WHEN JUSTICE FAVORS THE WEALTHY: THE CONSEQUENCES OF LEGAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS

Abstract

This thesis investigates the disproportionate impact of legal financial obligations (LFOs) on low-income and minority communities within the United States criminal justice system. Through case studies, legal analysis, and sociological research, it illustrates how these monetary sanctions deepen poverty, perpetuate systemic racial inequalities, and undermine rehabilitation. The work contrasts the experiences of individuals from different socioeconomic backgrounds to highlight disparities in legal outcomes and long-term consequences. It explores the health, emotional, and familial burdens of legal debt, particularly its intergenerational effects and gendered impacts. Additionally, the thesis examines how LFOs erode civil rights, such as voting and employment access, by tethering them to one's ability to pay. The analysis critiques the economic incentives that encourage municipalities to rely on legal debt as a revenue stream, often at the expense of justice. Policy recommendations include mandatory ability-to-pay hearings, elimination of unnecessary surcharges, and alternatives to monetary penalties like wage-based fines or community service. Ultimately, this thesis argues that reforming the system of LFOs is essential to achieving a more equitable legal system, one that does not punish individuals for their poverty but instead promotes fairness, rehabilitation, and social justice.