MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy announced Tuesday that his office will no longer oppose court fee waivers for low-income defendants.
“These fees have a disproportionate impact in our criminal justice system on low-income people and minority communities, further exasperating the already existing racial and wealth inequalities we have in the criminal justice system and in society more generally,” Mulroy said.
Mulroy said most of the court fees will never be collected and are not tied to people who have committed violent crimes.
Josh Spickler, an attorney with Just City, a nonprofit that works for criminal justice reform, said people trying to get old felonies expunged often hit roadblocks due to court fines that they can’t afford.
“By far and away, the biggest disqualifying factor for people who come to us for help is that they owe court debt,” Spickler said.
Derrick Sprouse said his license was suspended for nearly 40 years due to court fines that he couldn’t pay off.
“It’s hard to get a job,” Sprouse said. “If you do find one, if you don’t find a bus line to get to (it), you will not be able to make it.”
Sprouse said because he was unable to secure suitable employment, his life began to spiral years ago.
“The time when I didn’t have a driver’s license, I went to alcohol and drugs and I used drugs for 25 years,” Sprouse said. “Now I’ve been clean now for 12 years.”
He said many people like him get caught in a life of crime because they are unable to pay court costs.
“Every time you get caught driving, you end up getting some more fines,” Sprouse added. “Also you get some more reinstatement fees, so both of them adding up each time you get stopped. If you don’t get help, there’s really no way because I just don’t have $10,000 sitting around.”
Sprouse said a person who hired him for a job encouraged him to contact Just City.
“It was a one-time program and I had to make $100 payments each month and you couldn’t mess up because if you messed up, you’re out of the program,” he said.
Sprouse said that soon enough, he was eligible to have his license reinstated.
“I ended up going in the courtroom and talking to this lady judge and she asked me why I hadn’t paid all the fines I had accumulated and I told her I’d never had a decent job and I told her I’d found a decent job and she waived me for $8,900,” Sprouse said.
Sprouse said his driver’s license was reinstated in 2019.
Things have been going pretty well since then.
“I’m a proud homeowner,” Sprouse said. “I own two cars (which are) paid for and insured.”
He said his goal now is to have his criminal record expunged.
He said a felony conviction that he received in the 1990s prevented him from voting.
Those looking for help with court fees or criminal record expungements should contact Just City.
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