Is it any wonder that the public is beginning to hate cops? What is it that cops do to earn the dislike of the public?
One of the things is writing a ticket on the 1st or 2nd day of the month for expired license plates.
The driver gets a $120 ticket.
Now, why wouldn't a vehicle owner renew license plate registration in time? Could money be a reason? Maybe not having the $99 right away? Or at least not until the last payday of the registration period, when suddenly it's urgent, not just important?
The State of Illinois allows you to renew a license plate without financial penalty within 30 days after expiration. Some people mistakenly believe there is a grace period for tickets, too. There isn't.
An observant cop has the legal right to stop a vehicle with expired plates. No question about that. But to write a $120 ticket to the driver? On the first or second day of the month after the plate expiration?
When tickets were $25, that's one thing. For many people, $120 is a lot of money. For some people, it's a LOT of money. And, if you are unemployed or a person with low-income, it's an IMPOSSIBLE amount of money.
And, if you go to court to fight it - and lose, the court system is going to tack on $100-150 in court costs. So the pressure is on the person to cough up the $120 to avoid the gamble of losing.
What would be the harm in issuing a Warning? Some drivers don't realize that the plate has expired? Why not give them a penalty-free five days to go into the DMV and get the current tag? Is there really great harm to the public in doing this?
The only loss is the $120 revenue to the court, out of which a municipality (City of McHenry, I'm thinking of in this case) probably earns $20-40.
Of course, the cop could have required the driver to park the vehicle, or the cop could even have had the vehicle towed. So he did give a break to the driver and should be thanked for that.
Have you ever gotten a ticket for an expired license plate? How many days into the next month were you?
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3 comments:
Thanks for the calls already today to tell me that there ARE departments in McHenry County whose officers do give warnings during the first days of a month following the expiration of a license plate.
Glad to hear it. Thanks for the calls.
ISP will ticket you the first day as do some of the revenue hungry towns. Most LARGER dept's USUALLY give at least 4 days to a week past the first Tuesday of the Month since the SOS office is open Saturday but closed Monday. Depending upon when the first falls, ie on a Satuarday, they give time for a visit the SOS office for a renewal.
BEWARE...if you are out of state they do not have a violation for EXPIRED. The otrher states write NO VALID REGISTRATION. Same here. Either you have valid registration form your home state,or not.
I got pulled over a while ago... not becuz of expired plates, but that I didnt have a front one and the rear was all rusted and hanging with one screw. I had an extra donut and a beer, so I shared it with the Dep. I also gave him a .50 cent bill I printed that morning: has a pic of Nygren on the front and the McHenry County Courthouse on the back. He gave me a warning... for the bill- said it shoulda had a pic of Gus Philpott on the front! DOH.
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