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Sunday, February 22, 2009

Ind. Courts - "Judge gets tough in Marion County traffic court"

Jon Murray of the Indianapolis Star has a lengthy front-page story today subheaded: "Marion County drivers are put on notice: With stern manner and stiff fines, judge tries to get people to focus." The report begins:

Getting a ticket may be painful enough, but Marion County's traffic court has been adding to the suffering since a new judge took the bench this year. Stiffer fines, jam-packed proceedings and a gruff atmosphere have become routine as Judge Bill Young has taken charge of the busiest court in Indiana.

In part, the changes reflect Young's no-nonsense approach to the job.

"I've never seen so much whining and groaning as over a $100 ticket," said Young, who this month handed a woman a one-year jail sentence for driving with a suspended license.

But he's also working to accelerate the handling of disputed traffic tickets.

As he has double- or triple-booked court sessions over the past six weeks in the push to reduce the wait to see a judge, Young has drawn complaints from lawyers, police officers waiting on overtime and ticketed drivers already irritated by a visit to traffic court.

"We've been going through a lot of pain out there," Young said.

Most drivers who have taken their tickets to his court would agree. Fines if you fight a ticket for speeding or running a red light and lose often exceed $500, and traffic court has little space and tight parking at its site at 9049 E. 10th St., which it shares with an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department training facility.

[More] See this take on the story from Ogden on Politics by Paul K. Ogden.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on February 22, 2009 08:55 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts