50-State Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder Bringing transparency to areas of significant legal complexity.
Poverty Penalties and Poverty Traps
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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.
11 Results
| State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap | Level of offense | Mandatory | |
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Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 28.15.181(g) | Court Suspensions, Revocations, and Limitations |
The court may suspend the driver's license, privilege to drive, or privilege to obtain a license of a person who fails to appear in court as required by a citation for an offense involving a moving motor vehicle, or who fails to pay a fine as required by the court for an offense involving a moving motor vehicle. If the court suspends a driver's license under this subsection, the court shall also provide notice of the suspension to the department. A suspension imposed under this subsection remains in effect until the person appears in court as required by the citation, or pays the fine as required by the court. When the person appears in court or pays the required fine, the court shall terminate the suspension imposed under this subsection and provide the department and the person with written notice of the termination.
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | Traffic | No |
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Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 28.01.015(a)(5) | Municipal Impoundment and Forfeiture |
(a) Notwithstanding other provisions in this title, a municipality may adopt an ordinance providing for the impoundment or forfeiture of a: (5) motor vehicle used by a person who has $1,000 or more in delinquent traffic fines for moving violations committed within the municipality.
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | Traffic | No |
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Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 28.20.270 | Suspension for Nonpayment of Judgments |
Upon receipt of a certified copy of a judgment and a certificate of facts relative to the judgment, the department shall immediately suspend the license or nonresident’s operating privilege of a person against whom the judgment is given except as otherwise provided in this chapter.
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | Traffic | Yes |
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Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 28.20.370 | Installment Payment of Judgments; Default |
(a) 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 the judgment in installments and the court, without prejudice at any other legal remedy, may order and fix the amount and time of payment of the installments; (b) The department may not suspend a license or nonresident’s operating privilege, and shall restore a license 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; (c) If the judgment debtor fails to pay an installment specified by the court order, upon notice of default, the department shall immediately suspend the license or nonresident’s operating privilege of the judgment debtor until the judgment is satisfied as provided in this chapter.
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | Traffic | No |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 534.020(3)(b),(4) | Methods of imposing fines; installment payment plan; determination of reason for defendant's default; show cause hearing; certain installment payments not to be reported as liquidated debt |
(b) If the defendant fails to appear at the show cause hearing, the court may issue a warrant for the defendant's arrest. Any warrant for arrest issued for nonpayment of court costs, fees, or fines pursuant to this subsection shall include a notice to the jailer that the defendant shall be released upon payment or completion of daily credit pursuant to KRS 534.070.
(4) When a defendant is sentenced to pay court costs, fees, or fines, an alternative sentence of imprisonment that is to be served in the event the court costs, fees, or fines are not paid shall not be imposed at the same time. The response of a court to nonpayment shall be determined only after: (a) The court costs, fees, or fines have not been paid; and (b) 1. The show cause hearing has been held pursuant to subsections (2)(a) and (3)(a) of this section; or 2. The defendant has failed to appear at the show cause hearing as outlined in subsection (3)(b) of this section. |
Other | All | No |
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Kentucky | Ky. RCr 2.05 | Bench Warrants |
Whenever a witness or defendant fails to appear in court as duly required, the presiding judge may issue a warrant for his or her arrest without the necessity of a supporting affidavit or complaint.
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Other | All | No |
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Maine | Me. Rev. Stat. tit 29-A § 2608 | Suspension for failure to appear, answer or pay a fine in a traffic infraction offense |
If a person fails to answer in any traffic infraction proceeding under Title 23, section 1980 or any traffic infraction provision of this Title by the date specified in the Violation Summons and Complaint, fails to appear for trial or pay a fine assessed in any traffic infraction proceeding, the clerk shall suspend the person's license or permit, right to operate a motor vehicle in this State and the right to apply for or obtain a license or permit.
If a person who is not an individual fails to appear, answer or pay a fine in a traffic infraction proceeding, the clerk shall suspend the registration of the motor vehicle involved in the offense or that person's right to operate that vehicle in the State. |
Driver's license suspension/impoundment | Traffic | Yes |
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Maine | Me. Rev. Stat. tit 15 §1942 | Duty of clerks to collect fines and costs or to issue process for collection |
Each clerk of court, in default of payment to him of fines, forfeitures and bills of costs, shall issue warrants of distress, or such other process therefor as the court finds necessary to enforce the execution of any order, sentence or judgment in behalf of the State, deliver them to the sheriff, or to such constable as the district attorney directs, and enter of record the name of the officer and the time when they are delivered to him.
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Other | All | No |
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Maine | Me. Rev. Stat. tit 15 §2061 | Examination of records of clerks and treasurers by district attorney |
District attorneys shall examine the records and files in the offices of clerks and the certificates and accounts in the offices of treasurers, relating to fines, forfeitures and bills of costs accruing to their counties; ascertain, so far as practicable, the cause of any delinquencies in paying over the same; and move the court for all necessary orders and processes to enforce the collection thereof.
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Other | All | No |
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Pennsylvania | Pa. R. Crim. P. 430(B)(4) | Failure to respond to traffic citation |
(4) that failure to respond to the citation as provided above within the time specified:
(a) shall result in the issuance of + See morea summons when a violation of an ordinance or any parking offense is charged, or when the defendant is under 18 years of age, and in all other cases shall result in the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of the defendant; and
(b) shall result in the suspension of the defendant’s driver’s license when a violation of the Vehicle Code is charged;
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | Traffic | Yes |
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Pennsylvania | 75 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 1541 | Period of disqualification, revocation or suspension of operating privilege |
Continued suspension of operating privilege.--A defendant ordered by the court under section 3816 (relating to requirements for driving under influence offenders), as the result of a conviction or Accelerated Rehabilitative + See moreDisposition of a violation of section 3802 to attend a treatment program for alcohol or drug addiction must successfully complete all requirements of the treatment program ordered by the court before the defendant's operating privilege may be restored. Successful completion of a treatment program includes the payment of all court-imposed fines and costs, as well as fees to be paid to the treatment program by the defendant. For the purposes of restoring a suspended license, being current on a payment plan shall be considered as a part of a successfully completed program. If a defendant fails to successfully complete the requirements of a treatment program, the suspension shall remain in effect until the defendant completes the program and is otherwise eligible for restoration of his operating privilege. The treatment agency shall immediately notify the court of successful completion of the treatment program. The final decision as to whether a defendant has successfully completed the treatment program rests with the court.
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | Traffic | Yes |
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