KQED Forum: Traffic Fines Disproportionately Hurt California's Poor (Audio)

Original article appeared in KQED Forum

The inability to pay court fees and fines for traffic violations has resulted in approximately 4 million license suspensions in the State of California. These suspensions often make getting to work more difficult for the state’s poorest residents, which in turn, makes repaying fines even harder. We’ll discuss a new report by legal aid and civil rights groups, which found traffic courts and fees disproportionately impact the state’s most vulnerable populations.
Host: Michael Krasny

Guests:
  • Meredith Desautels, staff attorney at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area
  • Karin Martin, assistant professor of public management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice
  • Thaddeus Ford, client of Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area

 

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