We all love being able to bypass long lines of cars waiting to pay tolls thanks to Sunpass…well maybe not all of us. The courts in Miami Dade County are now being overrun with Sunpass toll violations due to a little-noticed tweak in the state law that now requires violators to appear in court if they want to avoid costly points against their driving record (read more). In Miami Dade County nearly 30% of all traffic citations last year were related to Sunpass toll violations. With the popularity of the program, things are only expected to get worse in the future.
Toll violations never used to require seeing a judge until recently. Violators just had to go to the clerk’s office and pay the ticket. During the 2007 legislative session, tucked inside a 142-page transportation bill, lawmakers deleted the provision allowing clerks to withhold adjudication. To avoid three points, scofflaws now have to attend court to make their case to a judge. Combine that with more efficient ticketing processing and Sunpass toll violations have become a major part of the daily business in traffic courts around the state.
If you or a loved one has a Sunpass toll violation or any traffic ticket that you need help with, please contact David Haenel at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at www.fightyourcase.com.