HOUSE BILL No. 4210

 

February 13, 2003, Introduced by Rep. Kolb and referred to the Committee on Transportation.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Michigan vehicle code,"                                                    

                                                                                

    by amending section 907 (MCL 257.907), as amended by 2002 PA                

                                                                                

    534.                                                                        

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 907.  (1) A violation of this act, or a local ordinance                

                                                                                

2   substantially corresponding to a provision of this act, which is            

                                                                                

3   designated a civil infraction shall not be considered a lesser              

                                                                                

4   included offense of a criminal offense.                                     

                                                                                

5       (2) If a person is determined pursuant to sections 741 to 750               

                                                                                

6   to be responsible or responsible "with explanation" for a civil             

                                                                                

7   infraction under this act or a local ordinance substantially                

                                                                                

8   corresponding to a provision of this act, the judge, district               

                                                                                

9   court referee, or district court magistrate may order the person            

                                                                                

10  to pay a civil fine of not more than $100.00 and costs as                   

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   provided in subsection (4).  However, for a violation of                    

                                                                                

2   section 674(1)(s) or a local ordinance substantially                        

                                                                                

3   corresponding to section 674(1)(s), the person shall be ordered             

                                                                                

4   to pay costs as provided in subsection (4) and a civil fine of              

                                                                                

5   not less than $50.00 or more than $100.00.  For a violation of              

                                                                                

6   section 328 or 710d, the civil fine ordered under this subsection           

                                                                                

7   shall not exceed $10.00.  For a violation of section 710e, the              

                                                                                

8   civil fine and court costs ordered under this subsection shall be           

                                                                                

9   $25.00.  For a violation of section 682 or a local ordinance                

                                                                                

10  substantially corresponding to section 682, the person shall be             

                                                                                

11  ordered to pay costs as provided in subsection (4) and a civil              

                                                                                

12  fine of not less than $100.00 or more than $500.00.  Permission             

                                                                                

13  may be granted for payment of a civil fine and costs to be made             

                                                                                

14  within a specified period of time or in specified installments,             

                                                                                

15  but unless permission is included in the order or judgment, the             

                                                                                

16  civil fine and costs shall be payable immediately.                          

                                                                                

17      (3) Except as provided in this subsection, if a person is                   

                                                                                

18  determined to be responsible or responsible "with explanation"              

                                                                                

19  for a civil infraction under this act or a local ordinance                  

                                                                                

20  substantially corresponding to a provision of this act while                

                                                                                

21  driving a commercial motor vehicle, he or she shall be ordered to           

                                                                                

22  pay costs as provided in subsection (4) and a civil fine of not             

                                                                                

23  more than $250.00.  If a person is determined to be responsible             

                                                                                

24  or responsible "with explanation" for a civil infraction under              

                                                                                

25  section 319g or a local ordinance substantially corresponding to            

                                                                                

26  section 319g, that person shall be ordered to pay costs as                  

                                                                                

27  provided in subsection (4) and a civil fine of not more than                


                                                                                

1   $10,000.00.                                                                 

                                                                                

2       (4) If a civil fine is ordered under subsection (2) or (3),                 

                                                                                

3   the judge  , district court referee,  or district court                     

                                                                                

4   magistrate shall summarily tax and determine the costs of the               

                                                                                

5   action, which are not limited to the costs taxable in ordinary              

                                                                                

6   civil actions, and may include all expenses, direct and indirect,           

                                                                                

7   to which the plaintiff has been put in connection with the civil            

                                                                                

8   infraction, up to the entry of judgment.  Except in a civil                 

                                                                                

9   infraction for a parking violation, costs of not less than $5.00            

                                                                                

10  shall be ordered.  Costs shall not be ordered in excess of                  

                                                                                

11  $100.00.  A civil fine ordered under subsection (2) or (3) shall            

                                                                                

12  not be waived unless costs ordered under this subsection are                

                                                                                

13  waived.  Except as otherwise provided by law, costs are payable             

                                                                                

14  to the general fund of the plaintiff.                                       

                                                                                

15      (5) In addition to a civil fine and costs ordered under                     

                                                                                

16  subsection (2) or (3) and subsection (4), the judge  , district             

                                                                                

17  court referee,  or district court magistrate may order the person           

                                                                                

18  to attend and complete a program of treatment, education, or                

                                                                                

19  rehabilitation.                                                             

                                                                                

20      (6) A district court  referee or district court  magistrate                 

                                                                                

21  shall impose the sanctions permitted under subsections (2), (3),            

                                                                                

22  and (5) only to the extent expressly authorized by the chief                

                                                                                

23  judge or only judge of the district court district.                         

                                                                                

24      (7) Each district of the district court and each municipal                  

                                                                                

25  court may establish a schedule of civil fines and costs to be               

                                                                                

26  imposed for civil infractions which occur within the respective             

                                                                                

27  district or city.  If a schedule is established, it shall be                


                                                                                

1   prominently posted and readily available for public inspection.             

                                                                                

2   A schedule need not include all violations which are designated             

                                                                                

3   by law or ordinance as civil infractions.  A schedule may exclude           

                                                                                

4   cases on the basis of a defendant's prior record of civil                   

                                                                                

5   infractions or traffic offenses, or a combination of civil                  

                                                                                

6   infractions and traffic offenses.                                           

                                                                                

7       (8) The state court administrator shall annually publish and                

                                                                                

8   distribute to each district and court a recommended range of                

                                                                                

9   civil fines and costs for first-time civil infractions.  This               

                                                                                

10  recommendation is not binding upon the courts having jurisdiction           

                                                                                

11  over civil infractions but is intended to act as a normative                

                                                                                

12  guide for judges  , district court referees,  and district court            

                                                                                

13  magistrates and a basis for public evaluation of disparities in             

                                                                                

14  the imposition of civil fines and costs throughout the state.               

                                                                                

15      (9) If a person has received a civil infraction citation for                

                                                                                

16  defective safety equipment on a vehicle under section 683, the              

                                                                                

17  court shall waive a civil fine and costs, upon receipt of                   

                                                                                

18  certification by a law enforcement agency that repair of the                

                                                                                

19  defective equipment was made before the appearance date on the              

                                                                                

20  citation.                                                                   

                                                                                

21      (10) A default in the payment of a civil fine or costs                      

                                                                                

22  ordered under subsection (2), (3), or (4) or an installment of              

                                                                                

23  the fine or costs may be collected by a means authorized for the            

                                                                                

24  enforcement of a judgment under chapter 40 of the revised                   

                                                                                

25  judicature act of 1961, 1961 PA 236, MCL 600.4001 to 600.4065, or           

                                                                                

26  under chapter 60 of the revised judicature act of 1961, 1961                

                                                                                

27  PA 236, MCL 600.6001 to 600.6098.                                           


                                                                                

1       (11) If a person fails to comply with an order or judgment                  

                                                                                

2   issued pursuant to this section, within the time prescribed by              

                                                                                

3   the court, the driver's license of that person shall be suspended           

                                                                                

4   pursuant to section 321a until full compliance with that order or           

                                                                                

5   judgment occurs.  In addition to this suspension, the court may             

                                                                                

6   also proceed under section 908.                                             

                                                                                

7       (12) The court shall waive any civil fine or cost against a                 

                                                                                

8   person who received a civil infraction citation for a violation             

                                                                                

9   of section 710d or 710e(3) if the person, before the appearance             

                                                                                

10  date on the citation, supplies the court with evidence of                   

                                                                                

11  acquisition, purchase, or rental of a child seating system                  

                                                                                

12  meeting the requirements of section 710d or 710e(3).                        

                                                                                

13      (13) In addition to any fines and costs ordered to be paid                  

                                                                                

14  under this section, the judge  , district court referee,  or                

                                                                                

15  district court magistrate shall levy an assessment of $5.00 for             

                                                                                

16  each civil infraction determination, except for a parking                   

                                                                                

17  violation or a violation for which the total fine and costs                 

                                                                                

18  imposed are $10.00 or less.  Upon payment of the assessment, the            

                                                                                

19  clerk of the court shall transmit the assessment levied to the              

                                                                                

20  state treasury to be deposited into the Michigan justice training           

                                                                                

21  fund.  An assessment levied under this subsection is not a civil            

                                                                                

22  fine for purposes of section 909.                                           

                                                                                

23      (14) If a person has received a citation for a violation of                 

                                                                                

24  section 223, the court shall waive any fine and costs, upon                 

                                                                                

25  receipt of certification by a law enforcement agency that the               

                                                                                

26  person, before the appearance date on the citation, produced a              

                                                                                

27  valid registration certificate that was valid on the date the               


                                                                                

1   violation of section 223 occurred.                                          

                                                                                

2       Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act takes effect April                 

                                                                                

3   1, 2004.                                                                    

                                                                                

4       Enacting section 2.  This amendatory act does not take                      

                                                                                

5   effect unless Senate Bill No. _____ or House Bill No. 4200                  

                                                                                

6   (request no. 00928'03) of the 92nd Legislature is enacted into              

                                                                                

7   law.