Court fees a hurdle to full redemption, advocate says

While Yakima County Superior Court’s presiding judge says the county strives to stay within the law and not use the county jail as a modern-day debtor’s prison for those who can’t afford to pay, a legal advocate for the poor says that even the current fee structure puts an undue burden on low-income defendants who are trying to get a fresh start in life.

“Relying on fees, fines and costs for someone who cannot pay them is not a good long-term or short-term solution,” said Nick Allen, who works on Columbia Legal Services’ institutions project. “There’s a lot of work to be done.”