Starting July 1, Virginia will have “traffic tickets that come with assessments of up to $3000 in addition to an annual point tax that tops out at $700 a year for as long as the points remain.”
Driving as little as 15 MPH over the limit on an interstate highway now brings six license demerit points, a fine of up to $2500, up to one year in jail, and a new mandatory $1050 tax…Although the amount of the tax can add up quickly, the law forbids judges from reducing or suspending it in any way.
Can you imagine getting a $3000 fine for a traffic violation? That would be painful for me, and my income is pretty decent. For a poor person, this would be a devastating financial setback. It’s pretty clear this is all about raising revenue and has nothing to do with safety.
It also has nothing to do with justice. Everybody breaks traffic laws all the time, and the cops and the prosecutors have broad discretion over who to charge. If every cop can essentially impose a $3000 fine on any driver who pisses them off, it’s just one more nail in the coffin of rule of law.
Read the whole ugly story.
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