The governor is expected to sign a greatly watered-down Senate Bill 881
that would extend and expand the ongoing traffic ticket amnesty in San
Bernardino and Kings Counties.
Originally, S.B. 881 essentially de-coupled drivers’ license suspension and failure to appear in court on traffic tickets, at least in some cases. But local judges opposed these provisions, amid concerns that the automatic suspension would essentially remove any incentive drivers had to pay their tickets and the loss of revenue would be too much to overcome. The Brown Administration, which has opposed penalty assessment increases in the past, basically took a wait-and-see approach. Instead, the new version changes the eligibility date to January 2013 and extends the amnesty an additional few months. Moreover, S.B 881 requires local jurisdictions to expedite their eligibility reviews.
The state estimates that about 5 percent of eligible drivers have taken advantage of the amnesty.
Amnesty v Attorney
The collapse of S.B. 881 is bad news for both short and long-term relief. Instead of the first step towards more sensible penalty assessments and overall costs, drivers only get an extended amnesty. And, unless things change drastically, it looks like future measures may encounter the same opposition and meet the same fate.
The truth is that an attorney can do more than any ticket amnesty can do, and there are no eligibility requirements or waiting periods or red tape. A lawyer can lift a license suspension order in as little as one day in most cases, and then advocate for you in court when the case comes up for review, so you save even more money.
Getting Legal Help
The aggressive lawyers at Bigger & Harman, APC, are committed to giving individuals a voice when dealing with speeding and traffic tickets. Call today at 661-859-1177 or email attorney@markbigger.com to receive the personal professional attention you deserve. En español, llame al 661-376-0214.
An experienced traffic ticket attorney from Bigger & Harman can get better results on your San Bernardino County traffic ticket that any amnesty. Call us today.