Criminal Justice Fees: Possible Elimination

The Patch ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA — The Alameda County Board of Supervisors' Public Protection Committee recommended today that the full board approve the elimination of administrative court fees for people who are convicted of crimes. The committee took that action at the end of a lengthy hearing at which several activist groups said the fees should be eliminated because they often are a long-term financial burden on low-income people who already served time for their crimes and then have problems turning their lives around. They said that's because the debts cause such people to have problems getting credit, housing and jobs. If the full board votes next month to approve eliminating the court fees, Alameda County would become only the second county in the U.S. to do so, following San Francisco, which took that step earlier this year. Continue reading...