Post by Origanalist on Jul 29, 2017 13:40:26 GMT -8
Louisiana DAs offer motorists a deal: Write us a check and we’ll dismiss your speeding ticket
By Samantha Sunne, Contributing writer July 27, 2017 11:29am
Some motorists receive a flyer after they get a ticket, allowing them to take an online course and pay a fee in exchange for having the ticket dropped. Local district attorneys keep the money raised by these traffic diversion programs. Public defenders say these programs are cutting into their budgets because they rely on court costs, and fewer tickets are going through the court system.
Jay Dixon was heading home from Baton Rouge to Lafayette one day when he got pulled over for speeding. As the deputy handed him the ticket, Dixon said, he was told to flip it over. On the back, Dixon found instructions saying he could pay the ticket by mailing a $175 money order made out to “DA P.T.D.”
If he paid the ticket that way, the deputy told him, it wouldn’t go on his record. Plus, it wouldn’t go through court, so he wouldn’t have to pay court costs.
“Who wouldn’t want to do it?” Dixon asked as he recounted what happened.
“P.T.D.” stands for Pre-Trial Diversion, and it’s an increasingly common sight on traffic tickets in Louisiana, according to research by The Lens. These fines do not go through the court system, which divides revenue among several agencies. Instead, the money goes straight to the district attorney.
Historically, pretrial diversion programs have been used to “divert” criminal defendants to drug rehab and counseling programs. The goal is to keep nonviolent offenders out of jail, address problems that contribute to crime, and reduce jail costs.
But diverting traffic tickets is a newer phenomenon, according to prosecutors and public defenders in Louisiana. Offenders are spared not from jail time, but from higher insurance premiums that could result from speeding tickets.
Some jurisdictions, like West Baton Rouge Parish where Dixon was pulled over, simply require drivers to pay the DA’s office. Others, like St. Bernard Parish, also require them to complete an online class or read a pamphlet on safe driving.
Dixon, it so happens, is familiar with this system. As the State Public Defender, he fields requests for money from underfunded public defenders all over Louisiana — some mundane, some desperate. Several have told him their budgets have been hurt by pretrial diversion programs for traffic tickets.
Louisiana is the only state where public defenders depend largely on traffic tickets for their funding. Their budgets have been shrinking for years for a few reasons; primary among them is a drop in the number of traffic tickets processed in court.
Some public defenders say traffic diversion is one reason for fewer tickets.
Public defenders in nearly a dozen judicial districts, including in New Orleans, are refusing cases because they say they can’t properly defend people with their limited resources. Others have cut back on staff, training or equipment.
continued.. thelensnola.org/2017/07/27/louisiana-das-offer-motorists-a-deal-write-us-a-check-and-well-dismiss-your-speeding-ticket/
By Samantha Sunne, Contributing writer July 27, 2017 11:29am
Some motorists receive a flyer after they get a ticket, allowing them to take an online course and pay a fee in exchange for having the ticket dropped. Local district attorneys keep the money raised by these traffic diversion programs. Public defenders say these programs are cutting into their budgets because they rely on court costs, and fewer tickets are going through the court system.
Jay Dixon was heading home from Baton Rouge to Lafayette one day when he got pulled over for speeding. As the deputy handed him the ticket, Dixon said, he was told to flip it over. On the back, Dixon found instructions saying he could pay the ticket by mailing a $175 money order made out to “DA P.T.D.”
If he paid the ticket that way, the deputy told him, it wouldn’t go on his record. Plus, it wouldn’t go through court, so he wouldn’t have to pay court costs.
“Who wouldn’t want to do it?” Dixon asked as he recounted what happened.
“P.T.D.” stands for Pre-Trial Diversion, and it’s an increasingly common sight on traffic tickets in Louisiana, according to research by The Lens. These fines do not go through the court system, which divides revenue among several agencies. Instead, the money goes straight to the district attorney.
Historically, pretrial diversion programs have been used to “divert” criminal defendants to drug rehab and counseling programs. The goal is to keep nonviolent offenders out of jail, address problems that contribute to crime, and reduce jail costs.
But diverting traffic tickets is a newer phenomenon, according to prosecutors and public defenders in Louisiana. Offenders are spared not from jail time, but from higher insurance premiums that could result from speeding tickets.
Some jurisdictions, like West Baton Rouge Parish where Dixon was pulled over, simply require drivers to pay the DA’s office. Others, like St. Bernard Parish, also require them to complete an online class or read a pamphlet on safe driving.
Dixon, it so happens, is familiar with this system. As the State Public Defender, he fields requests for money from underfunded public defenders all over Louisiana — some mundane, some desperate. Several have told him their budgets have been hurt by pretrial diversion programs for traffic tickets.
Louisiana is the only state where public defenders depend largely on traffic tickets for their funding. Their budgets have been shrinking for years for a few reasons; primary among them is a drop in the number of traffic tickets processed in court.
Some public defenders say traffic diversion is one reason for fewer tickets.
Public defenders in nearly a dozen judicial districts, including in New Orleans, are refusing cases because they say they can’t properly defend people with their limited resources. Others have cut back on staff, training or equipment.
continued.. thelensnola.org/2017/07/27/louisiana-das-offer-motorists-a-deal-write-us-a-check-and-well-dismiss-your-speeding-ticket/
