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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
Months after getting out of jail, McMullan was re-arrested for failing to appear in court to pay $2,831.69 to the victims of her former boyfriend’s other burglaries.
Feature June 11, 2019
Punishing Kids With Years of Debt
Courts often order children who break the law to pay thousands of dollars in restitution to victims—even when the victim is an insurance company.
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
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 August 10, 2015
The Woman Who Spent Six Years Fighting a Traffic Stop
Getting caught in a speed trap in a small Louisiana town.
By Ken Armstrong
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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