As states and cities face budget shortfalls in the COVID-19 crisis, many courts seek payments largely owed by the poor - even if they've lost jobs.
The aftermath of the 2008 recession looms large for those worried about the escalation of fines and fees. Following that financial crisis, states and localities vastly increased both the types and the amounts of court payments to fill their budget gaps.
Jalonda Hill, a community organizer in Buffalo, New York, who organized the Fair Fines + Fees Coalition there, points out that the communities with the highest rates of dying from COVID-19 —— are also those most affected by the previous recession’s fines and fees. “The last thing these families should be worrying about, when people are dying or having to show up at essential jobs they can’t do from home, is traffic tickets and administrative fees and filing fees,” Hill said.
Owens’s wife, Mary, has lung disease, diabetes and hypertension, which puts her at risk for dying from COVID-19 and means that she should go to the doctor regularly, he says. But he can’t drive her to any appointments, because his license is suspended because of his court debt. “If they caught me driving, they’d take my vehicle and leave us on the side of the road—or take me straight to jail,” he said.
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