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The Vermilion Parish Courthouse in Abbeville, Louisiana, in 2016.
Coronavirus April 17, 2020
Court Is Closed Due to Coronavirus. But You Still Owe Those Fines and Fees.
As states and cities face budget shortfalls amid the COVID-19 crisis, many courts seek payments largely owed by the poor.
By Eli Hager
North Carolina Rep. Marcia Morey, who spent 18 years as a judge, waived fees in 30 percent of her cases in 2016. “Justice shouldn’t be funded on the backs of the poor,” she said.
News November 29, 2017
No Mercy for Judges Who Show Mercy
North Carolina’s plan to stymie judges who waive fines and fees.
By Joseph Neff
Ashley Sprague and others argued in a class action lawsuit that suspending driver's licenses for unpaid court debt unduly burdens poor people.
News November 21, 2017
43 States Suspend Licenses for Unpaid Court Debt, But That Could Change
Lawsuits say the practice severely penalizes those too poor to pay.
By Beth Schwartzapfel
News May 1, 2016
Here’s the New Application that Former Inmates Need to Get Back the Vote in Iowa
How the state defines “simple.”
By Beth Schwartzapfel
News February 24, 2015
Debtors’ Prisons, Then and Now: FAQ
Congress outlawed them. The Supreme Court ruled them unconstitutional. Yet they live on.
By Eli Hager
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