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In the wrong place at the wrong time? Tough luck, says the state of Colorado. If you are arrested the police will charge you a $25 booking fee. If you can't pay on the spot, don't worry, they'll bill you. Even if charges are dismissed, or you are aquitted, you still pay a price! But fear not, if you can prove you are innocent (beyond reasonable doubt) you can get your money back. This is not something new, but something that people should be aware of.
Charon writes:
There is a case before the US Supreme Court, Nelson v. Colorado, which will be argued on Jan. 9, regarding the difficulty of getting fees and penalties refunded when defendants are found innocent.
And it's not just Colorado. Another case from Minnesota:
Corey Statham had $46 in his pockets when he was arrested in Ramsey County, Minn., and charged with disorderly conduct. He was released two days later, and the charges were dismissed.
But the county kept $25 of Mr. Statham's money as a "booking fee." It returned the remaining $21 on a debit card subject to an array of fees. In the end, it cost Mr. Statham $7.25 to withdraw what was left of his money.
The Supreme Court will soon consider whether to hear Mr. Statham's challenge to Ramsey County's fund-raising efforts, which are part of a national trend to extract fees and fines from people who find themselves enmeshed in the criminal justice system.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 29 2016, @05:18PM
> Welcome to for-profit prison corporations and the lobbyists that represent them.
The truth is that for-profit prisons have very little to do with this problem. The prisons have contracts with the state, they get paid no matter what.
As the submitted story shows, fees aren't just being levied for imprisonment. They are being levied at all levels of the justice system. Booking fees, court fees, parole fees, etc. Its the result of indiscriminate tax cuts. A certain punitive mindset has infected many local governments with the idea that "criminals" should be made to pay for the operation of the justice system. They've decided that they can get blood from a stone and its working out exactly as well as you would expect.. Its also a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of the justice system - its value is in serving society by keeping criminality in check. Society needs to pay for that service because its society at large that benefits from its operation. There is no such thing as a free lunch.