excessive fines | The Marshall Project

What are records? Since 2014, The Marshall Project has been curating some of the best criminal justice reporting from around the web. In these records you will find the most recent and the most authoritative articles on the topics, people and events that are shaping the criminal justice conversation. The Marshall Project does not endorse the viewpoints or vouch for the accuracy of reports other than its own.

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Marshall Project Originals

Will a Looming Budget Crunch Reverse Efforts to Rein in Fines and Fees?

From suspended driver’s licenses to jail stays, legal financial obligations can shape lives long after an arrest.

Closing Argument • 08.08.2026

How Government Fines of $1 Million+ Are Increasingly Targeting Immigrants

A 1996 law allowing fines for some immigrants was rarely used — until Donald Trump’s second term began.

Closing Argument • 06.20.2026

I Have No Way to Pay My Six-Figure Restitution

A criminal court sentenced Harold Doby III to a $155,000 restitution. Falling behind could send him back to prison.

Life Inside • 06.05.2026

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