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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.
18 Results
| 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. §316.193(6) | Driving under the influence; penalties |
. . . However, in satisfaction of the fine imposed pursuant to this section, the court may, upon a finding that the defendant is financially unable to pay either all or part of the fine, order that the defendant participate for a specified additional period of time in public service or a community work project in lieu of payment of that portion of the fine which the court determines the defendant is unable to pay. In determining such additional sentence, the court shall consider the amount of the unpaid portion of the fine and the reasonable value of the services to be ordered; however, the court may not compute the reasonable value of services at a rate less than the federal minimum wage at the time of sentencing.
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Community service | All | No |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §984.22(6) | Power of disposition |
The participation and cooperation of the family, parent, guardian, or custodian, and the child with court-ordered services, treatment, or community service are mandatory, not merely voluntary. The court may use its contempt powers to enforce its order.
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Increased fine | All | No |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §985.455(1) | Other dispositional issues |
(1) The court that has jurisdiction over an adjudicated delinquent child may, by an order stating the facts upon which a determination of a sanction and rehabilitative program was made at the disposition hearing:
(a) Require the child and, if the court finds it appropriate, the child's parent or guardian, together with the child, to render community service in a public service program. (b) Order the child and, if the court finds it appropriate, the child's parent or guardian, together with the child, to participate in a community work project, either as an alternative to monetary restitution or as part of the rehabilitative or probation program. (c) Revoke or suspend the driver license of the child. (d) Order the child, upon a determination of the child's inability to pay, to perform community service in lieu of all court costs assessed against the delinquent child, including costs of prosecution, public defender application fees, and costs of representation. |
Community service | All | No |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §938.30(11) | Financial obligations in criminal cases; supplementary proceedings |
Any person failing to appear or willfully failing to comply with an order under this section, including an order to comply with a payment schedule established by the clerk of court, may be held in civil contempt.
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Increased fine | All | No |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §948.031(1) | Condition of probation or community control; public service |
Any person who is convicted of a felony or misdemeanor and who is placed on probation or into community control may be required as a condition of supervision to perform some type of public service for a tax-supported or tax-exempt entity, with the consent of such entity. Such public service shall be performed at a time other than during such person’s regular hours of employment.
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Community service | 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. 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.
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Increased fine | All | No |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §901.31 | Failure to obey written promise to appear |
Any person who willfully fails to appear before any court or judicial officer as required by a written notice to appear shall be fined not more than the fine of the principal charge or imprisoned up to the maximum sentence of imprisonment of the principal charge, or both, regardless of the disposition of the charge upon which the person was originally arrested. Nothing in this section shall interfere with or prevent the court from exercising its power to punish for contempt.
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Increased fine | All | Yes |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §903.105 | Appearance bonds |
Any person who willfully fails to appear before any court or judicial officer as required by a written notice to appear shall be fined not more than the fine of the principal charge or imprisoned up to the maximum sentence of imprisonment of the principal charge, or both, regardless of the disposition of the charge upon which the person was originally arrested. Nothing in this section shall interfere with or prevent the court from exercising its power to punish for contempt.
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Increased fine | All | Yes |
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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 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.
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Community service | All | No |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §806.13(8) | Criminal mischief; penalties; penalty for minor |
A minor whose driver license or driving privilege is revoked, suspended, or withheld under subsection (7) may elect to reduce the period of revocation, suspension, or withholding by performing community service at the rate of 1 day for each hour of community service performed. In addition, if the court determines that due to a family hardship, the minor's driver license or driving privilege is necessary for employment or medical purposes of the minor or a member of the minor's family, the court shall order the minor to perform community service and reduce the period of revocation, suspension, or withholding at the rate of 1 day for each hour of community service performed. As used in this subsection, the term community service means cleaning graffiti from public property.
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Community service | Misdemeanor | Yes |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §812.015(2) | Retail and farm theft; transit fare evasion; mandatory fine; alternative punishment; detention and arrest; exemption from liability for false arrest; resisting arrest; penalties |
Upon a second or subsequent conviction for petit theft from a merchant, farmer, or transit agency, the offender shall be punished as provided in s. 812.014(3), except that the court shall impose a fine of not less than $50 or more than $1,000. However, in lieu of such fine, the court may require the offender to perform public services designated by the court. In no event shall any such offender be required to perform fewer than the number of hours of public service necessary to satisfy the fine assessed by the court, as provided by this subsection, at the minimum wage prevailing in the state at the time of sentencing.
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Community service | All | No |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §895.06(2) | Civil investigative subpoenas; public records exemption |
(2) A subpoena issued pursuant to this chapter is confidential for 120 days after the date of its issuance. The subpoenaed person or entity may not disclose the existence of the subpoena to any person or entity other than his or her attorney during the 120-day period. The subpoena must include a reference to the confidentiality of the subpoena and a notice to the recipient of the subpoena that disclosure of the existence of the subpoena to any other person or entity except the subpoenaed person’s or entity’s attorney is prohibited. The investigative agency may apply ex parte to the circuit court for the circuit in which a subpoenaed person or entity resides, is found, or transacts business for an order directing that the subpoenaed person or entity not disclose the existence of the subpoena to any other person or entity except the subpoenaed person’s attorney for an additional period of time for good cause shown by the investigative agency. The order shall be served on the subpoenaed person or entity with the subpoena, and the subpoena must include a reference to the order and a notice to the recipient of the subpoena that disclosure of the existence of the subpoena to any other person or entity in violation of the order may subject the subpoenaed person or entity to punishment for contempt of court. Such an order may be granted by the court only upon a showing:
(a) Of sufficient factual grounds to reasonably indicate a violation of ss 895.01-895.06 (b) That the documents or testimony sought appear reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence; and (c) Of facts that reasonably indicate that disclosure of the subpoena would hamper or impede the investigation or would result in a flight from prosecution. |
Increased fine | All | No |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §895.06(5) | Civil investigative subpoenas; public records exemption |
A person who fails to obey a court order entered pursuant to this section may be punished for contempt of court. |
Increased fine | All | No |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §984.09(1) | Punishment for contempt of court; alternative sanctions |
Contempt of court; legislative intent. — The court may punish any child for contempt for interfering with the court or with court administration, or for violating any provision of this chapter or order of the court relative thereto. It is the intent of the Legislature that the court restrict and limit the use of contempt powers with respect to commitment of a child to a secure facility. A child who commits direct contempt of court or indirect contempt of a valid court order may be taken into custody and ordered to serve an alternative sanction or placed in a secure facility, as authorized in this section, by order of the court.
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Increased fine | All | No |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §984.09(3) | Punishment for contempt of court; alternative sanctions |
ALTERNATIVE SANCTIONS. Each judicial circuit shall have an alternative sanctions coordinator who shall serve under the chief administrative judge of the juvenile division of the circuit court, and who shall coordinate and maintain a spectrum of contempt sanction alternatives in conjunction with the circuit plan implemented in accordance with s. 790.22(4)(c). Upon determining that a child has committed direct contempt of court or indirect contempt of a valid court order, the court may immediately request the alternative sanctions coordinator to recommend the most appropriate available alternative sanction and shall order the child to perform up to 50 hours of community-service manual labor or a similar alternative sanction, unless an alternative sanction is unavailable or inappropriate, or unless the child has failed to comply with a prior alternative sanction. Alternative contempt sanctions may be provided by local industry or by any nonprofit organization or any public or private business or service entity that has entered into a contract with the Department of Juvenile Justice to act as an agent of the state to provide voluntary supervision of children on behalf of the state in exchange for the manual labor of children and limited immunity in accordance with s. 768.28(11).
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Increased fine | All | No |
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Florida | Fla. Stat. §984.09(3) | Punishment for contempt of court; alternative sanctions |
ALTERNATIVE SANCTIONS.Each judicial circuit shall have an alternative sanctions coordinator who shall serve under the chief administrative judge of the juvenile division of the circuit court, and who shall coordinate and maintain a spectrum of contempt sanction alternatives in conjunction with the circuit plan implemented in accordance with s. 790.22(4)(c). Upon determining that a child has committed direct contempt of court or indirect contempt of a valid court order, the court may immediately request the alternative sanctions coordinator to recommend the most appropriate available alternative sanction and shall order the child to perform up to 50 hours of community-service manual labor or a similar alternative sanction, unless an alternative sanction is unavailable or inappropriate, or unless the child has failed to comply with a prior alternative sanction. Alternative contempt sanctions may be provided by local industry or by any nonprofit organization or any public or private business or service entity that has entered into a contract with the Department of Juvenile Justice to act as an agent of the state to provide voluntary supervision of children on behalf of the state in exchange for the manual labor of children and limited immunity in accordance with s. 768.28(11).
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Community service | All | Yes |
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Hawaii | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 291D-9(c) | Adjudication of Traffic Infractions: Monetary assessments |
(c) In addition to any monetary assessment imposed for a traffic infraction, the court may impose additional assessments for: (1) Failure to pay a monetary assessment by the scheduled date of payment; or (2) The cost of service of a penal summons issued pursuant to this chapter.
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Increased fine | Traffic | No |
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Hawaii | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-644(4) | Consequences of nonpayment; imprisonment for contumacious nonpayment; summary collection |
(4) If it appears that the defendant's default in the payment of a fee, fine, or restitution is not contumacious, the court may make an order allowing the defendant additional time for payment, reducing the amount of each installment, or revoking the fee, fine, or the unpaid portion thereof in whole or in part, or converting the unpaid portion of the fee or fine to community service. A defendant shall not be discharged from an order to pay restitution until the full amount of the restitution has actually been collected or accounted for.
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Community service | All | No |
The Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder is a project of the National Criminal Justice Debt Initiative of the Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard Law School in collaboration with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and with user experience design by metaLAB (at) Harvard.
For more information, please visit cjpp.law.harvard.edu.