Unfortunately, the bill is stuck in the Senate Appropriations Committee. It would also erase current outstanding fine-and-fee debt. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) has introduced Senate Bill 586, which would eliminate a big chunk of the problem, wiping out 39 add-on fees, including civil assessments. We need solutions that permanently wipe out these fees. People don’t hear about them and the application paperwork is a barrier. Such programs, however, have low takeup rates. Gavin Newsom responded with a one-time $300-million forgiveness program for low-income Californians who owe fines and fees issued for traffic and nontraffic infractions between Jan. The Debt Free Justice California coalition has been sounding the alarm on the state’s fine-and-fee poverty trap for years. The state Legislative Analyst’s Office noted in 2016 that “a large portion may not be collectable, as the cost of collections could outweigh the amount that would actually be collected.” According to one tally, Californians owe about $315 per capita in unpaid court fine-and-fee debt. This is a horrible way to fund government, and it doesn’t work to boot. If you can’t afford to pay, like Fatemeh, the costs may bury you.Īnd the “poverty penalty” falls hardest on Black and brown people, who research shows are much more likely than white people to be pulled over for the same driving infractions. If you have money, you may complain about the high cost of a traffic ticket, but you pony up and move on. The upshot of all this is a regressive, two-tiered justice system. In other words, about a third of those who got cited were charged late-pay assessments as well. So far in 2021 in San Francisco, an average of 3,000 traffic tickets a month have been issued, and about 1,100 late-payment civil assessments levied. Can you imagine if your utility or credit card bill doubled or tripled if you couldn’t manage to pay it on time?Īnd an inability to pay is common. Californians get socked with these charges if they do not pay their tickets within 21 days and don’t appear as ordered in traffic court. The $600 in civil assessments added later to Fatemeh’s fines and fees are especially troubling. Her legal aid attorney tracked down the add-ons, 10 of them, including hefty state and county “penalty assessments,” a charge for court construction, another for “emergency medical services,” the collection of DNA, night court and more. The base fines are published in the state Judicial Council’s Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules: $50 for lack of registration and $200 for no proof of insurance.
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