A motorist named Connor Cato was caught driving 90 mph in a posted 55 mph zone. Those amongst you without sin may now cast the first stone. Yes, it was a poor driving decision and deserves punishment. But when the Georgia man received his ticket in the mail, it was an astounding $1.4 million fine. When Cato contacted the Savannah courthouse to confirm the financial penalty, he was told by court staff that the amount was correct. Either he had to pay the seven-figure fine or show up for court.
Realizing he needed help, Cato turned to the media. It’s beyond reason that the state could impose a fine for speeding that would bankrupt 99% of Americans. It’s a disproportionate penalty. When confronted by the media, a representative for the city of Savannah told the Associated Press that the figure was an “auto-generated” placeholder by “e-citation” software the city uses.
The idea behind the massive monetary fine is to compel “super-speeders” to appear in court. Rather than police issuing a ticket for a pre-set amount, the software randomly comes up with a penalty amount. Ultimately, in the state of Georgia, the actual penalty is determined by a (human) judge and cannot exceed $1,000.
Considering the negative attention surrounding the case, the courts are rethinking the computer-generated placeholder fine. Every freedom-loving motorist should ask themselves what kind of dystopian nightmare Cato would have found himself in if the e-citation had been lost in the mail.
Just think…next time it could be you!