fines; fees; assessments; restitution; nonpayment

HB 2825 amends Arizona law to change how courts handle cases where defendants fail to pay court-ordered fines, fees, restitution, or incarceration costs. It requires courts to hold hearings to determine if nonpayment is willful (intentional refusal to pay) before imposing penalties like jail time, explicitly prohibiting incarceration solely due to inability to pay. The bill mandates clear written notices in plain language for defendants about their hearing rights and financial hardship evidence, and allows courts to enter a civil default judgment if defendants skip hearings without valid reason. This directly affects individuals owing court-ordered payments, prosecutors, victims seeking restitution, and courts managing these cases.