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Bolts
@boltsmag.org

Iowa courts charge people $73 to $83 per hour for court-appointed lawyers. The law specifically allows for such charges when a defendant is found guilty or is acquitted, but not for dismissed cases—something prosecutors want to change.

boltsmag.orgIn Iowa, Prosecutors Want to Bring Back Court Fees as Bargaining Chips - BoltsThe state’s high court recently ended the practice of making defendants pay fees for charges that get dismissed. Prosecutors are backing legislation to undo the court’s ruling so they can keep using fees as leverage for plea deals.

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Jamie Messick
@jamessick.bsky.social

Everybody knows our courts are a one-sided mess where income is more determinative of outcome than guilt or innocence. This is just another scum move on top to try to force innocent people to plead guilty when just the thought of that occuring should be repulsive to anyone who believes in justice.