A Montgomery County man was sentenced to prison until at least his mid-80s is challenging a trial judge’s decision not to waive his mandatory court costs, after concluding the man has to “take responsibility for his conduct.”
In State v. Taylor, the Ohio Supreme Court will hear oral arguments about the procedures a trial court must follow before it denies an indigent defendant’s request to reduce court costs.
The trial court imposed a 36-years-to-life prison sentence, and ordered Taylor to pay about $6,600 in restitution, a $192 extradition fee, and court costs that would be determined by the county clerk of courts.
The Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, arguing nothing in the law requires a trial court to assess a person’s present or future ability to pay the costs.
Advocates Concerned about Trial Court Actions The Washington, D.C.-based NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund submitted an amicus curiae brief supporting Taylor’s position, and raised the concern that imposing court costs on those without the ability to pay may have a disproportionate effect on African-Americans and other minorities.
