SENATE BILL No. 996

 

 

February 17, 2004, Introduced by Senators BASHAM, BIRKHOLZ, McMANUS, KUIPERS, ALLEN and GEORGE and referred to the Committee on Transportation.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1994 PA 300, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Michigan vehicle code,"                                                    

                                                                                

    by amending section 907 (MCL 257.907), as amended by 2003 PA 73.            

                                                                                

                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 or district             

                                                                                

9   court magistrate may order the person to pay a civil fine of not            

                                                                                

10  more than $100.00 and costs as provided in subsection (4).                  

                                                                                

11  However, for a violation of section 674(1)(s) or a local                    

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   ordinance substantially corresponding to section 674(1)(s), the             

                                                                                

2   person shall be ordered to pay costs as provided in subsection              

                                                                                

3   (4) and a civil fine of not less than $100.00 or more than                  

                                                                                

4   $250.00.  For a violation of section 328,   or 710d,  the civil             

                                                                                

5   fine ordered under this subsection shall not exceed $10.00.  For            

                                                                                

6   a violation of section 710d or 710e(4), the civil fine and court            

                                                                                

7   costs ordered under this subsection shall be $80.00. For a                  

                                                                                

8   violation of section  710e  710e(3), the civil fine and court               

                                                                                

9   costs ordered under this subsection shall be $25.00.  For a                 

                                                                                

10  violation of section 682 or a local ordinance substantially                 

                                                                                

11  corresponding to section 682, the person shall be ordered to pay            

                                                                                

12  costs as provided in subsection (4) and a civil fine of not less            

                                                                                

13  than $100.00 or more than $500.00.  Permission may be granted for           

                                                                                

14  payment of a civil fine and costs to be made within a specified             

                                                                                

15  period of time or in specified installments, but unless                     

                                                                                

16  permission is included in the order or judgment, the civil fine             

                                                                                

17  and costs shall be payable immediately.                                     

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

19  determined to be responsible or responsible "with explanation"              

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

21  substantially corresponding to a provision of this act while                

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

26  section 319g or a local ordinance substantially corresponding to            

                                                                                

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


                                                                                

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

                                                                                

2   $10,000.00.                                                                 

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

4   the judge or district court magistrate shall summarily tax and              

                                                                                

5   determine the costs of the action, which are not limited to the             

                                                                                

6   costs taxable in ordinary civil actions, and may include all                

                                                                                

7   expenses, direct and indirect, to which the plaintiff has been              

                                                                                

8   put in connection with the civil infraction, up to the entry of             

                                                                                

9   judgment.  Costs shall not be ordered in excess of $100.00.  A              

                                                                                

10  civil fine ordered under subsection (2) or (3) shall not be                 

                                                                                

11  waived unless costs ordered under this subsection are waived.               

                                                                                

12  Except as otherwise provided by law, costs are payable to the               

                                                                                

13  general fund of the plaintiff.                                              

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

15  subsection (2) or (3) and subsection (4) and the justice system             

                                                                                

16  assessment ordered under subsection (14), the judge or district             

                                                                                

17  court magistrate may order the person to attend and complete a              

                                                                                

18  program of treatment, education, or rehabilitation.                         

                                                                                

19      (6) A district court magistrate shall impose the sanctions                  

                                                                                

20  permitted under subsections (2), (3), and (5) only to the extent            

                                                                                

21  expressly authorized by the chief judge or only judge of the                

                                                                                

22  district court district.                                                    

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

24  court may establish a schedule of civil fines, costs, and                   

                                                                                

25  assessments to be imposed for civil infractions which occur                 

                                                                                

26  within the respective district or city.  If a schedule is                   

                                                                                

27  established, it shall be prominently posted and readily available           


                                                                                

1   for public inspection.  A schedule need not include all                     

                                                                                

2   violations  which  that are designated by law or ordinance as               

                                                                                

3   civil infractions.  A schedule may exclude cases on the basis of            

                                                                                

4   a defendant's prior record of civil infractions or traffic                  

                                                                                

5   offenses, or a combination of civil infractions and traffic                 

                                                                                

6   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 and district court magistrates and a basis for             

                                                                                

13  public evaluation of disparities in the imposition of civil fines           

                                                                                

14  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, costs, and assessments upon                 

                                                                                

18  receipt of certification by a law enforcement agency that repair            

                                                                                

19  of the defective equipment was made before the appearance date on           

                                                                                

20  the citation.                                                               

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

22  ordered under subsection (2), (3), or (4) or a justice system               

                                                                                

23  assessment ordered under subsection (14), or an installment of              

                                                                                

24  the fine, costs, or assessment, may be collected by a means                 

                                                                                

25  authorized for the enforcement of a judgment under chapter 40 of            

                                                                                

26  the revised judicature act of 1961, 1961 PA 236, MCL 600.4001 to            

                                                                                

27  600.4065, or under chapter 60 of the revised judicature act of              


                                                                                

1   1961, 1961 PA 236, MCL 600.6001 to 600.6098.                                

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

7   also proceed under section 908.                                             

                                                                                

8       (12) The court shall waive any civil fine, cost, or                         

                                                                                

9   assessment against a person who received a civil infraction                 

                                                                                

10  citation for a violation of section 710d if the person, before              

                                                                                

11  the appearance date on the citation, supplies the court with                

                                                                                

12  evidence of acquisition, purchase, or rental of a child seating             

                                                                                

13  system meeting the requirements of section 710d.                            

                                                                                

14      (13) Until October 1, 2003, in addition to any civil fines                  

                                                                                

15  and costs ordered to be paid under this section, the judge or               

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

17  each civil infraction determination, except for a parking                   

                                                                                

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

                                                                                

19  imposed are $10.00 or less.  An assessment paid before October 1,           

                                                                                

20  2003 shall be transmitted by the clerk of the court to the state            

                                                                                

21  treasurer to be deposited into the Michigan justice training                

                                                                                

22  fund.  An assessment ordered before October 1, 2003 but collected           

                                                                                

23  on or after October 1, 2003 shall be transmitted by the clerk of            

                                                                                

24  the court to the state treasurer for deposit in the justice                 

                                                                                

25  system fund created in section 181 of the revised judicature act            

                                                                                

26  of 1961, 1961 PA 236, MCL 600.181.  An assessment levied under              

                                                                                

27  this subsection is not a civil fine for purposes of section 909.            


                                                                                

1       (14) Effective October 1, 2003, in addition to any civil                    

                                                                                

2   fines and costs ordered to be paid under this section, the judge            

                                                                                

3   or district court magistrate shall order the defendant to pay a             

                                                                                

4   justice system assessment of $40.00 for each civil infraction               

                                                                                

5   determination, except for a parking violation or a violation for            

                                                                                

6   which the total fine and costs imposed are $10.00 or less.  Upon            

                                                                                

7   payment of the assessment, the clerk of the court shall transmit            

                                                                                

8   the assessment collected to the state treasury to be deposited              

                                                                                

9   into the justice system fund created in section 181 of the                  

                                                                                

10  revised judicature act of 1961, 1961 PA 236, MCL 600.181.  An               

                                                                                

11  assessment levied under this subsection is not a civil fine for             

                                                                                

12  purposes of section 909.                                                    

                                                                                

13      (15) If a person has received a citation for a violation of                 

                                                                                

14  section 223, the court shall waive any civil fine, costs, and               

                                                                                

15  assessment, upon receipt of certification by a law enforcement              

                                                                                

16  agency that the person, before the appearance date on the                   

                                                                                

17  citation, produced a valid registration certificate that was                

                                                                                

18  valid on the date the violation of section 223 occurred.