Tell DA David Prater to allow plea negotiations on traffic tickets!
- by: James M. Branum
- recipient: David Prater, District Attorney, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma
I am a defense attorney in Oklahoma City. I represent clients on traffic tickets from time to time in the OKC Metro area. In most courts (both municipal and district courts), prosecutors are willing to negotiate for alternative disposition on traffic tickets for defendants with otherwise clean records, often allowing defendants to do driver improvement school or to complete a term of probation (in a deferred sentencing arrangement) to avoid a single ticket going on the driver's record.
The District Attorney in Oklahoma County has recently chosen to take a different position, refusing to negotiate under all circumstances on traffic tickets. The result has been a needlessly backlogged docket and some really heartbreaking circumstances for hourly wage workers who are now losing their jobs for having a single traffic ticket on their record.
This policy needs to change. It is not cost effective (the previous system still resulted in huge amounts of court fees being paid into the system) and it results in increased costs to drivers and in some cases even lost jobs.
And let's be real here... the folks that this policy hurts the most are the poor of our city, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet on low-wage jobs. The costs of going to court (which includes posting a bond equal to the amount of the fine) is bad enough, but then to have the successive costs in increased insurance and potential unemployment is a crippling cost. For an OKC resident earning minimum wage, a traffic ticket can easily cost more than 50% of a week's earnings.
District Attorney David Prater has in the past shown himself to be a reasonable prosecutor, one who is open to considering the social issues at stake in our criminal justice system.
We ask that David Prater:
1. Establish a policy that all traffic defendants receiving a minor moving violation (and who have no points on their record) may take driver improvement school for a dismissal of the ticket with only court costs paid.
2. Resume the practice of negotiating with defendants in traffic court.
David Prater
District Attorney
Oklahoma County, OK
Dear Mr. Prater:
We the undersigned believe that your office's recent decision to refuse to negotiate on any traffic tickets is unfair and contrary to public policy.
Almost all traffic courts in Oklahoma allow for some degree of negotiation for alternative disposition on traffic tickets, especially for those tickets received by driver's with otherwise clean records. Your office is one of the few exceptions.
The result of this policy has been a needlessly backlogged docket and some really heartbreaking circumstances for hourly wage workers who are now losing their jobs for having a single traffic ticket on their record.
This policy needs to change. It is not cost effective (the previous system still resulted in huge amounts of court fees being paid into the system) and it results in increased costs to drivers and in some cases even lost jobs.
And let's be real here... the folks that this policy hurts the most are the poor of our city, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet on low-wage jobs. The costs of going to court (which includes posting a bond equal to the amount of the fine) is bad enough, but then to have the successive costs in increased insurance and potential unemployment is a crippling cost. For an OKC resident earning minimum wage, a traffic ticket can easily cost more than 50% of a week's earnings.
We ask that your office:
1. Establish a policy that all traffic defendants receiving a minor moving violation (and who have no points on their record) be allowed to take driver improvement school for a dismissal of the ticket, with only court costs being due.
2. Resume the practice of negotiating with defendants in traffic court before trial.
Very respectfully,
By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.
Having problems signing this? Let us know.