a cost by any other name…

Report: Judges Collect More Than $1 Million In Traffic Fines By Calling Them 'Court Costs'

Report: Judges Collect More Than $1 Million In Traffic Fines By Calling Them 'Court Costs'

Imagine you’re caught speeding — or driving recklessly, or driving without a license — and you appear in traffic court all set to pay the fine. But then the judge tells you that he’s not only knocking your offense down to a warning, but also discounting your penalty and collecting the lesser amount as “court costs.” You’d probably be very happy. Only problem is, it’s probably illegal and it keeps bad drivers on the road. [More]