Traffic-fine amnesty urged in California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Calling California’s traffic court system a “hellhole of desperation” for the poor, Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing an amnesty program for people who can’t afford to pay off spiraling fines and penalties that have resulted in 4.8 million driver’s license suspensions since 2006.

The push by the Democratic governor spotlights concern among lawmakers and court administrators that California’s justice system is profiting off minority groups and low-income residents.

Under Brown’s plan, drivers with lesser infractions would pay half of what they owe, and administrative fees would be slashed from $300 to $50.

Advocates for the poor have likened California’s problem to the police and municipal court structure in Ferguson, Mo., which was criticized by the U.S. Department of Justice as a revenue-generating machine.