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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Florida Fla. Stat. §948.06(5) Violation of probation or community control; revocation; modification; continuance; failure to pay restitution or cost of supervision

In any hearing in which the failure of a probationer or offender in community control to pay restitution or the cost of supervision as provided in s. 948.09, as directed,

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is established by the state, if the probationer or offender asserts his or her inability to pay restitution or the cost of supervision, it is incumbent upon the probationer or offender to prove by clear and convincing evidence that he or she does not have the present resources available to pay restitution or the cost of supervision despite sufficient bona fide efforts legally to acquire the resources to do so. If the probationer or offender cannot pay restitution or the cost of supervision despite sufficient bona fide efforts, the court shall consider alternate measures of punishment other than imprisonment. Only if alternate measures are not adequate to meet the state's interests in punishment and deterrence may the court imprison a probationer or offender in community control who has demonstrated sufficient bona fide efforts to pay restitution or the cost of supervision.

Incarceration All Yes
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Florida Fla. Stat. §938.30(5)-(9) Financial obligations in criminal cases; supplementary proceedings

(5) The court may order that any nonexempt property of the person which is in the hands of another be applied toward satisfying the obligation.

(6) If judgment has not been

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previously entered on any court-imposed financial obligation, the court may enter judgment thereon and issue any writ necessary to enforce the judgment in the manner allowed in civil cases. Any judgment issued under this section constitutes a civil lien against the judgment debtor’s presently owned or after-acquired property, when recorded pursuant to s. 55.10. Supplementary proceedings undertaken by any governmental entity to satisfy a judgment imposed pursuant to this section may proceed without bond and without the payment of statutory fees associated with judgment enforcement.

(7) Provisions of the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act apply to collection matters under this section and may be used to collect any court-imposed financial obligation subject to this section.

(8) If a criminal or civil judgment has previously been entered on a court-imposed financial obligation, the judgment constitutes a civil lien against the judgment debtor’s presently owned or after-acquired real or personal property when recorded pursuant to s. 55.10, except that a judgment on a court-imposed financial obligation is not subject to the 10-year rerecording requirement of s. 55.10. The judgment must secure all unpaid court-imposed financial obligations that are due and may accrue subsequent to the recording of the judgment, as well as interest and reasonable costs for issuing a satisfaction and recording the satisfaction in the official records.

(9) The clerk of the court shall enforce, satisfy, compromise, settle, subordinate, release, or otherwise dispose of any debts or liens imposed and collected under this section in the same manner as prescribed in s. 938.29(3).

Property liens All No
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Florida Fla. Stat. §938.30(2) Financial obligations in criminal cases; supplementary proceedings

The court may require a person liable for payment of an obligation to appear and be examined under oath concerning the person’s financial ability to pay the obligation. The judge

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may convert the statutory financial obligation into a court-ordered obligation to perform community service, subject to the provisions of s. 318.18(8), after examining a person under oath and determining the person’s inability to pay. Any person who fails to attend a hearing may be arrested on warrant or capias issued by the clerk upon order of the court.

Incarceration All No
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Florida Fla. Stat. §901.11 Effect of not answering summons

Failure to appear as commanded by a summons without good cause is an indirect criminal contempt of court and may be punished by a fine of not more than $100.

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When a person fails to appear as commanded by a summons, the trial court judge shall issue a warrant. If the trial court judge acquires reason to believe that the person summoned will not appear as commanded after issuing a summons, the trial court judge may issue a warrant.

Incarceration All No
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Florida Fla. Stat. §951.16 Prisoners entitled to receive credit on fine based on imprisonment

Every person who may be imprisoned in the county jail for failure to pay a fine and costs, or either, under sentence imposed upon conviction for crime shall be entitled

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to receive, together with subsistence, a credit on such fine and costs, or either, as the case may be, in proportion to the time such person may be imprisoned.

Incarceration All Yes
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Florida Fla. Stat. §922.04 Discharge of prisoner unable to pay fine

When the court determines on the written application of a prisoner that he or she has been imprisoned for 60 days solely for failure to pay a fine or costs

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which total not more than $300 and that the prisoner is indigent and unable to pay the fine or costs, the court shall order the prisoner discharged from custody.

Incarceration All Yes
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Florida Fla. Stat. §960.294(2) Effect of civil restitution liens

APPLICABILITY OF ALL JUDGMENT ENFORCEMENT REMEDIES. — A civil restitution lien order may be enforced by the crime victims, the state and its local subdivisions, or other aggrieved parties named

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in the civil restitution lien order, in the same manner as a judgment in a civil action, including levy against personal property by the sheriffs of this state and foreclosure against nonexempt real property. The provisions of chapter 726 apply to the transfer of the convicted offender’s assets to a third party and all other judgment enforcement remedies that are available by law.

Property liens All No
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Florida Fla. Stat. §944.512(1) State lien on proceeds from literary or other type of account of crime for which convicted

A lien prior in dignity to all others shall exist in favor of the state upon royalties, commissions, proceeds of sale, or any other thing of value payable to or

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accruing to a convicted felon or a person on her or his behalf, including any person to whom the proceeds may be transferred or assigned by gift or otherwise, from any literary, cinematic, or other account of the crime for which she or he was convicted. A conviction shall be defined as a guilty verdict by a jury or judge, or a guilty or nolo contendere plea by the defendant, regardless of adjudication of guilt. The lien shall attach at the time of the conviction in county or circuit court. In the event of an appeal, the funds will be held in the Revolving Escrow Trust Fund of the Department of Legal Affairs until the appeal is resolved.

Property liens All Yes
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Wisconsin Wis. Stat. § 973.07 Failure to pay fine, fees, surcharges, or costsor to comply with certain community service work.
If the fine, plus costs, fees, and surcharges imposed under ch. 814, are not paid or community service work under s. 943.017 (3) is not completed as required by the
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sentence, the defendant may be committed to the county jail until the fine, costs, fees, and surcharges are paid or discharged, or the community service work under s.943.017 (3) is completed, for a period fixed by the court not to exceed 6 months.
Incarceration All No
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Wisconsin Wis. Stat. § 800.095(1)(b) Nonpayment of monetary judgment
(b) 1. That the defendant be imprisoned until the forfeiture, assessments, surcharge, and costs are paid. If the court orders imprisonment under this subdivision, all of the following apply: a.
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The maximum period of imprisonment shall be 90 days for any one judgment, and the defendant shall receive credit against the amount owed at the rate of at least $50 for each day of imprisonment, including imprisonment following an arrest but prior to the court making a finding under subd. 2. b. The court may impose a term of imprisonment under this subdivision that is either concurrent with or consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed at the same time or any term of imprisonment imposed by any court. 2. No defendant may be imprisoned under subd. 1. unless the court makes one of the following findings: a. Either at sentencing or thereafter, that the defendant has the ability to pay the judgment within a reasonable time. If a defendant meets the criteria in s. 814.29 (1) (d), the defendant shall be presumed unable to pay under this subsection and the court shall either suspend or extend payment of the judgment or order community service. b. The defendant has failed, without good cause, to perform the community service authorized under this subsection or s.800.09. c. The defendant has failed to attend an indigence hearing offered by the court to provide the defendant with an opportunity to determine whether he or she has the ability to pay the judgment. d. The defendant has failed, without good cause, to complete an assessment or treatment program related to alcohol or drugs that was ordered in lieu of a monetary forfeiture. 3. a. Except as provided in subd. 3. b., the defendant shall be committed to a jail or a house of correction in the county in which the cause of action arose. b. The defendant may be committed to the jail in another county within or outside of the state if the other county borders the county in which the cause of action arose, and the monthly expenses charged to the municipality by the other county to imprison the defendant are at least 25 percent less than the monthly expenses charged by the county in which the cause of action arose, and the other county agrees to having the defendant committed to the jail in that county. c. The defendant shall be eligible for privileges under s.303.08 or a similar program in the other county if committed under subd. 3. b. The municipality shall pay the expenses incurred by the county to imprison the defendant.
Incarceration All No