There's growing interest around the state to end the practice of suspending someone's driver's license if they fail to pay a traffic fine. Dane County Clerk of Courts Carlo Esqueda says the practide means increased case loads for judges, because people continue to drive, which can lead to more tickets. "We could excercise other collection options and get the money in, and avoid all of this," says Esqueda. "DL suspensions are just more trouble than they're worth, quite frankly."
Some court clerks are concerned about how a change in the system would impact the amount of money collected. A recent study by students at UW-Madison shows that driver's license suspensions help speed up the payment of a fine. Milwaukee County has already curtailed the practice. Esqueda says his plan may have societal benefits, like making it easier for people to get to work.
Milwaukee County has already curtailed the practice with success in meeting revenue targets and saving court system resources, according to Esqueda.
