A man was shocked to receive a $1.4 million speeding ticket after he was caught driving 90 in a 55 mph zone. The Georgia man assumed that it must be a typo, so he contacted the court.
The woman he spoke to assured him that it was not a mistake: "‘No sir, you either pay the amount on the ticket or you come to court on December 21 at 1:30 p.m.,'" the woman told him over the phone, reported WSAV. Criminal defense attorney Sneh Patel told WSAV that $1.4 million seems more in line with crimes like murder or drug trafficking.
WSAV contacted the city of Savannah, Georgia, to get an explanation. According to the city, the man's speeding ticket was not abnormal — it was a typical citation given to a "super speeder." Because appearing in court is mandatory for those who drive more than 35 mph over the speed limit, the large fine is listed on the e-citation is a placeholder, but it is not actually a fine. "The fine for a super speeder ticket is set by the judge at the court appearance," the city explained.
The actual amount the man will have to pay depends on what the judge decides when he appears in court, but the city explained that it will not be higher than $1,000 "plus state mandated costs."
"Depending on the case, the judge can determine what penalty to impose," the city clarified. A spokesperson for the city also noted that the placeholder is not meant to be a scare tactic.
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"The City did not implement the placeholder amount in order to force or scare people into court. The programmers who designed the software used the largest number possible because super speeder tickets are a mandatory court appearance and do not have a fine amount attached to them when issued by police," a city spokesperson said. "Recorder’s Court is working on adjusting the language in e-citations in order to avoid future confusion."
