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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.
136 Results
State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap | Level of offense | Mandatory | |
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Montana | Mont. Code Ann. § 46-18-244(3)(a) | Type and time of payment--defenses--ensuring payment |
In addition to other methods of payment, the court may order one or more of the following in order to satisfy the offender's restitution obligation: (a) forfeiture and sale of + See morethe offender's assets under the provisions of Title 25, chapter 13, part 7, unless the court finds, after notice and an opportunity for the offender to be heard, that the assets are reasonably necessary for the offender to sustain a living or support the offender's dependents or unless the state determines that the cost of forfeiture and sale would outweigh the amount available to the victim after sale. If the proceeds of sale exceed the amount of restitution ordered and the costs of forfeiture and sale, any remaining amount must be returned to the offender
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Property liens | All | No |
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Washington DC | DC ST § 11-741 | Contempt powers (DC Court of Appeals) |
(a) Subject to the limitation described in subsection (b), and in addition to the powers conferred by section 402 of title 18, United States Code, the District of Columbia Court + See moreof Appeals, or a judge thereof, may punish for disobedience of an order or for contempt committed in the presence of the court....
(3)(A) An individual imprisoned for 6 consecutive months for civil contempt for disobedience of an order in a proceeding described in paragraph (1) who continues to disobey such order may be prosecuted for criminal contempt for disobedience of such order at any time before the expiration of the 12-month period that begins on the first day of such individual's imprisonment, except that an individual so imprisoned as of the date of the enactment of this subsection may be prosecuted under this subsection at any time during the 90-day period that begins on the date of the enactment of this subsection.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Washington DC | DC ST § 11-944 | Contempt power (Superior Court of DC) |
(a) Subject to the limitation described in subsection (b), and in addition to the powers conferred by section 402 of title 18, United States Code, the Superior Court, or a + See morejudge thereof, may punish for disobedience of an order or for contempt committed in the presence of the court....
(3)(A) An individual imprisoned for 6 consecutive months for civil contempt for disobedience of an order in a proceeding described in paragraph (1) who continues to disobey such order may be prosecuted for criminal contempt for disobedience of such order at any time before the expiration of the 12-month period that begins on the first day of such individual's imprisonment, except that an individual so imprisoned as of the date of the enactment of this subsection may be prosecuted under this subsection at any time during the 90-day period that begins on the date of the enactment of this subsection.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Washington DC | DC ST § 15-102 | Lien of judgment, decree, or forfeited recognizance |
(a) Each --(1) final judgment or decree for the payment of money rendered in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, or the Superior Court of the + See moreDistrict of Columbia, from the date such judgment or decree is filed and recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of the District of Columbia, and
(2) recognizance taken by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, or the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, from the date the entry or order of forfeiture of such recognizance is filed and recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of the District of Columbia,
shall constitute a lien on all the freehold and leasehold estates, legal and equitable, of the defendants bound by such judgment, decree, or recognizance, in any land, tenements, or hereditaments in the District of Columbia, whether the estates are in possession or are reversions or remainders, vested or contingent. Such liens on equitable interest may be enforced only by an action to foreclose.
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Property liens | All | Yes |
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Washington DC | DC ST § 15-320 | Enforcement of decrees |
a) For the purpose of executing a decree, or compelling obedience to it, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia or the Superior Court of the District + See moreof Columbia, in addition to the other procedures provided for by this chapter and Chapter 5 of Title 16, may:(1) issue an attachment against the person of the defendant;
(2) order an immediate sequestration of his real and personal estate, or such part thereof as may be necessary to satisfy the decree; or
(3) by order and injunction, cause the possession of the estate and effects whereof the possession or a sale is decreed to be delivered to the complainant, or otherwise, according to the tenor and import of the decree and as the nature of the case requires.
In case of sequestration, the court may order payment and satisfaction to be made out of the estate and effects so sequestrated, according to the true intent and meaning of the decree.
(b) When a defendant is arrested and brought into court upon any process of contempt issued to compel the performance of a decree, the court may, upon motion, order:
(1) the defendant to stand committed; or
(2) his estates and effects to be sequestrated and payment made, as directed by subsection (a) of this section; or
(3) possession of his estate and effects to be delivered by order and injunction, as directed by subsection (a) of this section --
until the decree or order is fully performed and executed, according to the tenor and true meaning thereof, and the contempt cleared.
(c) Where a decree only directs the payment of money, the defendant may not be imprisoned except in those cases especially provided for.
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Property liens | All | No |
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North Dakota | N.D. Cent. Code § 29-26-22(4) | Judgment for fines--Court administration fee--Community service supervision fee--Special funds--Docketing and enforcement |
...A judgment that the defendant pay a fine or fees, or both, may be docketed and if docketed constitutes a lien upon the real estate of the defendant in like + See moremanner as a judgment for money rendered in a civil action. The court may allow the defendant to pay any assessed administration fee or community service supervision fee in installments. When a defendant is assessed administration fees or a community service supervision fee, the court may not impose at the same time an alternative sentence to be served if the fees are not paid.
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Property liens | All | No |
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North Dakota | N.D. Cent. Code § 29-26-22.1 | Judgment for fine or costs in criminal cases--Docketing and enforcement |
The court may, within ten years of the date of entry of a judgment that imposes a fine or assesses costs against a defendant, order the judgment to be docketed + See moreby the clerk of court in the judgment docket maintained pursuant to section 28-20-13 in the same manner in which a civil judgment for money is docketed. The docketing of the judgment has the same effect as the docketing of a civil judgment. The docketed judgment may be docketed in any other county in the same manner, it imposes a lien upon the real property owned by the defendant to the same extent, it is subject to the same statute of limitations, and it is enforceable by execution in the same manner as provided for a civil judgment for money.
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Property liens | All | No |
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North Dakota | N.D. Cent. Code § 29-26-22(4) | Judgment for fines--Court administration fee--Community service supervision fee--Special funds--Docketing and enforcement |
A judgment that the defendant pay a fine or fees, or both, may be docketed and if docketed constitutes a lien upon the real estate of the defendant in like + See moremanner as a judgment for money rendered in a civil action. The court may allow the defendant to pay any assessed administration fee or community service supervision fee in installments. When a defendant is assessed administration fees or a community service supervision fee, the court may not impose at the same time an alternative sentence to be served if the fees are not paid.
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Property liens | All | No |
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Pennsylvania | 42 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 9730(b)(2) | Failure to pay court costs, restitution and fines |
(b) Procedures regarding default.--(1) If a defendant defaults in the payment of a fine, court costs or restitution after imposition of sentence, the issuing authority or a senior judge or + See moresenior magisterial district judge appointed by the president judge for the purposes of this section may conduct a hearing to determine whether the defendant is financially able to pay.
(2) If the issuing authority, senior judge or senior magisterial district judge determines that the defendant is financially able to pay the fine or costs, the issuing authority, senior judge or senior magisterial district judge may turn the delinquent account over to a private collection agency or impose imprisonment for nonpayment, as provided by law.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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New Jersey | N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2C:46-2 | Consequences of Nonpayment |
If the court finds that the person defaulted on payment of a court-imposed financial obligation, restitution, or child support or other support or maintenance ordered by a court without good cause and finds + See morethat the default was willful, the court may, in addition to the action required by paragraph (1) of this subsection a., impose a term of imprisonment or participation in a labor assistance program or enforced community service to achieve the objective of the court-imposed financial obligation, restitution, or child support or other support or maintenance ordered by a court. These options shall not reduce the amount owed by the person in default. The term of imprisonment or enforced community service or participation in a labor assistance program in such case shall be specified in the order of commitment. It need not be equated with any particular dollar amount but, in the case of a fine it shall not exceed one day for each $50 of the fine nor shall it exceed a period of 90 consecutive days. In no case shall the total period of imprisonment in the case of a disorderly persons offense for both the sentence of imprisonment and for failure to pay a fine exceed six months.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Virginia | Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-358(B) | Incarceration for Default |
A. When an individual obligated to pay a fine, costs, forfeiture, restitution or penalty defaults in the payment or any installment payment, the court upon the motion of the Commonwealth + See morein the case of a conviction of a violation of a state law, or attorney for a locality or for the Commonwealth in the event of a conviction of a violation of a local law or ordinance, or upon its own motion, may require him to show cause why he should not be confined in jail or fined for nonpayment. A show cause proceeding shall not be required prior to issuance of a capias if an order to appear on a date certain in the event of nonpayment was issued pursuant to subsection A of § 19.2-354 and the defendant failed to appear. B. Following the order to show cause or following a capias issued for a defendant's failure to comply with a court order to appear issued pursuant to subsection A of § 19.2-354, unless the defendant shows that his default was not attributable to an intentional refusal to obey the sentence of the court, or not attributable to a failure on his part to make a good faith effort to obtain the necessary funds for payment, or unless the defendant shows that any failure to appear was not attributable to an intentional refusal to obey the order of the court, the court may order the defendant confined as for a contempt for a term not to exceed sixty days
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Virginia | Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-340 | presentment, indictment, information or warrant in recovery of fine |
When any statute or ordinance prescribes a fine, unless it is otherwise expressly provided or would be inconsistent with the manifest intention of the General Assembly, it shall be paid + See moreto the Commonwealth if prescribed by a statute and recoverable by presentment, indictment, information or warrant and paid to the locality if prescribed by an ordinance and recoverable by warrant. Fines imposed and costs taxed in a criminal or traffic prosecution, including a prosecution for a violation of an ordinance adopted pursuant to § 46.2-1220, for committing an offense shall constitute a judgment and, if not paid at the time they are imposed, execution may issue thereon in the same manner as upon any other monetary judgment, subject to the period of limitations provided by § 19.2-341.
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Incarceration | All | Yes |
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Virginia | Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-341 | warrant, presentment, indictment, or information in recovery of other costs |
When any statute or ordinance prescribes a monetary penalty other than a fine, unless it is otherwise expressly provided or would be inconsistent with the manifest intention of the General + See moreAssembly, it shall be paid to the Commonwealth if prescribed by a statute and paid to the locality if prescribed by an ordinance and recoverable by warrant, presentment, indictment, or information. Penalties imposed and costs taxed in any such proceeding shall constitute a judgment and, if not paid at the time they are imposed, execution may issue thereon in the same manner as upon any other monetary judgment.
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Incarceration | All | Yes |
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Nevada | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 176.275 | Judgment for fine, administrative assessment, payment of restitution or repayment of expenses is lien; additional provisions concerning judgment for payment of restitution. |
1. A judgment which imposes a fine or administrative assessment or requires a defendant to pay restitution or repay the expenses of a defense constitutes a lien in like manner as + See morea judgment for money rendered in a civil action. 2. A judgment which requires a defendant to pay restitution:
(a) May be recorded, docketed and enforced as any other judgment for money rendered in a civil action.
(b) Does not expire until the judgment is satisfied.
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Property liens | All | No |
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Nevada | Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 176.064 (3)(d) | Collection fee for unpaid administrative assessment, fine, fee or restitution; use of collection agency; report to credit agencies; civil judgment; attachment or garnishment; suspension of driver's license; imprisonment |
3. The court may, on its own motion or at the request of a state or local entity that is responsible for collecting the delinquent fine, administrative assessment, fee or restitution, + See moretake any or all of the following actions, in the following order of priority if practicable: . . .
(d) For a delinquent fine or administrative assessment, order the confinement of the person in the appropriate prison, jail or detention facility, as provided in NRS 176.065 and 176.075.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Louisiana | LA Rev Stat §1381.2. | Orleans ParishSheriff's detention and prison security fee fund |
A. Any defendant, other than an indigent, who pleads guilty or is convicted of an offense by the Criminal District Court for the Parish of Orleans shall be assessed a + See morefee of not less than twenty-five dollars, such costs to be in addition to any fine, clerk's fees, costs due to the criminal court cost fund or sentence imposed by the court. When any defendant, other than an indigent, fails to pay the costs referred to hereinabove, he shall be sentenced to a term of thirty days in the parish prison in default of the payment of same.
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Incarceration | All | Yes |
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Louisiana | CCRP 895.5.A.2 | Property lien |
(2)(a) The order to pay restitution together with any order to pay costs or fines, as provided in this Article, is deemed a civil money judgment in favor of the + See moreperson to whom restitution, costs, or fines is owed, if the defendant is informed of his right to have a judicial determination of the amount and is provided with a hearing, waived a hearing, or stipulated to the amount of the restitution, cost, or fine ordered. In addition to proceedings had by the court which orders the restitution, cost, or fine, the judgment may be enforced in the same manner as a money judgment in a civil case. Likewise, the judgment may be filed as a lien as provided by law for judgment creditors. Prior to the enforcement of the restitution order, or order for costs or fines, the defendant shall be notified of his right to have a judicial determination of the amount of restitution, cost, or fine. Such notice shall be served personally by the district attorney's office of the respective judicial district in which the restitution, cost, or fine is ordered.
(b) In addition to the powers under R.S. 13:1336, the Criminal District Court for the Parish of Orleans shall have the authority to order the payment of restitution as provided in this Paragraph. The enforcement of the judgment for restitution shall be filed in the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans.
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Property liens | All | No |
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Louisiana | CCRP 885 | fine and costs |
A defendant who has been imprisoned for default in the payment of a fine, or fine and costs, under a sentence imposed pursuant to Article 884, may, at any time + See morebefore expiration of the term of imprisonment, obtain his release by paying to his custodian all of the costs imposed and a sum of money that bears the same proportion to the imposed fine as the term of alternate imprisonment yet to run bears to the whole of such term of imprisonment.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Louisiana | La. Stat. Ann. § 13:4611 | Contempt |
For any other contempt of court, including disobeying an order for the payment of child support or spousal support or an order for the right of custody or visitation, by + See morea fine of not more than five hundred dollars, or imprisonment for not more than three months, or both.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Mississippi | Miss. Code Ann. § 99-37-5(2) | Payment and orders |
(2) When a defendant sentenced to pay a fine or costs or ordered to make restitution is also placed on probation or imposition or execution of sentence is suspended, the + See morecourt may make payment of the fine or costs or the making of restitution a condition of probation or suspension of sentence. Such offenders shall make restitution payments directly to the victim. As an alternative to a contempt proceeding under Sections 99-37-7 through 99-37-13, the intentional refusal to obey the restitution order or a failure by a defendant to make a good faith effort to make such restitution may be considered a violation of the defendant's probation and may be cause for revocation of his probation or suspension of sentence.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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