Source: Richard Rainey, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
In a partial settlement on May 23rd, Bogalusa City Court agreed to refund anyone in the past two years forced to pay $50 after asking for extra time to cover their fines and court costs.
The year-old federal lawsuit against Bogalusa Judge Robert Black, however, is far from over.
Nine defendants, represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center, sued the city court and Black in June 2016. They alleged he would demand immediate payment of fines and court costs from defendants found guilty of minor infractions.
The law center is seeking class-action status for its clients as it tries to put an end to the practice "so that other people wouldn't be injured by it," said Sam Brooke, the SPLC's deputy legal director. A hearing on that has been scheduled for June 21.
The lawsuit accused Black of failing to ask defendants whether they can afford to pay a fine -- a requirement imposed by the U.S. Supreme Court -- or offering them alternatives to jail, such as community service or a payment schedule. It also accused the judge of unfair bias because up to a fifth of the court's annual operational budget is covered through fines and fees collected from defendants.
Black said in 2016 that he had suspended both practices -- the collection of fines and fees and requirement of an extension fee -- shortly after the lawsuit was filed.
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