SPCR.ORG LAWSUIT CHALLENGES UNAFFORDABLE TRAFFIC TICKETS
EXCERPT:
The lawsuit argues that under California law, the court is only authorized to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles about a license suspension if a driver's failure to pay is willful. The court must offer a hearing to those ticketed to explain their financial circumstances, the suit claims, and those unable to pay should not have their licenses suspended.
The legal challenge comes amidst a growing movement to reform the traffic ticket system nationwide. Last year, California instituted a ticket amnesty program to allow those with unpaid tickets issued before 2013 to pay them off at a discount and have their licenses reinstated.
A recent report from the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area and other legal advocacy groups stated 4.2 million Californians had their licenses suspended over the last eight years due to unpaid tickets, resulting in a $10 billion backlog in ticket fees.
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WE KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH UNAFFORDABLE TRAFFIC TICKETS.
Now some people ask to do community service rather than pay and that turns out well.
However, those of you reading this who are not familiar with the problem for homeless people, and those on SSI, SSDI, or working low wage jobs, is that ONE UNPAID PARKING TICKET NOT ONLY BECOMES MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE, but when the police are doing background checks (just because they can) and they find UNPAID PARKING TICKETS, or FAILURES TO TURN UP IN COURT, it can mean that the vehicle someone is living is taken away from them, and then they are ON THE STREET.
So yes, we do need reform. We do need consideration for a person's finances.
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