7 Arizona Municipal Courts That Are Making Money From Your Fines
Paradise Valley, Tempe, and Scottsdale municipal courts are among the most profitable city courts in Arizona, according to a new analysis by the libertarian Goldwater Institute.
Compounded fines and fees can be a major revenue stream for these city courts. But for residents, the municipal court system can be a Kafkaesque part of daily life. The executive director for the American Civil Liberties Union in Arizona described city courts as “a revenue-generating system that turns into an endless maze where there are very few ways for people to get out.”
So, why are these city courts the top earners?
For one thing, municipal judges in Paradise Valley are unpaid volunteers, which greatly reduces expenses. Paradise Valley also imposed greater court fees than other cities. In most cities, court fees on top of penalties were less than one-third of the total revenue; in Paradise Valley, fees added up to two-thirds of the city court’s total revenue.
The city court in Tempe also generated considerable revenue relative to expenditures, according to 2017 budget projections: The court took in approximately $8.4 million from fines and forfeitures in 2017; court operations only cost about $4.4 million.
Read more: http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizona-municipal-courts-earn-big-profits-tempe-scottsdale-paradise-valley-9510105
