How have courts treated a defendant's right to due process, equal protection and the federal and state constitutional prohibitions against excessive fines?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Wibberley, C090065 (Cal. App. 2020):

Defendant argues on appeal that the trial court violated his right to due process, equal protection, and the federal and state constitutional prohibitions against excessive fines by imposing fines, fees, and assessments without holding a hearing to determine his ability to pay them. These arguments rely primarily on People v. Dueas (2019) 30 Cal.App.5th 1157 (Dueas), which held that "due process of law requires the trial court to conduct an ability to pay hearing and ascertain a defendant's present ability to pay before it imposes court facilities and court operations assessments under [ ] section 1465.8 and Government Code section 70373." (Id. at p. 1164.) The Dueas court also held that "although [ ] section 1202.4 bars consideration of a defendant's ability to pay unless the judge is considering increasing the fee over the statutory minimum, the execution of any restitution fine imposed under this statute must be stayed unless and until the trial court holds an ability to pay hearing and concludes that the defendant has the present ability to pay the restitution fine." (Ibid.)

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