Virginia denies claim it unfairly suspends driver's licenses
After a class-action lawsuit claimed Virginia suspends the driver’s licenses of those too poor to pay fines and court costs in an “unconstitutional scheme,” the state replied Monday, saying the suit raised no legitimate complaint.
“Though plaintiffs’ case could appear sympathetic from a policy perspective, it fails when viewed from a legal one,” said the state’s memorandum in support of a motion to dismiss.
The class action, filed in July against the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, said more than 940,000 people in Virginia currently have their licenses suspended for nonpayment.
The suspensions can effectively keep poor people poor, according to the Legal Aid Justice Center, which represents low-income Virginians.
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