Iowa Supreme Court examines low-income legal fees

(ABC 6 News) — Iowa’s highest court is looking at how much people with low income should pay for court services.

Currently, low-income Iowans pay for the cost of a court-appointed attorney when criminal charges against them are dismissed.

A brief filed by the ACLU is looking to change that. They are calling Iowa’s efforts to recoup fees from state appointed attorney’s unconstitutional.

They also pointed out cases where the fees are more expensive than the fines if a defendant were to be convicted.

According to the Marshall Project, only 13 of Iowa’s 99 counties currently have public defenders leaving many rural residents most at risk for expensive attorney fees.