Fines and Fees Justice Center
The Florida Legislature has added more than 20 new categories of what are called legal financial obligations (LFOs) to the criminal justice process since 1996, according to a 2010 report from the Brennan Center for Justice. They did so, the report says, without examining whether added debt “promotes recidivism or otherwise hinders reentry into society for those convicted of crimes.”
When individuals fail to make payments, they may get be sanctioned, including having their driver’s licenses suspended. According to a report from the Fines & Fees Justice Center, in 2017 more than a million suspension notices were sent to Florida drivers because of overdue court debt. The report also found that 72 percent of driver’s license suspensions in Florida are for unpaid fines and fees, not for unsafe driving.
This year’s virtual ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, January 28, at 3:30 p.m.
The Florida Bar will recognize 21 lawyers for their work on behalf of low-income and disadvantaged clients at a January 28 ceremony streamed live online by the Supreme Court of Florida.
Established in 1981, The Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Awards are intended to encourage lawyers to volunteer free legal services to the poor by recognizing those who make public service commitments and to raise public awareness of the substantial volunteer services provided by Florida lawyers to those who cannot afford legal fees. Florida Bar President Dori Foster-Morales will present the 2021 awards.
It was an innocuous question, but it garnered a response that encapsulated the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. When will the next CARES Act dollars be coming in? a resident asked Palm Beach County commissioners during a Dec. 8 meeting in West Palm Beach, referring to the federal coronavirus stimulus package.
A chorus of knowing laughter filled the chambers. When you find out, let us know, OK? Mayor Dave Kerner replied.
Palm Beach County must spend $47.8 million, its remaining allotment of federal CARES Act dollars, on COVID-19 measures by the end of the year.
In 2021, if Congress doesn t step in and approve another round of financial relief, part of the county s pandemic response may fall on taxpayers.