SAVANNAH, Ga. — This was an eye-popping speeding ticket.
A Georgia man who was driving 90 mph in a 55 mph zone on Sept. 2 was shocked when the amount of his ticket was $1.4 million, WSAV-TV reported.
Connor Cato told the television station that he expected to receive a super-speeder ticket when he was pulled over by a Georgia State Patrol trooper in Chatham County. Just not one with seven figures attached to it.
'This might be a typo': Chatham County man receives $1.4M speeding ticket https://t.co/sApF3RY9n1 via @WSAV
— WSAV News 3 (@WSAV) October 12, 2023
Cato said when he called the City of Savannah to clarify the ticket’s amount, he was told that $1.4 million was the correct figure.
The precise amount was $1,480,038.52.
“I said, ‘This might be a typo’ and she said, ‘No sir, you either pay the amount on the ticket or you come to court on Dec. 21 at 1:30 p.m.,’” Cato told WSAV.
As it turns out, Cato can relax. He will not be charged $1.4 million -- the amount caught his attention and he will definitely appear in court.
Criminal defense attorney Sneh Patel he “can’t imagine” a scenario where a speeder had to pay such a large amount.
“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,” Patel told the television station. “But again, I have never seen something like this, ever.
“It’s a misdemeanor of high and aggravated nature, it will be $ 5,000,” Patel added. “Now, the bond amount should be relevant to that so for (a) misdemeanor, you wouldn’t see bond amounts over $5,000 -- maybe $10,000 just to ensure if it’s a crime that involves violence or if you’re anticipating they will commit more crimes, it would set a higher amount or if you think they won’t show for court, you set a higher amount.
“But not $1.4 million -- that’s something that goes into cases that are drug trafficking, murders or aggravated assaults, something of that nature.”
A spokesperson for the City of Savannah, told WSAV that the $1.4 million amount “is a placeholder, not a fine.”
“Anyone that is caught speeding 35+ mph receives the placeholder because it is a mandatory court appearance,” the spokesperson told the television station.
But why $1.4 million?
“The balance reflected in the e-citation is a placeholder,” the spokesperson told WSAV. “Super speeders are required to go to court. The system automatically puts in $999,999.99 as the base amount plus other costs since the only way to resolve the ticket is to appear in court.”
The city has had the policy in place since 2017, the spokesperson told the television station. The amount of the fine is determined by a judge and cannot exceed $1,000 plus state-mandated costs.
The spokesperson told WSAV that the programmers who designed the software for generating traffic tickets “used the largest number possible” because motorists receiving a super-speeder ticket have a mandatory court date.
“Recorder’s Court is working on adjusting the language in e-citations in order to avoid future confusion,” the spokesperson told the television station.
