RICHMOND, Va. (CN) - Steven Beckett told a legislative committee Wednesday that when he got out of prison, he did everything he could to right his wrong.
"From the moment I got home, my court fines and fees have caused me issues," Beckett said.
Becket was one of several impacted community members who asked a House of Delegates Courts of Justice subcommittee to pass legislation that would reform how courts assess and collect fines and fees. Virginia's criminal legal system, courts and jurisdictions partly rely on fines and fees to cover operating costs rather than treating court services as general government services funded by general tax dollars. Virginians paid an estimated $192 million in fines and fees in 2023.
According to the Legal Aid Justice Center, the fee for a felony is $375, while the fee for a misdemeanor drug offense is $296.50. Defendants have to pay court-appointed counsel fees that can cost as much as $445 for felonies. In Virginia, every conviction comes with an "Internet Crimes Against Children" fee of $15. In total, the center estimates that someone charged with shoplifting and obstruction could pay upwards of $670, including interest.
In recent years, lawmakers repealed a law suspending driver's licenses for those with unpaid court debt and passed a law requiring courts to publish policies for paying court debt. Lawmakers in 2025 passed measures requiring courts to offer affordable payment plans with a monthly minimum of $25 and requiring clerks of court to provide defendants with itemized statements.
With an ally in the governor's mansion, Democrats hope to expand reform efforts to address the fees and fines they claim create a two-tiered system of justice.
Delegate Adele McClure introduced a bill that would prevent courts from finding a defendant under a deferred deposition guilty simply for failing to pay court costs.
"This creates a two-tiered system of justice, one for people who can afford to pay the cost and one for those who cannot," McClure told the subcommittee.
Former Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed the bill in 2025.
"The enforcement of court-imposed financial obligations is a critical component of the judicial system, ensuring accountability and consistency in legal proceedings," Youngkin wrote in his veto explanation. "This legislation undermines that principle by requiring charges to be dismissed even if a defendant has failed to pay mandated court costs or fees, leaving courts without any mechanism to impose or collect unpaid amounts."
Delegate Marcia Price introduced a bill that passed 9-to-1, extending the time before a defendant qualifies as delinquent for paying court fines and fees from 90 days to 180 days.
"The young people that we are working with are coming out of the system, and they are really struggling to figure out how they are going to pay all of their fines and fees," Valerie Slater, representing RISE for Youth and the Virginia NAACP, said. "And this will give them an opportunity to get a foothold."
Delegate Phil Hernandez introduced a measure that changes the period of limitations for court fines and fees collection from within 60 years from the date of the offense to 10 years. Courts would waive the fees after 10 years.
"This bill reduces harm to low-income communities and helps ensure that court debt does not become a lifelong barrier to stability and reentry," Ruby Cherian, an attorney with the Legal Aid Justice Center, said.
Despite being one of 25 states to outlaw debt-based license suspensions, Virginia judges can't waive fees for indigent people as they can in neighboring states like Kentucky, West Virginia and North Carolina. Delegate Michelle Maldonado seeks to change that through a measure that gives judges the authority currently bestowed on clerks of the court. The bill passed 7-to-3.
"Judges are best positioned to evaluate a defendant's circumstances, including their financial ability for court-ordered obligations, and this gives courts clear authority to waive certain fines and fees when a defendant is legally indigent, and not able to pay," Maldonado said before describing how failing to pay court fines and fees can lead to barriers to employment and housing instability. "These outcomes do not enhance public safety or compliance."
Source: Courthouse News Service
