ATLANTA — Earlier this week, drivers told Channel 2 Action News Investigates that yellow school bus warning lights don’t stay on long enough to give them time to slow down, resulting in $1,000 fines.
Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln learned many drivers don’t understand the court process, or why the fee can’t be paid in installments.
Lincoln went to the Atlanta Municipal Court and sat in on one of these hearings.
Inside, she saw drivers—and even their lawyers—unclear about how to challenge these violations.
Week after week, more than 100 people fill Judge Terrinee Gundy’s courtroom.
Angela Tapia, 84, went to challenge her $1,000 school bus violation.
“I said, ‘Well, I’m ready to go to jail or do community service,’ but now I learned you cannot do that because it’s a civil case, not a criminal case,” Tapia said.
The former schoolteacher told Lincoln that she pays attention to stopped buses but believes the fine is unaffordable for most drivers.
“I am all for the safety of my children,” Tapia said. “That is too much. Absolutely too much.”
Gundy said most drivers don’t understand that these are civil cases.
“With a criminal case, you’re able to go on probation. You’re able to pay over time,” Gundy said. “But because it’s a civil case, we don’t have those options.”
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The options they do have are to accept liability and pay the $1,000 fine or contest it.
David Wells did just that, telling the judge he was fined for a vehicle he doesn’t own.
“I was kind of surprised and shocked, and I knew I did not own a Toyota,” Wells said.
His case was dismissed
Despite the mix-up, he supports the tougher penalties but said the technology needs to be more accurate.
His family member went to school with Adalynn Pierce, the 8-year-old whose death spurred the approval of Addy’s Law, which raised the fine for passing a stopped bus from $250 to $1,000.
“I agree with that $1,000 because there have been children who have lost their lives,” Wells said.
If a driver doesn’t pay, they cannot renew their vehicle registration.
In 2024, 58 tags were held statewide.
This year, more than 400 so far.
State Rep. Don Parsons said those numbers show drivers simply can’t afford the fine.
“A fine needs to get people’s attention, yes. But it shouldn’t be so high that it’s impossible to pay,” Parsons said.
Lawmakers say judges can use discretion to reduce fines, but it varies by courtroom.
Tapia said her reduction is still a hefty price to pay.
“Even $500 is difficult,” Tapia said.
“The judges in the state of Georgia, we are ethically bound to follow the law, and we can only follow the laws that are passed by the legislature,” Gundy said.
Because this is a civil judgment, drivers won’t face jail time, but they can lose their vehicle registration if they don’t pay.
Parsons has proposed two bills: one creating a tiered fine system, and another giving judges more authority to adjust fine amounts.
Both go before lawmakers this session.,
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