COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio House has approved legislation aimed at stopping a tiny village from collecting extraordinarily large fines for traffic-related violations.
The Columbus Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/1r3PIBe ) the measure approved last week would require municipal or county courts to collect fines and adjudicate tickets for small villages without mayor’s courts.
A one-person police department in Brice, near Columbus, has been using a civil violation system to aggressively ticket motorists after the Legislature in 2013 banned mayor’s courts for villages of fewer than 200 people. Brice has a population of around 114.
Republican Rep. Cheryl Grossman says the average ticket for expired tags in Brice is $750. Democratic Rep. Hearcel Craig calls Brice’s ticketing practices “abusive.”
People contesting tickets in Brice currently must seek a hearing with the village law director.
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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com
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