How do you know when a law is unreasonable and unjust? When an additional fine is added on to whatever punishment a judge determines in a court; when the law is made for the purposes of short-term revenue collection; when the fine is so hefty that it has to be repaid in installments; and when the initial enforcement of the infringement is arbitrary and situational.
From the WaPo, Hefty Fees In Store for Misbehaving Va. Drivers:
Say you are driving 78 mph on the Capital Beltway and a state trooper tickets you for "reckless driving -- speeding 20 mph over." You will probably be fined $200 by the judge. But then you will receive a new, additional $1,050 fine from the Old Dominion, payable in three convenient installments. So convenient that you must pay the first one immediately, at the courthouse.and:
As part of the plan to fund the annual $1 billion transportation package approved this year, state legislators endorsed a new set of "civil remedial fees" for all misdemeanor and felony traffic violations, such as speeding 20 mph above the limit, reckless driving and, in some cases, driving with faulty brakes. Drivers with points on their licenses -- a speeding ticket usually earns four points -- will be hit for $75 for every point above eight and $100 for having that many points in the first place.Australia has a problem with fines for speeding being absurd and unreasonable. It looks like America, and in particular, Virginia, is keen to replicate that same form of bad governance.
