Previous Story
House halts action on driver’s license bill
|
Posted on Nov 07 2000
Due to serious policy questions, the House of Representatives yesterday deferred action on a bill that will bar police from seizing the license of drivers who have violated traffic rules in the CNMI.
The House Committee on Judicial and Government Operations is expected to re-assess HB 12-270 after some members of the lower house questioned provisions of the proposal, particularly the new policy it will set out if it becomes law.
Sponsored by Rep. Dino M. Jones, who chairs JGO, the measure seeks to amend existing law to prohibit the seizure of drivers license prior to conviction for a crime or infraction.
Such practice raises constitutional concerns, according to a committee report endorsing the legislation.
“Not only is the person deprived of a valuable form of identification, they are forced to use the citation as a drivers license pending resolution of the case,” the report stated. “This is not only embarrassing, it cannot be used outside of the [CNMI].”
Mr. Jones maintained that after seizure of the license, the clerk of the Superior Court can take several days before it is given by the police and thus, inconvenient for many of those with traffic citation.
In many instances, persons desiring to pay their fine, and retrieve their license have to return to court several times before the clerk can locate the license, he said.
“This is inefficient, and no longer serves any useful purpose,” Mr. Jones explained. “We believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty, and feel that all of our laws should reflect this fundamental legal philosophy.”
Critics, however, argued such proposal could deprive authorities a strong means to force any traffic violator to show up in court and pay fines. (BS)
