This article was published in partnership with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Sign up for their newsletters, and follow them on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and Facebook.
“I have been suspended for a while because of the fines,” said Lukerson, a Cleveland resident. “I’m trying to pay it off. I have been having trouble for a while. I’m always going on a payment plan.” What is known from the data The Marshall Project - Cleveland and WEWS obtained is that, as of 2022, 1.1 million active suspensions had been issued to nearly 600,000 drivers for failing to show proof of insurance, and more than 300,000 drivers had active suspensions for failing to appear in court for a misdemeanor offense, or for failing to pay a court fine, according to BMV data. One driver can also be suspended for multiple types of debt-related suspensions, wracking up even more fines.
“Ohio is like an island in the region,” Weiss said. “Everyone else has moved away from it. Ohio is truly an outlier.” Since 2017, two dozen states have changed laws to make it easier to restore drivers licenses stemming from debt-related suspensions. But Ohio is not one of them. Weiss, of the Fines and Fees Justice Center, said the debt-suspensions are a way to use the justice system as a collection agency.
“If the government wants people to pay fines, then the government shouldn’t prevent them from getting to work,” Grassley said in a statement. “Our bill resets the incentives to stop the circular problem of states suspending licenses for anyone who owes fines or fees.”For two hours every Wednesday afternoon, a stream of drivers in Cleveland Heights Municipal Court wait in line for arraignments and trials for driving under suspension.
When the officer cited Gray in October, the ticket noted she didn’t need to appear in court and could pay the fines online or through the mail. The area is packed with subsidized housing complexes around Buckeye Road and Woodland Avenue; downtown’s shiny skyscrapers glisten on the horizon. City Councilman Richard Starr represents the neighborhood. He said he didn’t know about the high rate of debt-related suspensions impacting his residents. The median income in the ZIP code is $18,500, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.