RALEIGH, N.C. — A federal lawsuit filed in North Carolina says low-income people shouldn’t lose their drivers’ licenses when they can’t afford to pay traffic fines and court costs.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center are among the groups that filed the lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of two named plaintiffs. They say they can’t afford to pay their traffic tickets, so they have to decide between driving with a revoked license or not supporting their families.
The lawsuit says the practice violates the right to due process under the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution because the state doesn’t offer drivers a hearing to explain why they haven’t paid.
DMV Commissioner Torre Jessup is named as the defendant.
A spokeswoman says the state is reviewing the lawsuit.
