Federal Judge Rules Against Imprisoning Those Who Can't Pay Court Fees
Civil rights lawyers won a ruling that Orleans Parish judges cannot impose fines on defendants without holding a "neutral forum" to learn about their ability to pay.
A federal judge in New Orleans ruled on Friday that it is unconstitutional to jail people who fail to pay court-ordered fines and fees associated with their convictions without giving them a chance to plead poverty in a "neutral forum."
U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance rebuked Orleans Parish Criminal District Court judges for deliberately ignoring the financial conditions of a vast majority of criminal offenders before levying additional court-related charges, then locking
