Asked 36/17/2016 – Houston, TX

A juvenile case that involves several people results in paying restitution for damages done. How likely is it that one person is responsible for all damages? Wouldn’t it be divided amongst all parties?

Answer

The courts are most interested in making the injured party whole. In the case of multiple defendants, each will be jointly and severally liable for the total amount. For example, with 4 defendants and $100 in restitution, each defendant will be required to pay monthly payments. The payment schedule for each defendant will be assessed to pay $25, but if 1 defendant dies before making payment and another runs off to Canada, the reaming defendants will have to keep paying until the full $100 is paid to the victim.