Low-Income California Drivers Win Right to Have Their Day in Court
A coalition of legal aid and civil rights organizations sued the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for illegally suspending the driver’s licenses of low-income Californians. After months of litigation, the court rejected the defendant’s attempt to dismiss the case. The court ruled that plaintiffs can continue challenging the DMV’s practice of suspending the driver’s licenses of people too poor to pay their tickets.
“The DMV is illegally suspending licenses where the drivers are low-income and can’t afford to pay their traffic tickets,” said Rebecca Miller, Staff Attorney at Bay Area Legal Aid. “These suspensions violate the fundamental rule against punishing poverty and force people to choose between paying rent or keeping their driver’s license. Today’s decision means these drivers will finally get their day in court.”
READ THE PRESS RELEASE
READ THE 5/19/17 COURT ORDER
READ THE ORIGINAL COMPLAINT
MEDIA CONTACT:
Linda Kim, Bay Area Legal Aid, LKim@BayLegal.org, (510) 250-5218
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