may not exceed one thousand five hundred dollars plus an amount equal to any taxable court costs.
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Property liens | All | No |
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South Dakota | S.D. Codified Laws § 223A-28-8 | Failure to comply as violation of conditions of probation--Modification of plan by court--Contempt |
Failure of the defendant to comply with § 23A-28-3 or to comply with the plan of restitution as approved or modified by the court constitutes a violation of the conditions of probation. Without limitation, the court may modify the plan of restitution or extend the period of time for restitution, regardless of whether the defendant is no longer on probation. If the defendant fails to make payment as ordered by the court, the defendant may be held in contempt of the court's order.
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Condition or extension of supervision, Extension of probation/supervision, Incarceration, Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 31-9-305 | Payment of judgments in installments; failure to meet payments |
(a) A judgment debtor upon notice to the judgment creditor may apply to the court in which judgment was rendered for the privilege of paying the judgment in installments and the court, in its discretion and without prejudice to any other legal remedies which the judgment creditor may have, may order and fix the amounts and times of payment of the installments.
(b) The division shall not suspend a license, registration or a nonresident's operating privilege, and shall restore any license, registration or nonresident's operating privilege suspended following nonpayment of a judgment, when the judgment debtor gives proof of financial responsibility and obtains an order permitting the payment of the judgment in installments, and while the payment of any installment is not in default. (c) If the judgment debtor fails to pay any installment as specified by the order, then upon notice of default, the division shall suspend the license, registration or nonresident's operating privilege of the judgment debtor until the judgment is fully satisfied, as provided in this act. |
Driver's license suspension/impoundment, Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-6-207 | Assessment of tax when permanent injunction issues; collection; continuing liability for other penalties |
Whenever a permanent injunction issues against any person for maintaining a nuisance or against the owner or agent of any building kept or used for the purposes prohibited by this article, there shall be assessed against the building and the ground upon which it is located and against the person or persons maintaining the nuisance, and the owner or agent of the premises, a tax of three hundred dollars ($300.00). The assessment of the tax shall be made by the assessor of the county in which the nuisance exists and shall be made within three (3) months from the date of granting of the permanent injunction. If the assessor fails or neglects to make the assessment, it shall be made by the sheriff of the county and a return of the assessment shall be made to the county treasurer. The tax may be enforced and collected in the manner prescribed for the collection of taxes under the general revenue laws and shall be a perpetual lien upon all property, both personal and real used for the purpose of maintaining the nuisance. The payment of the tax does not relieve the person or building from any other penalties provided by law and when collected shall be applied and distributed in the manner prescribed by law for the application and distribution of monies arising from the collection of fines and penalties in criminal cases.
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Collection fee/interest, Property liens | All | Yes |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-13-421 | Restitution as condition of parole |
(b) The board shall provide for restitution in the amount determined by the court pursuant to W.S. 7-9-103 unless the board finds the parolee is not reasonably capable of making the payments, in which case the board may modify the amount of restitution to be paid, taking into account the factors enumerated in W.S. 7-9-106.
(c) If the parolee fails to pay the restitution as provided by this section the board may: (i) Modify the amount of the restitution; (ii) Repealed By Laws 2011, Ch. 30, § 2. (iii) Revoke the parole. |
Condition or extension of supervision, Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-9-115 | Modification of order |
After a long-term physical health care restitution order has been entered, the court may from time to time, on the petition of either the defendant or the victim, or upon its own motion, modify the order as to the amount of monthly payments. Any modification of the order shall only be based upon a substantial change of circumstances relating to the cost of long-term physical health care or the financial condition of either the defendant or the victim. The petition shall be filed as part of the original criminal docket.
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Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-13-306 | Payment of fine in installments |
When imposing a fine and also placing the defendant on probation, the district judge may permit the fine to be paid in installments over a reasonable period of time. |
Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-13-109(b),(c) | Payment of jail costs by inmate |
(b) An order to pay room and board costs under this section shall be included as a special order in the judgment of conviction. To satisfy the order, the clerk of the sentencing court, upon request of the sheriff or prosecuting attorney, may issue execution against any assets of the defendant including wages subject to attachment, in the same manner as in a civil action.
(c) Willful failure or refusal to pay costs ordered under this section is punishable as contempt of court. |
Incarceration, Property liens, Wage/bank account garnishment | 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.