I have felt for awhile now that municipal fines and fees should be tied to income in the United States. Yes--there would be limits; for instance just because a person is poor doesn't mean they can continually break the law. If they abuse the system they couldn't use income
to reduce ticket/fee amount. A $500 ticket to a poor person,
in my opinion is cruel and unusual punishment. I would even
say it violates our 8th admendment. Yes, the admendment argument is extreme, but I don't think the powers at be understand just how little it takes to push someone over the edge? (Yes--I know you can plead your case in front of a judge on some infractions, but the courts aren't as accommodating as they were in the past.) In my neck of the woods, It cost's $10 to even begin to contest a ticket.
Yes--there would be limits; for instance just because a person is poor doesn't mean they can continually break the law.
I think means-adjusted fees could be reasonable, but there should be lower and upper limits, particularly for laws where the fees are there to raise revenue or direct behavior, rather than protect the public.
(Yes--I know you can plead your case in front of a judge on some infractions, but the courts aren't as accommodating as they were in the past.)
Time and transportation to the court can be just as difficult for some to obtain as the money for the ticket. If the person in question has a job schedule or medical condition that makes daytime errands more difficult, it's even more discouraging.
In my neck of the woods, It cost's $10 to even begin to contest a ticket.
Fortunately, some (or at least one small one) of the cities around here consider it a central part of the right to due process and a speedy trial that choosing a trial cannot make your situation worse than just paying the fine. So, you can have your day in court, and if you lose, the fine is the same.
