What is restitution?

Restitution is governed by statutes and requires that a person who has either been found guilty or has pled guilty of a crime that has caused economic loss to the victim, that the victim be repaid. Typically, if someone pleads guilty or is found guilty, the sentence, which may well include time in prison, will also include restitution. In other words, a court order that you must repay a certain amount of money that has been proven to be related to the crime that the person has committed. This is in virtually all criminal cases, state and federal. And it’s essential that your lawyer review all the alleged restitution claims to make sure that you’re not ordered to pay more money than you actually owe.

By Jeffrey S. Weiner, P.A.