There was a line outside the Shasta County Superior Court’s collections office Thursday morning as a new amnesty program geared toward giving deep discounts to those who can’t afford to pay their mounting traffic fines went into effect. This system pushed by Gov. Jerry Brown & adopted as part of his annual yearly price anger goes in to impact Thurs. Civil rights groups and advocates for the poor argue the violations disproportionately affect the poor and minorities, and that the inability to pay a ticket can put lower-income drivers at risk of losing their jobs if they lose their licenses.
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Motorists withh unpaid fines originally due on or before January 1, 2013, will be allowed to pay them off at reduced price. And, of course, the DMV will charge $55 to reinstate a driver’s license. Governor Brown has accused California courts of gouging low-income drivers with sky-rocketing fines. CBS Los Angeles reported that the law does not apply to drivers accused of reckless driving, drunken driving, or parking tickets. Find your court you got your ticket by searching here and call them up saying you’d like to enroll in the “California Ticket Amnesty Program.” .
Traffic fines have skyrocketed in the state since lawmakers have tried to offset budget cuts during the recession. A few drivers would also be able to make payments in installments. Today, it costs as much as $490 as the state has established add-on fees to support everything from court construction to emergency medical air transportation.
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The cost can jump to more than $800 once a person fails to meet a deadline to pay or misses a traffic court appearance. The traffic ticket amnesty program runs through March 2017.
