Clients often complain that the criminal justice system serves as nothing more than a money making collection machine - particularly onerous for those who find themselves in trouble that began with a financial squeeze. Can't pay fines on time? Now add a late fee; and now your license is suspended and you have to pay a reinstatement fee, etc. Here comes a driving with license suspended charge. Now more expenses and fines. Then there are the costs of probation supervision. Add the surcharge of 4% for making payments over time. And on and on....
If you want to get off probation without violations, especially early, you better put out all your financial fires: pay all costs, fines and restitution if that applies. Ask the court to do community service in lieu of payments if you have more time than money. You must satisfy financial obligations for ALL of your cases, even old ones that are closed to get off probation early! They say debtor's prison is a thing of the past. Yet probationers get violated every day for missed financial obligations. Fines and costs are unrealistically high, plus paying for costs of investigation and prosecution. Isn't that what the basic fines and costs are for?! Quite a way to try and generate sufficient revenue to run the criminal justice system - on the backs of the accused.
