Advocates and legislators gathered outside of a supermarket in Brooklyn last week, rallying behind the End Predatory Court Fees Act, a piece of Albany legislation aimed at eliminating New York court surcharges and fees including mandatory minimum fines, incarceration on the basis of unpaid fines and fees and garnishment of commissary accounts.

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“As public defenders, we see how our state’s reliance on predatory court fines and fees criminalizes poverty and extracts money from people who cannot afford it, creating a cycle of policing-for-profit that endangers lives. We urge the New York State legislature to pass the End Predatory Court Fees Act this session to end this unjust practice,” said Jacqueline Gosdigian, Senior Policy Counsel, Brooklyn Defender Services in a statement, mirroring the sentiments heard by advocates at Wednesday’s rally.

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