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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
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Florida	Fla. Stat. §984.09(4)(d)	Punishment for contempt of court; alternative sanctions	In addition to any other sanction imposed under this section, the court may direct the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to withhold issuance of, or suspend, a child's + See more driver license or driving privilege. The court may order that a child's driver license or driving privilege be withheld or suspended for up to 1 year for a first offense of contempt and up to 2 years for a second or subsequent offense. If the child's driver license or driving privilege is suspended or revoked for any reason at the time the sanction for contempt is imposed, the court shall extend the period of suspension or revocation by the additional period ordered under this paragraph. If the child's driver license is being withheld at the time the sanction for contempt is imposed, the period of suspension or revocation ordered under this paragraph shall begin on the date on which the child is otherwise eligible to drive. For a child in need of services whose driver license or driving privilege is suspended under this paragraph, the court may direct the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to issue the child a license for driving privileges restricted to business or employment purposes only, as defined in s. 322.271, or for the purpose of completing court-ordered community service, if the child is otherwise qualified for a license. However, the department may not issue a restricted license unless specifically ordered to do so by the court.	Driver's license suspension/impoundment	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Florida	Fla. Stat. Ann. § 322.245(1)	Suspension of license upon failure of person charged with specified offense	(1) If a person charged with a violation of any of the criminal offenses enumerated in s. 318.17 or with the commission of any offense constituting a misdemeanor under chapter + See more 320 or this chapter fails to comply with all of the directives of the court within the time allotted by the court, the clerk of the traffic court shall mail to the person, at the address specified on the uniform traffic citation, a notice of such failure, notifying him or her that, if he or she does not comply with the directives of the court within 30 days after the date of the notice and pay a delinquency fee of up to $25 to the clerk, from which the clerk shall remit $10 to the Department of Revenue for deposit into the General Revenue Fund, his or her driver license will be suspended. The notice shall be mailed no later than 5 days after such failure. The delinquency fee may be retained by the office of the clerk to defray the operating costs of the office.	Driver's license suspension/impoundment	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Florida	Fla. Stat. Ann. § 322.245(1)	Suspension of license upon failure of person charged with specified offense	(1) If a person charged with a violation of any of the criminal offenses enumerated in s. 318.17 or with the commission of any offense constituting a misdemeanor under chapter + See more 320 or this chapter fails to comply with all of the directives of the court within the time allotted by the court, the clerk of the traffic court shall mail to the person, at the address specified on the uniform traffic citation, a notice of such failure, notifying him or her that, if he or she does not comply with the directives of the court within 30 days after the date of the notice and pay a delinquency fee of up to $25 to the clerk, from which the clerk shall remit $10 to the Department of Revenue for deposit into the General Revenue Fund, his or her driver license will be suspended. The notice shall be mailed no later than 5 days after such failure. The delinquency fee may be retained by the office of the clerk to defray the operating costs of the office.	Collection fee/interest	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Florida	Fla. Stat. §322.245(2)	Suspension of license upon failure of person charged with specified offense	(2) In non-IV-D cases, if a person fails to pay child support under chapter 61 and the obligee so requests, the depository or the clerk of the court shall mail in + See more accordance with s. 61.13016 the notice specified in that section, notifying him or her that if he or she does not comply with the requirements of that section and pay a delinquency fee of $25 to the depository or the clerk, his or her driver license and motor vehicle registration will be suspended. The delinquency fee may be retained by the depository or the office of the clerk to defray the operating costs of the office after the clerk remits $15 to the Department of Revenue for deposit into the General Revenue Fund.	Driver's license suspension/impoundment	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Florida	Fla. Stat. §775.089(5)	Restitution	An order of restitution may be enforced by the state, or by a victim named in the order to receive the restitution, in the same manner as a judgment in + See more a civil action. The outstanding unpaid amount of the order of restitution bears interest in accordance with s. 55.03, and, when properly recorded, becomes a lien on real estate owned by the defendant. If civil enforcement is necessary, the defendant shall be liable for costs and attorney’s fees incurred by the victim in enforcing the order.	Collection fee/interest	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Florida	Fla. Stat. §322.245(5)(a)	Suspension of license upon failure of person charged with specified offense	When the department receives notice from a clerk of the court that a person licensed to operate a motor vehicle in this state under the provisions of this chapter has + See more failed to pay financial obligations for any criminal offense other than those specified in subsection (1), in full or in part under a payment plan pursuant to s. 28.246(4), the department shall suspend the license of the person named in the notice.	Driver's license suspension/impoundment	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Florida	Fla. Stat. §28.246(6)	Payment of court-related fines or other monetary penalties, fees, charges, and costs; partial payments; distribution of funds	A clerk of court shall pursue the collection of any fees, service charges, fines, court costs, and liens for the payment of attorney fees and costs pursuant to s. 938.29 + See more which remain unpaid after 90 days by referring the account to a private attorney who is a member in good standing of The Florida Bar or collection agent who is registered and in good standing pursuant to chapter 559. In pursuing the collection of such unpaid financial obligations through a private attorney or collection agent, the clerk of the court must have attempted to collect the unpaid amount through a collection court, collections docket, or other collections process, if any, established by the court, find this to be cost-effective and follow any applicable procurement practices. The collection fee, including any reasonable attorney’s fee, paid to any attorney or collection agent retained by the clerk may be added to the balance owed in an amount not to exceed 40 percent of the amount owed at the time the account is referred to the attorney or agent for collection. The clerk shall give the private attorney or collection agent the application for the appointment of court-appointed counsel regardless of whether the court file is otherwise confidential from disclosure.	Collection fee/interest	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Florida	Fla. Stat. §938.35	Collection of court-related financial obligations	The board of county commissioners or the governing body of a municipality may pursue the collection of any fees, service charges, fines, or costs to which it is entitled which + See more remain unpaid for 90 days or more, or refer the account to a private attorney who is a member in good standing of The Florida Bar or collection agent who is registered and in good standing pursuant to chapter 559. In pursuing the collection of such unpaid financial obligations through a private attorney or collection agent, the board of county commissioners or the governing body of a municipality must determine this is cost-effective and follow applicable procurement practices. The collection fee, including any reasonable attorney’s fee, paid to any attorney or collection agent retained by the board of county commissioners or the governing body of a municipality may be added to the balance owed, in an amount not to exceed 40 percent of the amount owed at the time the account is referred to the attorney or agents for collection.	Collection fee/interest	Misdemeanor	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more 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
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more supporting affidavit or complaint.	Other	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Pennsylvania	42 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 9728(a)	Collection - interest	Except as provided in subsection (b)(5), all restitution, reparation, fees, costs, fines and penalties shall be collected by the county probation department or other agent designated by the county commissioners + See more of the county with the approval of the president judge of the county for that purpose in any manner provided by law. However, such restitution, reparation, fees, costs, fines and penalties are part of a criminal action or proceeding and shall not be deemed debts. A sentence, pretrial disposition order or order entered under section 6352 (relating to disposition of delinquent child) for restitution, reparation, fees, costs, fines or penalties shall, together with interest and any additional costs that may accrue, be a judgment in favor of the probation department upon the person or the property of the person sentenced or subject to the order.	Collection fee/interest	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 more a 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;	Driver's license suspension/impoundment	Traffic	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 more Disposition 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.	Driver's license suspension/impoundment	Traffic	Yes

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