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California To Soon Offer Amnesty For Certain Traffic Tickets

(CBS SF) – Drivers in California struggling to pay off traffic fines are going to get a break. An amnesty program will give them a chance to settle for a fraction of what they owe.

The plan is Gov. Jerry Brown's idea. Brown said low-income people often get trapped in a cycle of steep fines for minor infractions.

"What the bill basically says is that if you're below a certain income level, you can have your fees reduced by 50 or even 80 percent," said Zachary Norris of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights.

Drivers who had their licenses suspended could get them back under the new program, which begins on October 1st.

Parking tickets, reckless driving and DUI offenses are not eligible for the amnesty program.

The program lasts until March 31, 2017.

More information about the program can be found on the California Courts website.

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