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Va. lawmakers seek stiffer penalties, arrests, prison for unlicensed drivers
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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Drivers who get behind the wheel in Virginia without first earning a driver’s license would face significantly stiffer penalties under measures introduced in Richmond by two Northern Virginia lawmakers.
Del. David Albo, R-Springfield, and Del. Thomas Rust, R-Herndon, want to require that unlicensed drivers be arrested, fingerprinted and photographed, instead of the current practice of the police issuing summonses.
The mandate, Albo said, would ensure that people repeatedly violating the law are properly punished — the first violation carries a maximum six-month jail sentence, while additional violations can bring up to a year behind bars.
The bill, Albo added, also would make it easier for law-enforcement authorities to detect illegal immigrants, who are not eligible for driver’s licenses under Virginia law.
“This would not apply if you just forgot to put your license in your pocket before driving,” Albo said. “This is for people who just do not have licenses. If you walk across the border and get pulled over and don’t have a driver’s license, you can say your name is Mr. X. Then, the second time, you can say you’re Mr. Y, because you legally don’t exist on any record anyplace. These people are not giving their real names and their real information. If you get caught driving without a license, you would have to be fingerprinted so if you get caught a second time, you cannot lie about who you are.”
Lon Anderson, a spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said the bill also would improve road safety by reducing the number of unlicensed drivers.
“Unlicensed drivers are an important part of the driving population that we need to focus on,” he said. “When they are unlicensed, they are also uninsured. We have thousands of people driving around our region without insurance, and that is a real problem that impacts all of us. When they are in crashes, society pays.”
jrogalsky@dcexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
6:16 PM MST on Thu., Feb. 14, 2008 re: "Architect of driver fees votes for repeal"
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10:55 PM MST on Mon., Feb. 4, 2008
re: "Dems: Replace abuser fees with gas tax"
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10:44 PM MST on Mon., Feb. 4, 2008
re: "Moves afoot to repeal 'abuser-fees' bill"
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1:38 PM MST on Mon., Jan. 14, 2008
re: "Dems: Replace abuser fees with gas tax"
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7:23 PM MST on Sun., Jan. 13, 2008
re: "Dems: Replace abuser fees with gas tax"
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3:09 PM MST on Sat., Jan. 5, 2008
re: "Va. lawmakers seek stiffer penalties, arrests, prison for unlicensed drivers"
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2:45 PM MST on Thu., Dec. 27, 2007
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12:38 AM MST on Thu., Dec. 27, 2007
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6:27 AM MST on Wed., Dec. 26, 2007
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6:07 AM MST on Wed., Dec. 26, 2007
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5:56 AM MST on Wed., Dec. 26, 2007
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Examiner Reader said:
Albo has a new scamn now. He just won't give it up
119 agree | 114 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
that's a great idea, lets raise the gas tax.? that way our money will go towards fixing the roads that no one will be able to afford to drive on cause the gas prices are so high. our govt constantly wants to rob peter to pay paul. how about our govt make attempts to fix the problem instead of putting bandages on everything. our economy is down the toilet but everyone seems to want to be in denial about that. grow up people, canada's economy is worth more than ours; our economy is crap. why don't we take responsability for that. it's not canada's fault their govt is not as greedy as ours.
121 agree | 130 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
we need to get off of our lazy american butts and vote all the rich new age Adolf Hitler's out of office. the poor people seem to be the only one's suffering with all these new ignorant laws. if the issue is to raise taxes why do the higher taxes mainly affect the population that barely make enough money to survive. before long there will be no middle class is virginia even though the middle class puts more money back into the economy than the wealthy do. oh that's right the wealthy are the ones making all these stupid laws because they don't want to be the ones paying higher taxes. WHY ARE THE RICH GETTING RICHER AND THE POOR GETTING POORER? Robin Hood might actually be on only one to fix this horrible economy our politicians have put us in.
118 agree | 121 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
albo will have someone run against him sooner or later and when he is voted out,i think he needs to retire,(SHADY PINES )mabe they have a good staff there that can help people when there minds wonder.
140 agree | 125 disagree
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Jim said:
The Albo Fees must go. They cost more in hate than they made the state. If they are not repealed and fees refunded, they will eventualy be ruled unconstitunal
120 agree | 106 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
good....about time.
137 agree | 144 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
These are the guys who came up with the abuser fee idea. Now, anyone whose license is suspended for nonpayment of the abuser fees will be subject to immediate arrest and 30 day impoundment of the vehicle. Guess that got lost in the fine print here. Check out the actual language of HB 91 and HB 123. Also would apply to a teen out driving illegally on a learner's permit. Automatic arrest, fingerprint and photo and the family car? gone for 30 days unless mom and dad can prove they didn't know the kid was driving.
152 agree | 151 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
They are all skanks lead by a chief skank named Albo Time to get the hell out of this state... It will be California east soon enough
157 agree | 131 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
hey david albo what if i forgot to put my liscence in my pocket? oh yeah a heavy heavy unfair fine compliments to a bill you authored, and was passed. you shiesty lawyers keep draining the blood out of all virginians until the point of extinction. screw your bill. just another tactic to swell your bank accounts and those of your greedy lawyer friends!
172 agree | 144 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I think of all the states, VA tends to go a little overboard with the punishments as far as driving privileges...I lived in VA for 2 yrs, I also work for an attorney in VA...the ways VA has found to screw over the "little guy" is unbelievable to me...but I do agree that illegal immigrants cannot continue to get away with driving around with no license, they can't read street signs, cause accidents, etc...I've seen WAY too much of that too, just drive the Beltway...
165 agree | 113 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
With this kind of LAW only the LEGALS will survive, fair enough.
149 agree | 140 disagree
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