09/04/2026
North Carolina's recently enacted state budget increases several criminal court fees, adding to an already extensive system of financial obligations imposed on people who interact with the criminal legal system.
The NC Fines and Fees Coalition spoke out against these increases, which raise the General Court of Justice fee, telecommunications fee, and indigent defense fee.
The budget's impact also prompted reflection from the next generation of advocates. Mikayla S., a summer legal intern with Forward Justice and now 2L at Duke University School of Law, recently explored what these increases mean for North Carolinians already struggling with criminal court debt and why increasing these costs represents a step backward in efforts to build a more equitable justice system. View her full quote here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dsrDQvmGdYxNRuTS8Q1TVsP0VAneZjze-CNyNe0gpk0/edit?tab=t.0
