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Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, District 5, joined the Hon. Judge Steve Leifman and members of the Driver’s License Suspension Task Force (Task Force) at its first meeting in the County Commission Chambers on May 25.
According to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Administrator’s Office, more than 630,000 individuals in Miami-Dade County have suspended licenses, with uncollected fees and costs amounting to over $320.5 million. An overwhelming majority of these suspensions are unrelated to the person’s ability to drive a car, but rather for failure to pay fees and fines.
On Oct. 8, 2020, county commissioners approved legislation sponsored by Commissioner Higgins to create the Driver’s License Suspension Task Force.
“The idea that we have a system in place that punishes people further, simply because they are poor, is really problematic,” Commissioner Higgins said. “Our role as government officials is to make sure that people are lifted out of poverty, not have processes that keep them trapped in a cycle.”
The official appointed members of the Task Force include:
Judge Steve Leifman, chair of the Task Force and appointee from the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court System;
Carlos Martinez, Public Defender for Miami-Dade County;
Barbara J. Jordan, former county commissioner;
Elvia Marcus, Assistant State Attorney and appointee by the Miami-Dade County State Attorney;
David de la Espriella, president and appointee from the Dade Police Chiefs Association;
Sandra Bazile, assistant director for the Traffic and Misdemeanors Division and appointee from the Miami-Dade County Clerk of the Courts;
Ernesto Alvarez de la Campa, senior systems analyst/programmer and appointee from the Miami-Dade County Information Technology Department, and Marq Mitchell, founder of Chainless Change.
The Task Force will engage in a comprehensive review of driver’s license suspensions in Miami-Dade and identify policies and practices to reduce them. Research from counties and municipalities around the country provide examples of policies that actually lead to increased revenue, reduced costs and reduced suspensions. While much of this area of law is governed by state law, there are many reforms that can be implemented locally such as improving communications and notices, improving payment plan options, offering digital court hearings and more. In Miami-Dade, just 11 percent of fines and fees are collected within 15 months of being issued.
“If you ever want to see a grown man cry, come to our court as we’re able to help someone get their license back for the first time,” Judge Leifman said. “It’s only because we’re waiving fees and making it possible for them to get a fresh start.”
For more information, contact Francis Izquierdo, communications coordinator for Miami-Dade County District 5 Commissioner Eileen Higgins at Francis.Izquierdo@miamidade.gov or 305-375-5924.
