Bill to nix automatic court dates killed

Friday, March 13, 2009

The House Judiciary Committee voted 14-5 to defeat a bill that aimed to reduce police overtime expenses and keep law enforcement personnel on the street.

As proposed, the legislation would have scrapped the practice of issuing automatic court dates for traffic offenses and require violators to request a hearing within 30 days.

The current method wastes hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, argued Del. Sally Y. Jameson, the bill's chief sponsor. That's because many offenders wait until the last moment to pay the fine and officers who show up in court often don't need to be there, which consumes allotted overtime budgets and misallocates limited resources.

And in a year when money is tight, Jameson (D-Charles) figured she had a winning formula for garnering lawmakers' support. The measure, which had bipartisan support, would save money over the long term and make a state agency more efficient, while putting more emphasis on public safety.

"At a time when we're learning of more and more budget cuts and we're trying to conserve every dollar, it makes no sense to hold off on implementing this bill because it would save millions of dollars both at the local and state levels," she said.

Opposition from the judicial system likely sunk the bill's chances of passing.

Although the courts support the concept, they argued that it might complicate the ongoing development of a new electronic case management system. It could be better accommodated after the new system is in place.

Some committee members also were skeptical that the bill would save as much money as proponents suggested, said House Judiciary Vice Chairman Samuel I. "Sandy" Rosenberg (D-Baltimore city), who voted against the bill.

But Jameson contended that it makes more sense to upgrade the technology all at once and numerous state and local law enforcement agencies testified that it would save hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Charles County's Sheriff's Office projected $120,000 in annual savings on overtime expenses.

The Maryland State Police estimated that a traffic violator fails to appear in court at least 40 percent of the time its troopers show up. In the second half of 2008, the department spent more than $250,000 to pay officers for the overtime hours they spent in court.

"For a department whose primary obligation is traffic safety, the daily demand for troopers to appear in court is overwhelming," according to testimony submitted by the state police. "This bill will produce cost savings and return troopers back to highways so they may perform the duties for which they are compensated."

The Maryland Transportation Authority Police, which has jurisdiction over the state's bridges and toll roads, calculated that its officers spend more than 10,000 man hours in overtime expenses at court. The bill was projected to save the agency $135,000 annually and reduce the time an MdTA officer spends in court by 25 percent.

Of the roughly 88,000 citations dispersed statewide last December, more than 30 percent of offenders failed to appear in court, according to data submitted by the Maryland Judiciary. Nearly 50 percent of the 65,000 people who received traffic citations in Baltimore in fiscal 2008 failed to appear in court.

"It is clear that the current process needs to change," city lawmakers wrote on behalf of Mayor Sheila Dixon (D). "Officers should be required to go to court only [when] it is likely that the offender will appear."

Jameson plans to introduce the bill again next year.

abrody@somdnews.com