Governor McKee has signed a bill that will eliminate court fees for indigent defendants.
The bill's sponsors, Representative Jason Knight and Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey say these people are getting trapped into an unaffordable situation.
“A person who is indigent and just getting out of prison obviously does not have the resources to pay the court. Frankly, many people who weren’t indigent going into prison are also not going to be able to pay them when they get out. They’ve likely lost their job, and with a conviction on their record, they will struggle to get a new one that pays enough to support them. They may have lost their housing, their vehicle and their relationships. Their priority needs to be putting their lives back together and supporting themselves. Society is better served by their successful reintegration than by shackling them with court debt that they can’t pay and that could result in their returning to prison,” said Representative Knight.
The new law applies to court fees only, not court-ordered restitution for theft and property damage.