Arizona has eliminated juvenile court fees, joining a growing number of states nationwide to do so in recent years.
The costs imposed by juvenile courts (such as court-appointed attorneys, probation, detention, and conversion programs) can be expensive for young people and their families. In Pinal County, for example, young people could be charged nearly $2,000 in juvenile court fees, according to estimates from the University of California, Berkeley Policy Advocacy Clinic. Non-payment of fees may ultimately prevent the expungement of an individual’s juvenile record.
The bill, signed into law by Gov. Katie Hobbs on Friday, would eliminate these court-mandated juvenile fees. Senator David Gowan (R-Sierra Vista) and Rep. Alma Hernandez (D-Tucson) introduced it.
Erica Obare, co-founder of the Puente Human Rights Movement and Decaserate AZ, who has advocated for reform of juvenile court fees, said passing the bill was not easy. This is the third year the state has introduced such a law.
“This is one way of removing barriers from our backs,” she said. “I’ve been organizing for a long time, and it’s a big step that the bill to support youth development is finally passed.”
Individuals with previously assessed fees will need to apply for debt forgiveness, and juvenile courts will no longer be able to consider unpaid fees when deciding whether to destroy juvenile records.
“This will bring relief to many vulnerable families,” said Devan Shea, who helps run the Berkeley Law Clinic, which investigated juvenile court costs in Arizona.
The bill does not eliminate certain DUI assessments or fines related to victim compensation, but it does reduce the amount of community service courts can order for juvenile DUI offenses.
See below for more information on juvenile court costs. Arizona juvenile court costs can quickly become expensive for young people and families.How do legislators want to change that?
The bill received widespread bipartisan support
Efforts to eliminate juvenile court fees have received broad support from lawmakers on both sides.
Rebecca Gow, executive director of Stand for Children Arizona, said, “We are grateful for the dialogue and compromise that has allowed us to free children from error by making this issue a bipartisan and overwhelming issue. I will,” he said. “This is not where we should be burdened with these financial problems.”
Gau said the first version of the bill, introduced in 2021, was withdrawn over concerns that the loss of income would have unintended consequences for youth programs.
Last year’s bill cost more than $2 million, which Gau cited as the reason for its failure. Supporters of the bill were unconvinced that the spending was justified. A Berkeley Law Clinic study found that the cost of collecting juvenile court fees in Arizona is high compared to the revenue generated.
An analysis by the Joint Legislative and Budget Committee this year estimated that the measure would reduce state and local government revenues by about $2.1 million annually. Gau said lawmakers sought to secure about $250,000 in the budget for the next three years to make up for some of the revenue lost in court.
With this measure, Arizona joins other states in the region, including New Mexico, Colorado, California, and Texas, that have significantly reduced or eliminated court-ordered fees in the juvenile justice system.
“It’s very exciting to see the development of the region,” said Shea.
Supporters of the bill said their work was not done. Gau and Obare said they plan to conduct advocacy activities and help individuals apply for debt forgiveness. The bill says the application process must be developed within six months, and state supreme courts are also required to make “reasonable efforts” to notify those affected.
“Hopefully the work continues,” Obare said. “Let this be the beginning of much more that we are doing: giving young people a chance, ensuring our communities are well-resourced, all of that.”
Madeline Parish covers education from kindergarten through high school. Please contact mparrish@arizonarepublic.com. follow her on twitter @maddieparrish61.
This article originally appeared in the Republic of Arizona. Arizona, Latest State to Abolish Juvenile Court Fees
