When a court gives one of my clients a lengthy amount of time (e.g., a year) to have his fines and fees paid in full, I always tell the client to begin making payments right away. Too many defendants make life difficult for themselves by putting off their payment obligations. A defendant who fails to pay his fines risks having his supervision or probation revoked. Furthermore, the government will likely arrest a defendant who fails to pay his fines and fails to show up for court as ordered. Court fines are a debt that will not go away. If a defendant fails to give his fines proper attention, a judge will get the defendant’s attention … and the result may not be pleasant. So, defendants should pay as much as they possibly can each month towards their fines. It is very important that defendants pay off their fines as soon as possible. To do anything other than this is a recipe for disaster.
