drivers license suspension Archives - Korner Law

Illinois to Reduce Driver’s License Suspensions

Jason Korner — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 14:57:10 +0000

The “License to Work Act”

The Illinois governor signed a new law that will eliminate many driver’s license suspensions for non-moving violations. The “License to Work Act” will take effect in July. One of the main initial benefits of the bill is that it will be retroactive. This means that people who currently have a driver’s license suspension that falls within the new law will be eligible for the reinstatement of driving privileges immediately upon the bill going into effect in July. The governor believes more than ten thousand people could be positively effected by the new law.

Effect of the New Law on Suspensions

Driver’s license suspension can be a tricky area for legislators to navigate. If drivers do too many things that are not allowed, then there must be a punishment. The initial punishment are fines for parking or traffic violations, but if that is not a deterrent then historically a person’s driver’s license has been suspended as punishment. However, once a person’s license has been suspended it can lead to a terrible spiral effect. If a person was suspended for not paying fines and now cannot legally drive to work then how are those fines supposed to be paid. If a person drives regardless of the license suspension and receives a ticket for Driving on a Suspended License, then suspension times are increased and there are additional fines and court costs.

In the case of moving violations such as speeding or running a red light, there are few options when a person habitually disregards traffic laws and a suspension is necessary. Those cases will not be affected by the new law. In the past legislator’s have punished people with a license suspension for unpaid parking tickets, unpaid child support, or failing to appear in court. Many of these suspension will no longer exist when the new law goes into effect in July.

The Possible Impact on Missouri Suspensions

Other states will be eagerly watching Illinois and how the new law effects driving privileges, employment, and compliance things that used to be punished more harshly under the old law. If the new system works in Illinois then Missouri would be smart to enact similar legislation. Suspended drivers are a major issue facing many communities throughout Missouri, and the current system disproportionately effects low-income areas in both the urban and rural parts of the state.

St. Louis Criminal Defense Lawyer Jason Korner

If you have a suspended driver’s license in Missouri and need help getting reinstated, please call St. Louis criminal defense lawyer Jason Korner at 314-409-2659, or click here to fill out the contact form and his office will contact you. Do not get caught in the downward spiral of driver’s license suspensions in Missouri.

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Illinois Cutting Back on Driver’s License Suspensions, January 20, 2020, https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/illinois-cutting-back-on-driver-s-license-suspensions-article_0128b0c8-0707-56df-a302-f799e09e79b-html

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Missouri Now Allows Proof of Insurance by Mobile Device

Jason Korner — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 18:32:36 +0000

By Jason Korner of The Law Office of Jason A. Korner posted in Driver’s License Suspension or Revocation on Wednesday, August 28, 2013.

A recent law change by the Missouri legislature will now allow people to show police officers proof of insurance on a mobile device when pulled over for a traffic stop. Prior to this new law, Missouri motorists would have to carry a phsyical card issued to them by their insurance company. If the motorist could not find the card then he would receive a citation for No Proof of Insurance which upon conviction carries four points on a driving record and a 30 day drivers license suspension.

Thankfully we are now past the days of having to search desperately through the glove compartment for proof of insurance. We no longer have to worry about finding several expired insurance cards before finally identifying the current card. Now, a simple app or website offered by most insurance companies will allow a motorist to simply pull up the information on his phone to show a police officer.

Several states have already enacted a similar law, but it will be interesting to see how this new law works in practice, especially as the police adjust. It had to be frusrtating for a police officer to wait for a motorist to look through his glove compartment for proof of insurance, but it may take just as long to pull up the proper information on a cell phone. Certainly there could be an issue if the poor motorist does not have cell reception at the place he was stopped. The new law is a step towards progress, but unfortunately, progress rarely moves smoothly.

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Change to concealed carry, proof of insurance among new Missouri laws,” Elizabeth Crisp, August 28, 2013.

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