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Anyone who has received a speeding ticket knows how inconvenient it can be to shell out money for the fine, often times amounting to hundreds of dollars, or perhaps even losing their driver's license if they are a repeat offender. However, one man in Georgia got quite the shock when the speeding ticket he received showed a fine of more than a million dollars.
Connor Cato was pulled over by Georgia State Patrol as he drove home on September 2, with the trooper reportedly clocking the Chatham County man driving 90 mph in a 55-mph zone, per WSAV. Telling the outlet he knew he would get a super speeder ticket, and therefore a higher fine, what he didn't expect was for that fine to be $1.4 million.
Figuring the fine was simply a typo, Cato called the court to get the correct information. However, the worker he spoke to told him he either had to pay the exorbitant amount or appear in court in December. Criminal defense attorney Sneh Patel said he has never seen anything like this.
"I mean I can't imagine someone would have to pay $1.4 million for not showing up for a speeding ticket," said Patel, adding that $1.4 million is "something that goes into cases that are drug trafficking, murders or aggravated assaults, something of that nature."
He continued, "At first when I was asked about this, I thought it was a clerical error. But then you told me you followed up and apparently it's not a clerical error. But again, I have never seen something like this, ever."
According to the city of Savannah, the amount listed on the fine was not the actual fine itself; rather, it was a placeholder number until Cato could appear in court and receive the fine set by a judge. Anyone caught speeding 35 mph or more over the speed limit must face a mandatory court appearance. Fines of this nature can't exceed $1,000 plus state mandated costs.
A spokesperson for the city of Savannah said that officials "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," the statement reads. "Recorder's Court is working on adjusting the language in e-citations in order to avoid future confusion."