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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Washington Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 9.94B.040(1),(4) Conversion of fine to community service (for crimes committed before July 1, 2000)

(1) If an offender violates any condition or requirement of a sentence, the court may modify its order of judgment and sentence and impose further punishment in accordance with this section.

(4) If

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the violation involves failure to pay legal financial obligations, the following provisions apply: (a) The department and the offender may enter into a stipulated agreement that the failure to pay was willful noncompliance, according to the provisions and requirements of subsection (3)(a) of this section; (b) In the absence of a stipulated agreement, or where the court is not satisfied with the department’s sanctions as provided in a stipulated agreement under (a) of this subsection, the court, upon the motion of the state, or upon its own motion, shall require the offender to show cause why the offender should not be punished for the noncompliance. The court may issue a summons or a warrant of arrest for the offender’s appearance; (c) The state has the burden of showing noncompliance by a preponderance of the evidence. The court may not sanction the offender for failure to pay legal financial obligations unless the court finds, after a hearing and on the record, that the failure to pay is willful. A failure to pay is willful if the offender has the current ability to pay but refuses to do so. In determining whether the offender has the current ability to pay, the court shall inquire into and consider: (i) The offender’s income and assets; (ii) the offender’s basic living costs as defined by RCW 10.101.010 and other liabilities including child support and other legal financial obligations; and (iii) the offender’s bona fide efforts to acquire additional resources. An offender who is indigent as defined by RCW 10.101.010(3) (a) through (c) is presumed to lack the current ability to pay; (d) If the court determines that the offender is homeless or a person who is mentally ill, as defined in RCW 71.24.025, failure to pay a legal financial obligation is not willful noncompliance and shall not subject the offender to penalties; (e) If the court finds that the failure to pay is willful noncompliance, the court may order the offender to be confined for a period not to exceed sixty days for each violation or order one or more of the penalties authorized in subsection (3)(a)(i) of this section; and (f) If the court finds that the violation was not willful, the court may, and if the court finds that the defendant is indigent as defined in RCW 10.101.010(3) (a) through (c), the court shall modify the terms of payment of the legal financial obligations, reduce or waive nonrestitution legal financial obligations, or convert nonrestitution legal financial obligations to community restitution hours, if the jurisdiction operates a community restitution program, at the rate of no less than the state minimum wage established in RCW 49.46.020 for each hour of community restitution. The crime victim penalty assessment under RCW 7.68.035 may not be reduced, waived, or converted to community restitution hours.

Community service, Incarceration, Payment plan/installment plan All No
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Washington Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 10.01.170 Fine or costs--Payment within specified time or installments

When a defendant is sentenced to pay a fine or costs, the court may grant permission for payment to be made within a specified period of time or in specified

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installments.

Payment plan/installment plan All No
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Washington Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 10.01.180(1),(3)-(5) Fine or costs — Default in payment — Contempt of court — Enforcement, collection procedures

(1) A defendant sentenced to pay any fine, penalty, assessment, fee, or costs who willfully defaults in the payment thereof or of any installment is in contempt of court as provided

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in chapter 7.21 RCW. The court may issue a warrant of arrest for his or her appearance.

(3) (a) The court shall not sanction a defendant for contempt based on failure to pay fines, penalties, assessments, fees, or costs unless the court finds, after a hearing and on the record, that the failure to pay is willful. A failure to pay is willful if the defendant has the current ability to pay but refuses to do so. (b) In determining whether the defendant has the current ability to pay, the court shall inquire into and consider: (i) The defendant’s income and assets; (ii) the defendant’s basic living costs as defined by RCW 10.101.010 and other liabilities including child support and other legal financial obligations; and (iii) the defendant’s bona fide efforts to acquire additional resources. A defendant who is indigent as defined by RCW 10.101.010(3) (a) through (c) is presumed to lack the current ability to pay. (c) If the court determines that the defendant is homeless or a person who is mentally ill, as defined in RCW 71.24.025, failure to pay a legal financial obligation is not willful contempt and shall not subject the defendant to penalties.

(4) If a term of imprisonment for contempt for nonpayment of any fine, penalty, assessment, fee, or costs is ordered, the term of imprisonment shall be set forth in the commitment order, and shall not exceed one day for each twenty-five dollars of the amount ordered, thirty days if the amount ordered of costs was imposed upon conviction of a violation or misdemeanor, or one year in any other case, whichever is the shorter period. A person committed for nonpayment of any fine, penalty, assessment, fee, or costs shall be given credit toward payment for each day of imprisonment at the rate specified in the commitment order.

(5) If it appears to the satisfaction of the court that the default in the payment of any fine, penalty, assessment, fee, or costs is not willful contempt, the court may, and if the defendant is indigent as defined in RCW 10.101.010(3) (a) through (c), the court shall enter an order: (a) Allowing the defendant additional time for payment; (b) reducing the amount thereof or of each installment; (c) revoking the fine, penalty, assessment, fee, or costs or the unpaid portion thereof in whole or in part; or (d) converting the unpaid fine, penalty, assessment, fee, or costs to community restitution hours, if the jurisdiction operates a community restitution program, at the rate of no less than the state minimum wage established in RCW 49.46.020 for each hour of community restitution. The crime victim penalty assessment under RCW 7.68.035 may not be reduced, revoked, or converted to community restitution hours.

Incarceration, Payment plan/installment plan All No
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Washington Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 10.04.120 Stay of Execution

Every defendant may stay the execution for the fine and costs for thirty days, by procuring sufficient sureties, to be approved by the district judge, to enter into recognizance before

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the district judge for the payment of the fine and costs; the entry of such recognizance shall be made on the docket of the district judge, and signed by the sureties, and shall have the same effect as a judgment, and if the same be not paid in thirty days, the district judge shall proceed as in like cases in the superior court.

Payment plan/installment plan All No
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Washington Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 9.92.070 Payment of fine and costs in installments

Hereafter whenever any judge of any superior court or a district or municipal judge shall sentence any person to pay any fines, penalties, assessments, fees, and costs, the judge may,

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in the judge’s discretion, provide that such fines, penalties, assessments, fees, and costs may be paid in certain designated installments, or within certain designated period or periods. If the court finds that the defendant is indigent as defined in RCW 10.101.010(3) (a) through (c), the court shall allow for payment in certain designated installments or within certain designated periods. If such fines, penalties, assessments, fees, and costs shall be paid by the defendant in accordance with such order no commitment or imprisonment of the defendant shall be made for failure to pay such fine or costs. PROVIDED, that the provisions of this section shall not apply to any sentence given for the violation of any of the liquor laws of this state.

Payment plan/installment plan All No
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Washington Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 9.94A.760(1),(5),(10) Legal financial obligations

(1) Whenever a person is convicted in superior court, the court may order the payment of a legal financial obligation as part of the sentence. The court may not order an

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offender to pay costs as described in RCW 10.01.160 if the court finds that the offender at the time of sentencing is indigent as defined in RCW 10.101.010(3) (a) through (c). An offender being indigent as defined in RCW 10.101.010(3) (a) through (c) is not grounds for failing to impose restitution or the crime victim penalty assessment under RCW 7.68.035. The court must on either the judgment and sentence or on a subsequent order to pay, designate the total amount of a legal financial obligation and segregate this amount among the separate assessments made for restitution, costs, fines, and other assessments required by law. On the same order, the court is also to set a sum that the offender is required to pay on a monthly basis towards satisfying the legal financial obligation. If the court fails to set the offender monthly payment amount, the department shall set the amount if the department has active supervision of the offender, otherwise the county clerk shall set the amount.

(5) . . . For an offense committed on or after July 1, 2000, the court shall retain jurisdiction over the offender, for purposes of the offender’s compliance with payment of the legal financial obligations, until the obligation is completely satisfied, regardless of the statutory maximum for the crime. The department may only supervise the offender’s compliance with payment of the legal financial obligations during any period in which the department is authorized to supervise the offender in the community under RCW 9.94A.728, 9.94A.501, or in which the offender is confined in a state correctional institution or a correctional facility pursuant to a transfer agreement with the department, and the department shall supervise the offender’s compliance during any such period.

(10) The department or any obligee of the legal financial obligation may seek a mandatory wage assignment for the purposes of obtaining satisfaction for the legal financial obligation pursuant to RCW 9.94A.7701. Any party obtaining a wage assignment shall notify the county clerk. The county clerks shall notify the department, or the administrative office of the courts, whichever is providing the monthly billing for the offender.

(11) The requirement that the offender pay a monthly sum towards a legal financial obligation constitutes a condition or requirement of a sentence and the offender is subject to the penalties for noncompliance as provided in RCW 9.94B.040, 9.94A.737, or 9.94A.740. If the court determines that the offender is homeless or a person who is mentally ill, as defined in RCW 71.24.025, failure to pay a legal financial obligation is not willful noncompliance and shall not subject the offender to penalties.

Incarceration, Payment plan/installment plan, Wage/bank account garnishment All Yes
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Washington Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 3.62.010 Suspension of fine or penalty

The district court may at the time of sentencing or at any time thereafter suspend a portion or all of a fine or penalty.

Payment plan/installment plan All No
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Washington Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 9.94A.750(1)-(2),(4) Restitution

(1) If restitution is ordered, the court shall determine the amount of restitution due at the sentencing hearing or within one hundred eighty days. The court may continue the hearing beyond

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the one hundred eighty days for good cause. The court shall then set a minimum monthly payment that the offender is required to make towards the restitution that is ordered. The court shall not issue any order that postpones the commencement of restitution payments until after the offender is released from total confinement. The court should take into consideration the total amount of the restitution owed, the offender’s present, past, and future ability to pay, as well as any assets that the offender may have. An offender’s inability to make restitution payments while in total confinement may not be the basis for a violation of his or her sentence unless his or her inability to make payments resulted from a refusal to accept an employment offer to a class I or class II job or a termination for cause from such a job.

(2) During the period of supervision, the community corrections officer may examine the offender to determine if there has been a change in circumstances that warrants an amendment of the monthly payment schedule. The community corrections officer may recommend a change to the schedule of payment and shall inform the court of the recommended change and the reasons for the change. The sentencing court may then reset the monthly minimum payments based on the report from the community corrections officer of the change in circumstances.

(4) For the purposes of this section, the offender shall remain under the court’s jurisdiction for a term of ten years following the offender’s release from total confinement or ten years subsequent to the entry of the judgment and sentence, whichever period is longer. Prior to the expiration of the initial ten-year period, the superior court may extend jurisdiction under the criminal judgment an additional ten years for payment of restitution. The portion of the sentence concerning restitution may be modified as to amount, terms and conditions during either the initial ten-year period or subsequent ten-year period if the criminal judgment is extended, regardless of the expiration of the offender’s term of community supervision and regardless of the statutory maximum sentence for the crime. The court may not reduce the total amount of restitution ordered because the offender may lack the ability to pay the total amount. The offender’s compliance with the restitution shall be supervised by the department only during any period which the department is authorized to supervise the offender in the community under RCW 9.94A.728, 9.94A.501, or in which the offender is in confinement in a state correctional institution or a correctional facility pursuant to a transfer agreement with the department, and the department shall supervise the offender’s compliance during any such period. 

 

Payment plan/installment plan All No
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Washington Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 10.01.160(1),(4) Costs — What constitutes — Payment by defendant — Procedure — Remission — Medical or mental health treatment or services

(1) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, the court may require a defendant to pay costs. Costs may be imposed only upon a convicted defendant, except for costs

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imposed upon a defendant’s entry into a deferred prosecution program, costs imposed upon a defendant for pretrial supervision, or costs imposed upon a defendant for preparing and serving a warrant for failure to appear.

(4) A defendant who has been ordered to pay costs and who is not in contumacious default in the payment thereof may at any time after release from total confinement petition the sentencing court for remission of the payment of costs or of any unpaid portion thereof. If it appears to the satisfaction of the court that payment of the amount due will impose manifest hardship on the defendant or the defendant’s immediate family, the court may remit all or part of the amount due in costs, modify the method of payment under RCW 10.01.170, or convert the unpaid costs to community restitution hours, if the jurisdiction operates a community restitution program, at the rate of no less than the state minimum wage established in RCW 49.46.020 for each hour of community restitution. Manifest hardship exists where the defendant is indigent as defined in RCW 10.101.010(3) (a) through (c).

Payment plan/installment plan All No
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Washington Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 9.94A.753(2) Restitution--Application dates

During the period of supervision, the community corrections officer may examine the offender to determine if there has been a change in circumstances that warrants an amendment of the monthly

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payment schedule. The community corrections officer may recommend a change to the schedule of payment and shall inform the court of the recommended change and the reasons for the change. The sentencing court may then reset the monthly minimum payments based on the report from the community corrections officer of the change in circumstances.

Payment plan/installment plan All Yes
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Washington Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 9.94A.6333(3) Sanctions--Modification of sentence--Noncompliance hearing

3) If an offender fails to pay legal financial obligations as a requirement of a sentence the following provisions apply:
(a) The court, upon the motion of the state, or

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upon its own motion, shall require the offender to show cause why the offender should not be punished for the noncompliance. The court may issue a summons or a warrant of arrest for the offender's appearance;
(b) The state has the burden of showing noncompliance by a preponderance of the evidence;
(c) The court may not sanction the offender for failure to pay legal financial obligations unless the court finds, after a hearing and on the record, that the failure to pay is willful. A failure to pay is willful if the offender has the current ability to pay but refuses to do so. In determining whether the offender has the current ability to pay, the court shall inquire into and consider: (i) The offender's income and assets; (ii) the offender's basic living costs as defined by RCW 10.101.010 and other liabilities including child support and other legal financial obligations; and (iii) the offender's bona fide efforts to acquire additional resources. An offender who is indigent as defined by RCW 10.101.010(3) (a) through (c) is presumed to lack the current ability to pay;
(d) If the court determines that the offender is homeless or a person who is mentally ill, as defined in RCW 71.24.025, failure to pay a legal financial obligation is not willful noncompliance and shall not subject the offender to penalties;
(e) If the court finds that a failure to pay is willful noncompliance, it may impose the sanctions specified in RCW 9.94A.633(1); and
(f) If the court finds that the violation was not willful, the court may, and if the court finds that the defendant is indigent as defined in RCW 10.101.010(3) (a) through (c), the court shall modify the terms of payment of the legal financial obligations, reduce or waive nonrestitution legal financial obligations, or convert nonrestitution legal financial obligations to community restitution hours, if the jurisdiction operates a community restitution program, at the rate of no less than the state minimum wage established in RCW 49.46.020 for each hour of community restitution. The crime victim penalty assessment under RCW 7.68.035 may not be reduced, waived, or converted to community restitution hours.

Incarceration, Payment plan/installment plan All No
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Washington Wash. Sup. Ct. Crim. R. 7.3 JUDGMENT

A judgment of conviction shall set forth whether defendant was represented by counsel or made a valid waiver of counsel, the plea, the verdict or findings, and the adjudication and

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sentence. The court may order that its sentence include special conditions or requirements, including a specified schedule for the payment of a fine, restitution, or other costs, or the performance of community service.

Payment plan/installment plan All No