What’s Happening:
A man was driving home in Chatham County, Georgia recently. He was going above the speed limit, which prompted the Georgia State Patrol to pull him over. The officer ticketed the driver for going 90 mph in a 55 mph zone.
He was allegedly driving fast, there’s no two ways about it. According to the city of Savannah, going that fast requires a “super speeder ticket.”
How much did the ticket require him to pay? He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the bill, so the man confronted the city about the enormous fee—and he found out it wasn’t wrong.
From The Blaze:
In explanation for the fine amount, the city said that the charge is for “a super speeder ticket” and that the actual fine amount is set by the judge at the court appearance.The city further explained that the placeholder amount is $999,999 for such tickets, which comes to $1.4 million after other costs are calculated.
According to city statutes, someone ticketed for driving 35+ miles an hour over the speed limit faces a mandatory court appearance. The judge presiding sets the actual fine amount, which cannot exceed $1,000.
Because of this, the city claims, the e-citation system defaults to the highest amount it can calculate–which is $999,999. With other costs added in, it totals $1.4 million.
The city claims this is due to the system. They are not trying to “force or scare people” into appearing in court. However, it will be hard for residents to believe that when a possible adjustment to the system could eliminate this entirely.
This $1.4 million fine has never been enforced since the system has been writing tickets, since 2017.
But if the maximum fine for a “super speeder” is $1,000–why is that not the total listed on the ticket? If a judge is required to set the fine himself, why list a fine on the ticket at all?
Many citizens might use this as yet another example of government overreach and abuse. Americans frequently criticize the government for over-extending its power on free citizens. Issuing a ticket for $1.4 million–only to claim that it’s not real–sounds awfully manipulative.
I’m sure this driver feels the same.
Key Takeaways:
- A Savanah driver was ticketed for speeding with a fine of $1.4 million.
- The city claimed this was a placeholder, as the fine will be determined by a judge.
- The city issues these tickets for drivers accused of going 35+ over the speed limit.
Source: The Blaze
