Leslie Gore waited in a long line outside traffic court
in Santa Rosa
Tuesday
in the hope of talking
talk the judge into giving her a break on her unpaid speeding ticket, which with late charges had ballooned to about $600.
But after standing in
the
line that snaked down two sides of a corridor, the unemployed Guerneville resident got some bad news — the ticket
had been
sent to a collections agency.
Gore quickly realized that what started out as a minor traffic offense – going five miles over the speed limit on River Road
—
had grown into a huge financial problem.
"The reason we're all standing in line is because we can't afford to pay the initial fine," Gore said, gesturing to others in the crowded hallway. "Now, since I'm poor, they are going to charge me more."
As the economy continues to sputter and joblessness remains high, more people like Gore are
queu
e
ing up at the courthouse to contest tickets or seek fine reductions.
It's not unusual to see 30-40 people lined up outside Room 109-J before the doors open at 8 a.m., said Jose Guillen, the court's executive officer. Because the judge can hear
about
70 cases a day, its first
-
come, first-served, he said.
Adding to the situation is a near doubling of fines over the past three years and an increase in citations. Guillen said agencies in Sonoma County are on track to issue 86,000 tickets this year, an increase of about 7.5 percent.
The average fine is about $232, he said.
"People are finding themselves in economic conditions where they can't afford to pay," Guillen said. "They come here and want to plead their cases."
And they are not just coming to the traffic division. The courts are seeing a significant rise in the number of civil filings, including debt collections and evictions, as people become unable to pay their bills.
Collections cases are up 27 percent in the first four months of 2011 compared to the same period last year, while evictions and foreclosure filings have increased about 3 percent.
Coupled with a reduction in the number of clerks available to
work at the
walk-up windows, the trend is resulting in longer waits on the civil side as well, Guillen said.
Overall, Guillen said budget cuts passed down from the state have led to a 14 percent workforce reduction.
"I think people will notice longer waits, longer lines," Guillen said. "We have fewer people processing the paperwork."
Some people waiting up to a half-hour Tuesday to see the traffic judge weren't interested in the reasons behind the delay. Many said fines are too high and unfairly penalize people who can least afford them.
"I greatly resent the way the traffic system treats me," said Addison Rex of Kenwood, who was there to show proof of his driver's license. "It's almost impossible to make ends meet when you have a $400 fine."
Nick Bosworth of Petaluma said he got a $480 ticket for momentarily driving in the carpool lane on Highway 101. The unemployed recent
college
graduate said he was hoping the judge might consider a reduction.
"For a first offense, it's a little harsh," Bosworth said.
Christine "Cricket" Harris, a Santa Rosa grandmother, was anxious about her $480 fine for running a red light on Mendocino Avenue on her bicycle. But in the end, it all worked out, she said.
The judge cut her fine by more than half and sent her to bike safety school, she said.
"I felt it was fair," she said. "The process in spite of the long wait, was worth it."
Judge Peter Ottenweller, who was filling in for vacationing traffic Commissioner Anthony Wheeldin, said he is willing to help people meet their obligations so they don't lose their licenses.
In some cases he assigns community service instead of fines or offers payment plans to those on tight budgets so the process "doesn't become so overwhelming they are just defeated by it."
"I really want to see people keep their licenses," Ottenweller said. "Anything I can do to assist with that I will."
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