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
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Delaware 10 Del. C. § 8603(e) Nonpayment of Costs

A default in the payment of defense costs or any installment thereof may be collected by any means authorized by law for the enforcement of a judgment. The levy of

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execution for the collection of such payment shall not discharge a defendant committed for imprisonment for contempt until the full amount of the fine has actually been collected. The court shall have the power to pursue civil enforcement to obtain the money due on behalf of the State, and to also pursue criminal remedies when civil means are not effective.

Civil judgment All No
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Delaware 10 Del. C. § 8603(b);(c) Nonpayment of Costs

(b) If there has been no former citation for contempt, the term of imprisonment for contempt for the nonpayment of defense costs shall be set forth in the commitment order,

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and shall not exceed 1 day for each $ 25 of the full amount. In no event shall imprisonment exceed 30 days if the fine was imposed upon conviction of a violation or misdemeanor. In all other cases, the court may impose a term of imprisonment not to exceed 1 year. A person committed for nonpayment shall be given credit toward payment for each day of imprisonment at the rate specified in the commitment order. (c) Upon a second or subsequent citation for contempt and unless the defendant shows that the default was not attributable to an intentional refusal to obey the order of the court or to a failure on the defendant's part to make good faith effort to make the payment, the court may find that such default constitutes contempt and may order the defendant committed until the payment, or a specified part thereof, is paid.

Incarceration All No
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Delaware 10 Del. C. § 8603(e) Nonpayment of Costs

A default in the payment of defense costs or any installment thereof may be collected by any means authorized by law for the enforcement of a judgment. The levy of

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execution for the collection of such payment shall not discharge a defendant committed for imprisonment for contempt until the full amount of the fine has actually been collected. The court shall have the power to pursue civil enforcement to obtain the money due on behalf of the State, and to also pursue criminal remedies when civil means are not effective.

Incarceration All No
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Delaware 4 Del. C. § 902 Offenses Carrying Penalty of Fine of $500 to $1,000 or Imprisonment for 3 to 6 Months on Failure to Pay Fine

In addition to payment of costs, be fined not less than $500 nor more than $1,000, and, on failure to pay such fine and costs, shall be imprisoned not less

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than 3 nor more than 6 months. Justices of the peace shall have original jurisdiction to hear, try, and finally determine alleged violations of this section.

Incarceration Misdemeanor Yes
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Delaware 10 Del. C. § 8709 Neglect or Refusal to Pay Fees; Penalty

Whoever neglects or refuses to pay the fees provided for in §§ 8707 and 8708 of this title, for any service performed within 10 days after written demand from the officer

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to whom such fees are due, shall be fined $ 10 besides costs of suit.

Increased fine All Yes
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Delaware 10 Del. C. § 8602(b) Conditions of Payment

When the court determines that a defendant must pay the costs of defense and the defendant is also placed on probation, or the imposition or execution of a sentence is

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suspended, the court may make payment of such costs a condition of probation or suspension of sentence.

Condition or extension of supervision All No
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Delaware 10 Del. C. § 8602(a) Conditions of Payment

When the court determines that a defendant must pay the costs of defense, the court may grant permission for payment to be made within a specified period of time or

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in specified installments. If no such permission is granted, the full amount shall be payable forthwith.

Payment plan/installment plan All No
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Delaware 11 Del. C. § 4104(e) Fines, Costs or Restitution; How Collected; Holding Operator's License as Security for Payment

Whenever any person lawfully possessed of an operator's license theretofore issued to the person by the Division of Motor Vehicles of the Department of Transportation of the State, or under

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the laws of any other state or territory, or of the District of Columbia, shall be arrested and charged with any violation of the traffic or criminal laws of this State, or of any political subdivision thereof, a court, as a condition of sentencing, may take and hold, as security for the payment of any fine, costs, restitution or Victims Compensation Fund assessment, the operator's license so issued to the defendant.

Driver's license suspension/impoundment All No
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Delaware 11 Del. C. § 4104(c) Fines, Costs or Restitution; How Collected; Holding Operator's License as Security for Payment

Any court may, in its discretion, direct any person sentenced to pay a fine or restitution upon conviction of a crime, who is employed within this State or by a

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Delaware resident or employer, to execute an assignment of a specified periodic sum not to exceed 1/3 of the person's total earnings, which assignment shall direct the person's employer to withhold and remit that amount to this State up to the total of the fine, costs and restitution imposed.

Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Delaware 11 Del. C. § 4104(a)(1)-(2) Fines, Costs or Restitution; How Collected; Holding Operator's License as Security for Payment

When a court imposes a fine, costs or restitution upon a defendant, the court or justice of the peace may direct as follows:(1) That the defendant pay the entire amount

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at the time sentence is imposed; (2) That the defendant pay a specified portion of the fine, costs or restitution at designated periodic intervals, and in such case may direct that the fine, costs or restitution be remitted to a probation officer who shall report to the court, at such periods as the court may direct, any failure to comply with the orders; or

Payment plan/installment plan All No
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Delaware 11 Del. C. § 4104(b) Fines, Costs or Restitution; How Collected; Holding Operator's License as Security for Payment

The bond shall contain a warrant of attorney authorizing the Prothonotary or any attorney of record in this State or elsewhere to appear in any court, including a justice of

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the peace, and confess judgment against the person so bound. Upon execution of the bond the convicted person shall be required to list on the reverse thereof all motor vehicles and real property owned by the person or in which the person has any title or interest with a description and the location thereof.

Property liens All No
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Delaware 11 Del. C. § 4104(b) Fines, Costs or Restitution; How Collected; Holding Operator's License as Security for Payment

Any court, including a justice of the peace, may, in its discretion, permit any person sentenced to pay a fine upon conviction of crime, in lieu of the payment of

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the fine ordered, to execute a bond acknowledging the amount of the fine imposed upon the person as a debt due and owing to this State and binding the person unto this State in an amount equal to 10 times the fine imposed. The bond shall be so conditioned that, should the amount of the fine imposed be paid to this State on or before the tenth day next following the day on which the fine is imposed, then in that event the bond shall be null and void.

Collection fee/interest All No
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Delaware 11 Del. C. § 4104(a)(3) Fines, Costs or Restitution; How Collected; Holding Operator's License as Security for Payment

(a) When a court imposes a fine, costs or restitution upon a defendant, the court or justice of the peace may direct as follows: . . . (3) Where the

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defendant is sentenced to a period of probation as well as fine, costs or restitution that payment of the fines, costs or restitution shall be a condition of the probation.

Condition or extension of supervision All Yes
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Delaware 11 Del. C. § 4105(b)(1) Default in Payment of Fine; Inability to Pay

Where a person sentenced to pay a fine, costs, restitution or all 3, on conviction of a crime is unable or fails to pay such fine, costs, restitution or all

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3, at the time of imposition of sentence or in accordance with the terms of payment set by the court, the court may order the person to report at any time to the Commissioner of the Department of Correction, or a person designated by the Commissioner, for work for a number and schedule of hours necessary to discharge the fine, costs or restitution imposed.

Work program/jail industry program All No
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Delaware 11 Del. C. § 4105(d) Default in Payment of Fine; Inability to Pay

Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, where a defendant sentenced to be imprisoned is ordered to pay a fine, costs, restitution or all 3, the court may order an additional

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sentence of imprisonment in lieu of requiring the payment of the fine, costs, restitution or all 3; provided, however, that this additional sentence of imprisonment may not exceed 30 days, to be served concurrently or consecutively with the sentence originally imposed, as the court may order.

Incarceration All No
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Delaware 21 Del. C. § 2732(b) Mandatory Revocation or Suspension of License or Refusal to Renew or Issue a Duplicate License

Upon receiving a record of the failure of a convicted person to pay a fine, costs or both as described in § 2731(b) of this title, or to timely complete

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a course of instruction pursuant to § 4175A or § 4177D of this title, the Department or its successor, shall: (1) If the convicted person is a resident of this State, forthwith suspend the convicted person's license until the fine, costs or both have been paid, or the court finds that the person has completed the necessary course of instruction and paid all applicable fees; and (2) If the convicted person is a nonresident of this State, forthwith suspend the convicted person's driving privileges in this State and immediately advise the Motor Vehicle Administrator of the state wherein the convicted person is a resident that the convicted person has failed to pay a fine, costs or both, or to timely complete a course of instruction pursuant to § 4175A or § 4177D of this title, and requesting that the convicted person's license to drive be suspended until the fine, costs or both have been paid, or the court finds that the person has completed the necessary course of instruction and paid all applicable fees.

Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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Delaware 21 Del. C. § 709(j)(3) Payment of Motor Vehicle Fines

If a driver who has failed to pay a voluntary assessment or request a hearing within 30 days of the date of arrest appears at court, the charge shall be

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prosecuted as if the voluntary assessment had not been permitted and the officer shall swear to the Uniform Traffic Complaint and Summons prior to trial. The minimum fine provisions of subsection (g) of this section shall not apply. If the driver who appears pleads not guilty, the court shall provide the driver with a copy of the appearance bond to provide as proof of court appearance to the Division of Motor Vehicles.

Other Traffic Yes
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Idaho Idaho Code § 31-3220A Prisoner Payment of Fees at Time of Filing of Action -- Partial Payment of Fees -- Dismissal of Action

(4)  If the court permits the prisoner's action to proceed on partial payment of court fees, the court shall assess and, when funds exist, collect a partial payment of any court

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fees as set forth in sections 31-3201 and 31-3201A, Idaho Code, an initial partial filing fee of twenty percent (20%) of the greater of: (a)  The average monthly deposits to the prisoner's inmate account; or (b)  The average monthly balance for the six (6) month period immediately preceding the filing of the action;   (5)  After payment of the initial partial filing fee, the prisoner shall be required to make monthly payments of twenty percent (20%) of the preceding month's income credited to the prisoner's inmate account until the full amount of all applicable court fees set forth in sections 31-3201 and 31-3201A, Idaho Code, are paid. The agency or entity having custody of the prisoner shall forward payments from the prisoner's inmate account to the clerk of the court each time the amount in the prisoner's inmate account exceeds ten dollars ($ 10.00) until the full amount of all applicable court fees set forth in sections 31-3201 and 31-3201A, Idaho Code, are paid.

Payment plan/installment plan All No
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Idaho Idaho Code § 31-3201E Drug Court and Mental Health Court Fee -- Drug Court and Mental Health Court Fund

Each person admitted into a drug court or mental health court shall pay a drug court and mental health court fee in an amount not to exceed three hundred dollars

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($ 300) per month or a lesser amount as set by the administrative district judge for participants in the drug court and mental health court. ... Any failure to pay the drug court and mental health court fee may constitute grounds for termination from drug court or mental health court by the court, provided this shall not be the exclusive remedy for collection of the fee. If a participant is terminated from the drug court or mental health court prior to successful completion of the program and a judgment of conviction is entered against the defendant, any unpaid drug court and mental health court fee shall be ordered by the court in the judgment of conviction, provided the court may order such fee to be waived if the court determines that the person is indigent and unable to pay the fee. Such fee shall be in addition to all other fines and fees levied, and the payment of such fee may also be ordered as a term and condition of probation.

Other All No
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Idaho Idaho Code § 31-3201D(1) County Misdemeanor Probation Supervision Fee

Any person under a supervised probation program for a misdemeanor offense shall be required to pay an amount not more than the maximum monthly felony probation or parole supervision fee

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set forth in section 20-225, Idaho Code, per month, or such lesser sum as determined by the administrative judge of the judicial district, as a misdemeanor probation supervision fee. Any failure to pay such fee shall constitute grounds for the revocation of probation by the court, but this shall not be the exclusive remedy for its collection. The court for good cause may exempt a person from the payment of all or any part of the foregoing fee.

Other All No