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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Pennsylvania Pa. R. Crim. P. 142 Procedures Governing Defaults in Payment of Fine Imposed as Punishment for Contempt; if found unable to pay
(A) If a contemnor defaults on the payment of a fine imposed as punishment for contempt pursuant to Rule 140(A)(1) and (B)(3), the issuing authority shall notify the contemnor in
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person or by first class mail that within 10 days of the date on the default notice the contemnor must either: (1) pay the amount due as ordered, or (2) appear before the issuing authority to explain why the contemnor should not be imprisoned for nonpayment as provided by law, or a bench warrant for the contemnor's arrest shall be issued. (B) When the contemnor appears either in response to the paragraph (A)(2) notice or following an arrest with a warrant issued pursuant to paragraph (A), the issuing authority shall conduct a hearing to determine whether the contemnor is financially able to pay as ordered. (1) Upon a determination that the defendant is financially able to pay as ordered, the issuing authority may impose imprisonment for nonpayment, as provided by law. (2) Upon a determination that the contemnor is financially unable to pay as ordered, the issuing authority may order a schedule for installment payments. (C) A contemnor may appeal an issuing authority's determination pursuant to this rule by filing a notice of appeal within 30 days of the issuing authority's order. The appeal shall proceed as provided in Rule 141.
Payment plan/installment plan All Yes
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Pennsylvania 42 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 9758 Fine- installment plan
Except for fines imposed under Title 34 (relating to game), the court may permit installment payments as it considers appropriate to the circumstances of the defendant, in which case its
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order shall specify when each installment payment is due. Installment payments for fines imposed for summary offenses under Title 34 shall not exceed one year for summary offenses and, except for 34 Pa.C.S. § 2522 (relating to shooting at or causing injury to human beings), shall not exceed two years for misdemeanor offenses.
Payment plan/installment plan All No
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Pennsylvania Pa. R. Crim. P. 142(b)(2) Defaults in Payment of Fine Imposed as Punishment for Contempt
(B) When the contemnor appears either in response to the paragraph (A)(2) notice or following an arrest with a warrant issued pursuant to paragraph (A), the issuing authority shall
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conduct a hearing to determine whether the contemnor is financially able to pay as ordered. . . . (2) Upon a determination that the contemnor is financially unable to pay as ordered, the issuing authority may order a schedule for installment payments.
Payment plan/installment plan All No
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Pennsylvania 42 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 9730 Failure to pay court costs, restitution and fines
(b) Procedures regarding default.-- . . . (3) If the issuing authority, senior judge or senior magisterial district judge determines that the defendant is without the financial means to pay
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the fine or costs immediately or in a single remittance, the issuing authority, senior judge or senior magisterial district judge may provide for payment in installments. In determining the appropriate installments, the issuing authority, senior judge or senior magisterial district judge shall consider the defendant's financial resources, the defendant's ability to make restitution and reparations and the nature of the burden the payment will impose on the defendant. If the defendant is in default of a payment or advises the issuing authority, senior judge or senior magisterial district judge that default is imminent, the issuing authority, senior judge or senior magisterial district judge may schedule a rehearing on the payment schedule. At the rehearing the defendant has the burden of proving changes of financial condition such that the defendant is without the means to meet the payment schedule. The issuing authority, senior judge or senior magisterial district judge may extend or accelerate the schedule, leave it unaltered or sentence the defendant to a period of community service as the issuing authority, senior judge or senior magisterial district judge finds to be just and practicable under the circumstances.
Payment plan/installment plan All No
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Rhode Island R.I. Gen. Laws. Ann. § 12-21-1(1) Methods of recovering fines and forfeitures

Unless otherwise specially provided:

(1)  All fines of five hundred dollars ($ 500) and under shall be recovered by complaint and summons;

(2)  All fines of upwards of five hundred dollars ($ 500), by

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indictment or information;

(3)  All penalties and pecuniary forfeitures, by action of debt; and

(4)  All forfeitures of personal property, by complaint and warrant or by information.

Civil judgment, Other All Yes
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Rhode Island R.I. Gen. Laws. Ann. § 12-25-26 Recovery of victim compensation from offender

Whenever any person is convicted of an offense and compensation is awarded under this chapter or under the 1972 Act for a personal injury or death resulting from the act

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constituting the offense, the state of Rhode Island shall institute an action against that person for the recovery of the whole or any specified part of the compensation in the superior court of the state of Rhode Island in any county, or in the state or federal court of any other state or district in which that person resides or is found, or make a finding in writing, of the reasons why it is impractical or impossible to institute that action. The office shall pursue the recovery whenever possible in order to provide additional funds for the violent crimes indemnity account. The administrator shall develop rules and regulations pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act, chapter 35 of title 42, to identify those so convicted, determine their ability to compensate the fund, and file whatever action is appropriate to recoup those funds.

Civil judgment, Other All Yes