When Connor Cato was driving through Savannah, Ga., recently, the Georgia State Patrol caught him doing 90mph in a 55mph zone. Cato expected to receive a ticket, which is to be expected for driving over the speed limit, but he didn’t expect the fine to be $1.4 million. Because the maximum fine is $1,000, he assumed it was a typo. He contacted the court, but was told that he either had to pay the $1.4 million fine or appear before a judge. Only later did Cato discover that the jaw-dropping $1.4 million fine was just a placeholder. The fee was generated by e-citation software used by the Recorder’s 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. Although the city has been using the system since 2017, it is now working on adjusting the placeholder language to avoid any further confusion. Needless to say, Cato walked away with the maximum $1,000 fine.
