The Franklin County (Wash.) Clerk's Office has surpassed $1 million in collections for one year for the first time, a decade after it decided to chase convicted criminals for fines and court costs.
The total surpasses last year's figure of $800,000 and has doubled in just four years, according to the Tri-City Herald.
When a person is convicted of a crime, the judgment against them can include a series of fees to pay back agencies at different levels in the judicial process. Those legal financial obligations cover everything from emergency response, drug cleanup or extradition costs to minimal fees for a court-appointed attorney, interpreter services, crime lab tests and a DNA sample if convicted of a felony.
Defendants are told to set up a payment schedule with the clerk's office, and to start paying down that debt as soon as they complete their jail or prison sentence.
The monthly amount is calculated based on a person's income and the source of that money, whether they have a regular job or receive unemployment, Social Security or state Department of Social and Health Services benefits, according to the Tri-City Herald's report.
The judgment also includes a fine under state law, court costs and money to cover the victims' medical costs and property damage or loss. For any crime committed after July 2000, the case remains under the court's jurisdiction until the debt is completely paid.
