Brooklyn Defender Services, alongside lawmakers and other advocates, rallied in Albany to demand passage of the End Predatory Court Fees Act, which would eliminate mandatory surcharges, fees, and minimum fines that trap low-income New Yorkers in cycles of debt and incarceration.

“As a public defender, I have seen firsthand how mandatory court fines and fees trap New Yorkers in a cycle of economic instability and further criminalization and incarceration,” Jackie Gosdigian, the supervising policy counsel with Brooklyn Defenders’ Criminal Defense Practice, said. “As costs of living continue to rise, court debt forces people to choose between paying for basic necessities, like housing and groceries, or risk incarceration over failure to pay debt. Lawmakers can put an end to this unnecessary punishment by passing the End Predatory Court Fees this session.”

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