DENVER | Colorado lawmakers will debate a bill that tries to address concerns over poor people being jailed for failing to pay court fines.
The proposal was prompted by research from the American Civil Liberties Union that found it is common for municipal courts to issue warrants for failure to pay. It’s a practice the ACLU says is unconstitutional.
The bill would direct municipal courts to inform defendants that they have a right to show evidence of their inability to pay a fine.
The Colorado Municipal League opposes the bill. The group says it goes too far by putting the burden on courts to prove someone is willfully disobeying an order.
The House Judiciary Committee will hear the proposal Tuesday afternoon.
Read the bill:
House Bill 1061: https://goo.gl/x0b7TH
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“…inform defendants that they have a right to show evidence of their inability to pay a fine.” And then what? I know, send the bill to the ACLU and let them pay it! THis may seem radical, but how about they don’t break the law to start with!