Judiciary
In New Approach to Moving Violations, Md. Tells Motorists to Schedule Their Own Court Dates
Once upon a time, in Maryland as in many other states, motorists pulled over for speeding or other moving violations got a randomly issued court date along with their ticket, at the time the citation was issued.
But no more. As of January 1, a new law requires allegedly erring motorists to schedule their own court dates, unless they were stopped for a “must appear” offense such as driving under the influence or on a suspended license, reports the Baltimore Crime Beat page of the Baltimore Sun.
The new approach is expected to streamline court operations and reduce wasted police officer time, by eliminating unnecessary court dates for defendants who intend to ante up and pay their fines without going through a trial.
