I am frequently contacted by Ventura County residents who have had their drivers licenses suspended due to unpaid traffic tickets. Ventura is one of several California counties that assesses huge fees for unpaid tickets, and then refuses to give people a hearing before a judge when they want to ask for help paying their huge balance with the county collection agency. This results in the loss of driving privileges for many Ventura County residents. Some people are forced to take the chance of driving to work without a license so that they can feed their families. When they are caught driving without a license – they end up in the Ventura County Jail facing criminal charges and more fines and fees. Others choose not to break the law and drive on a suspended license – they can’t work and are forced to rely on government assistance.
Powerful people in state government and the courts are finally taking notice of these unfair practices. On May 24th, Governor Brown announced a plan to dramatically cut the fines and fees for those with little ability to pay them. Similarly, the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court announced that courts across the state should not be allowed to prevent people from asking a judge for help with their unpaid fines and fees. This means that Ventura County’s court system is about to change. If you have unpaid traffic tickets and need some relief, don’t hesitate to give us a call to find out more about what you can do to get help.