The police enforce laws that result in direct benefits to police agencies and personnel. Judges hear cases in which a "guilty" verdict would have tangible financially rewards for the court and courthouse personnel. No other class of "crime" is as profitable for state and local governments as is that of traffic tickets. Traffic courts cannot be fair and unbiased when their financial welfare depends on traffic fines. Additionally, local government encourage traffic enforcement practices that rip off travelers to support local government services and to reward government employees. Yet these hypocrisies go largely unnoticed.
A few simple changes can radically alter this unjust system:
No court or police department should directly benefit from the collection of traffic fines.
No police department should be permitted to rate its officers based on how many tickets they write.
No local government should retain traffic fines. The money collected in local courts should be transferred to the state and returned via a local aid formula based on population.
A few simple changes can radically alter this unjust system:
No court or police department should directly benefit from the collection of traffic fines.
No police department should be permitted to rate its officers based on how many tickets they write.
No local government should retain traffic fines. The money collected in local courts should be transferred to the state and returned via a local aid formula based on population.
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