nprjoeshapiro

I did. Spoke to plaintiffs there. That's coming.

We found it's typical that one charge can carry costs of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. For a public defender, for example, 43 states plus DC allow charges. Sometimes just a simple administrative fee--that ranges from $10 in NM to up to $400 in Arkansas. But some states will bill you thousands for the public defender--in case you, say, win the lottery tomorrow.

100 duck-sized Garrison Keilors, because that's a Garrison Keilor below average

Wow. I'd like to have enough money not to worry about recurring traffic tickets. (I'd like a Porsche, too.) I think we have to focus, though, on not being so punitive of the poor. And that was one of the conclusions of our series: We end up with a two-tiered system of justice. The rich pay off their fines and are free of the system. The poor, as people here have noted, get caught in a seemingly unending series of debt.

Absolutely. Here's a graph from our story: In Washington state, for example, there's 12 percent interest on costs in felony cases that accrues from the moment of judgment until all fines, fees, restitution and interest are paid off in full. As a result, it can be hard for someone who's poor to make that debt ever go away. One state commission found that the average amount in felony cases adds up to $2,500. If someone paid a typical amount — $10 a month — and never missed a payment, his debt would keep growing. After four years of faithful payments, the person would now owe $3,000.