VA Speeding Fines increasing...

[Ginger]

You don't generally get tickets for that sort of stuff. I'm not saying there aren't dick cops that would ticket you but that ticket is usually written because you've caused an accident from failure to signal.

That one dick cop makes the law too vague. If you give authority the oppotunity to use a tool without specific restriction that authority figure will abuse it. That's pretty cut and dry. There will be people unjustly hit by that kind of law and that's just not right.

[WRXtranceformed]

You don't generally get tickets for that sort of stuff. I'm not saying there aren't dick cops that would ticket you but that ticket is usually written because you've caused an accident from failure to signal.

That one dick cop makes the law too vague. If you give authority the oppotunity to use a tool without specific restriction that authority figure will abuse it. That's pretty cut and dry. There will be people unjustly hit by that kind of law and that's just not right.

Exactly.

[Apoc]

Are you anti-death penalty too because innocent people might be convincted?

Unjustly hit? For breaking the law? It's not like they didn't do it.

[WRXtranceformed]

Yeah but with a thousand fucking dollars for not using a turn signal? That's like going to jail for a 6 months for stealing a Snickers bar as a first offense.

[.RJ]

Unjustly hit? For breaking the law? It's not like they didn't do it.

No, but the punishment should fit the crime. Things that are arguably victim-less crimes like speeding and not using your turn signal should not carry penalties harsher than prostitution, assault and battery. To even think that a traffic infraction should carry stiffer penalties than those is indefensible, and the state's lawmakers should really be ashamed at these fines that have passed into law. The notion that you can get a reckless driving ticket for speeding without any traffic around, and then face thousands of dollars in fines and jail time is completely absurd.

The only thing out of all of this that I agree with is the harsher penalties for DUI laws - although stiffer fines are not going to stop chronic offenders, at least maybe the courts can keep them off the road a little longer.

[Apoc]

DUI is a victimless crime.... most of the time... just like all the others.

I agree that they shoouldn't be more harsh than other laws like assault, not sure about prostitution.

[Ginger]

Are you anti-death penalty too because innocent people might be convincted?

Unjustly hit? For breaking the law? It's not like they didn't do it.

That's a pretty poor comparison. There are specific crimes which fit the bill for the death penalty. It's not appropriate to get into here, but the idea is that the punishment is proportional to the crime and the damaged caused. They don't execute people for toilet papering houses. If the intent of this law is to punish people who caused accidents by not using their signals than it needs to be explicitly written that way. This leaves people who simply didn't use their signal punishable by a thousand dollar fine - legally and without recourse.

Do I have to illustrate the problem? In ancient Rome Nero debased the currency to such an extreme that it wsa effectively worthless - he then punished Roman citizens who would not accept the official currency of the Roman empire as payment in private and public debts by death. Yeah, that's fair. They did the crime, after all.

As the law states if I turn without signaling an officer can give me a thousand dollar ticket and there's nothing I can do about it. I could go to court and the judge could, if he were feeling like making an example of me (or just in a bad mood) "too bad, that's the fine for this infractiom." Is that fair?

[Apoc]

...and here I thought Nero was CD burning/ripping software.

[Ginger]

That's right, Gingers are capable of independent though, too! [that doesn't mean we're good at it or anything...]

[Apoc]

You probably read that whole post on a bumper sticker.

[.RJ]

You probably read that whole post on a bumper sticker.

Bumper stickers arent big enough for that many pictures.

[Apoc]

lol

[Jess]

Here are a few more:

Driving on a suspended or revoked permit - Civil
penalty $750.00 + the court cost & fines

Which is funny, because most of my driving suspended clients (and others I see in traffic court) have their license suspended because of fines/costs they owe the courts on past cases. Adding more penalties and fines/costs is just going to keep them suspended longer (not to mention the additional suspended time tacked on when convicted of SOL).

blah.

[Ginger]

The purpose of the civil remedial fees imposed in this section is to generate revenue,"(Virginia Code 46.2-206.1)

[HAULN-SS]

I bet it doesnt work. If I have to spend 1000$ on some stupid thing like a ticket, that's lost revenue directly from something I'd buy from a store, plus lost revenue from the store buying more from a supplier, etc etc etc.

[.RJ]

I bet it doesnt work

Really? You mean, when they issue a fine you think people are just going to not pay it? Dont be retarded.

[Andy]

I bet it doesnt work. If I have to spend 1000$ on some stupid thing like a ticket, that's lost revenue directly from something I'd buy from a store, plus lost revenue from the store buying more from a supplier, etc etc etc.

They're talking about state revenue.

[CaptainHenreh]

They're talking about state revenue.

Bu-bu-but trickle down economics!

[.RJ]

Conflict of interest here?

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/18/1818.asp">http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/18/1818.asp</a><!-- m -->

Virginia motorists convicted of minor traffic violations will face a new, multi-year tax beginning July 1. Led by state Delegate David B. Albo (R-Springfield), lawmakers slipped a driver responsibility tax into a larger transportation funding bill signed by Governor Tim Kaine (D) in April. Albo, a senior partner in the Albo & Oblon, LLP traffic law firm, can expect to see a significant increase in business as motorists seek to protect their wallet from 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.

"The purpose of the civil remedial fees imposed in this section is to generate revenue," the new law states. (Virginia Code 46.2-206.1)

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. The law also imposes an additional annual fee of up to $100 if a prior conviction leaves the motorist with a balance of eight demerit points, plus $75 for each additional point (up to $700 a year). The conviction in this example remains on the record for five years.

Other six-point convictions include "failing to give a proper signal," "passing a school bus" or "driving with an obstructed view." The same $1050 assessment applies, but the conviction remains on the record for eleven years.

Although the amount of the tax can add up quickly, the law forbids judges from reducing or suspending it in any way. The tax applies only to Virginia residents, so that out-of-state motorists only need to pay the regular ticket amount. Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Texas also impose a somewhat more modest driver responsibility tax which they apply to out-of-state residents.

[white_2kgt]

haha, that dude is soooo fucked now