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Abstract

Research highlights the role of misdemeanors in expanding the reach of the U.S. criminal legal system. However, less is known about the implications of criminalizing traffic offenses. This study investigates the consequences of categorizing traffic violations as criminal in Georgia and the legal financial obligations imposed by courts. We triangulate data from 60 interviews and 120 hr of court observations across six jurisdictions in Georgia using a two-phased inductive-deductive coding approach. We find that Georgia’s misdemeanor traffic courts rely heavily on probation as a payment mechanism, often imposing additional fees and prolonged surveillance on individuals unable to pay fines upfront. This system amplifies financial burdens, increases incarceration risks, and varies significantly across jurisdictions, functioning as a net-widening tool that deepens individuals’ entanglement with the criminal legal system. We recommend restructuring “pay-only” probation and echo calls for more robust procedures to assess individuals’ capacity to pay.

Keywords

misdemeanor traffic offenses legal financial obligations probation criminal legal policy privatization

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The Road to Debtors’ Probation: How Criminalizing Traffic Violations Increases State Control and Inequality in Georgia

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