284 | How Alabama's Fines and Fees Fail Criminal Defendants, Victims, and the Entire State w/Leah Nelson and Judge Stephen Wallace
Description
Today, Hunter is joined once again by Leah Nelson, and this time, she is joined by Judge Stepehen Wallace. On today’s episode, Leah and Judge Wallace are her to unveil their years long research into the fines and fees that the Jefferson County, Alabama Courts are extracting from criminal defendants. As will surprise no one who listens to the show, the fines and fees program fails the accused, fails victims, fails to fund the legal system, and thus, fails the entire state of Alabama.
Guests:
Leah Nelson, Co-Founder, Jefferson County Equitable Fines and Fees Project, Alabama
Stepehen Wallace, Circuit Judge, Jefferson County, Birmingham, Alabama
Resources:
Coverage of Aug. 2024 Releases
https://aldailynews.com/court-fee-system-inefficient-discriminatory-research-finds/
https://aldailynews.com/column-crime-and-garnishment/
https://aldailynews.com/capitol-journal-september-13-2024/
Oct. 2024 paper with IBM
https://krvarshney.github.io/pubs/LaraYejasJMNSTNBV_aies2024.pdf
Aug. 2024 with MDRC
https://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/JeffCoFines%26Fees_Brief_FInal.pdf
Background reading on--
Brookside (the Ferguson of Alabama): https://www.al.com/bankingoncrime/
Alabama tax policy and how the Alabama constitution encourages reliance on fines and fees: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/27/opinion/alabama-fines-fees.html
Contact Hunter Parnell:
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
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