It is the first county in the country to eliminate local criminal justice administrative fees.
California is a leader in many respects, including in the criminal justice arena. At one time, California paved the way for many harsh criminal laws, including its notorious Three Strikes Law. Today, our state is known for its progressive criminal justice reforms that are seeking to undo some of the damages that have been caused by some overly aggressive laws of the past decades. San Francisco recently passed an ordinance that puts it at the forefront of a new type of criminal justice reform: eliminating high administrative fees for people caught up in the system. The ordinance also seeks to eliminate the debt for people with existing debt in San Francisco.
As an experienced Los Angeles County criminal defense lawyer can explain, every California county charges fees to people convicted of crimes. For example, a person out on probation might be charged $50 each month for probation, or $1,800 up front for a three year probation term. In addition, they may be charged as much as $35 per day for an electronic ankle monitor, along with other fees for drug tests, collection costs and various reports. This can leave anyone who has ever had a criminal conviction on the hook for thousands of dollars — making it nearly impossible to get back on their feet.
According to The Financial Justice Project, these fees prevent people from re-establishing their lives. They also may lead to recidivism because many people simply cannot afford to repay their fees working the type of minimum wage jobs that they can typically obtain after being released from jail. Because the fees are often collected by garnishing wages and levying bank accounts, many recently released Californians find themselves in the same or worse position than they were in before they went to jail. That is why San Francisco’s law enforcement community — including its sheriff, district attorney and adult probation chief — all supported eliminating these fees.
In addition, these fees are rarely collected. Millions of dollars in unpaid fees are owed by hundreds of thousands of Californians, with little chance of these amounts ever being repaid. If these fees are not actually covering the costs of probation, and instead only serving to prevent people from successfully reintegrating into the communities, it makes little sense to continue to charge them.
However, for the present, all California communities other than San Francisco still charge these fees. According to a Los Angeles County criminal defense lawyer, they are generally required as part of conditions of probation. Many people are still paying on this debt — and will have to do so unless more counties in California, or the state itself — moves to eliminate these fees and wipe out their debts entirely as part of the criminal justice reform movement.
While the criminal justice system is complex and overwhelming, knowing that you have an advocate can help to relieve some of the stress associated with the process. At the Chambers Law Firm, we stay on top of all of the latest developments in the California criminal justice world that may impact our clients— such as the push to eliminate administrative fees. We work hard to ensure that our clients get the best possible representation, so that we can protect their rights and their freedom. Contact our firm today at 714-760-4088 or dchambers@clfca.com to schedule a free initial consultation with a Los Angeles County criminal defense lawyer.
