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State appeals order stopping license suspensions

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The state is appealing a federal court order that says it cannot suspend the driver’s licenses of people who don’t pay traffic fines. The state says it’s not possible to comply with the decision.

A federal judge ruled earlier this month the state is unconstitutionally suspending licenses of people who cannot afford to pay fines imposed by a court.

The state says complying would take months of re-programming computer systems and connecting with more than 100 local courts.

The challenge filed with the US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals also says courts offer people options, including payment plans, that would allow them to keep their licenses. The state also says the order by federal Judge Linda Parker is both vague and overly broad.

The state says the ruling would allow more than 390 thousand drivers to challenge their fines, but the judge gave no guidance on how the state should determine whether someone can’t pay their fines, or simply won’t.

I’m Rick Pluta