DC AG sues five Maryland and Virginia drivers for ‘dangerous and illegal conduct’ – Washington Examiner
Washington D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb has filed lawsuits against five drivers from Maryland and Virginia, claiming they owe a total of $425,000 in unpaid fines, penalties, and fees for “dangerous and illegal conduct” on D.C. streets. This action is part of the efforts under the Strengthening Traffic Enforcement, Education, and Responsibility (STEER) Act, which allows D.C. to hold out-of-state drivers accountable for traffic violations. The lawsuits target drivers who have accumulated numerous traffic citations over the years, with one driver reportedly having 344 infractions within a two-year period. Schwalb emphasized the commitment to ensuring accountability for dangerous driving behaviors that pose risks to the safety of residents and visitors in the District. The legislation aims to address the lack of consequences for dangerous driving, especially for offenders from neighboring states without ticket reciprocity agreements.
DC AG sues five Maryland and Virginia drivers for ‘dangerous and illegal conduct’
Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced lawsuits against five drivers from Maryland and Virginia for $425,000 in unpaid fines, penalties, and fees owed to the district for “dangerous and illegal conduct on DC streets.”
Schwalb announced the lawsuits, using the Strengthening Traffic Enforcement, Education, and Responsibility, or STEER, Act, on Tuesday after he previously invoked the law to sue three Maryland drivers for their unpaid fines for unlawful driving activities. The legal action comes as Washington officials have aimed to crack down on drivers from outside the district breaking traffic laws and avoiding penalties.
“Too many drivers think they can speed recklessly through the District, putting the safety of Washingtonians and visitors at risk, with no financial consequences for their lawlessness,” Schwalb said in a statement. “These suits reflect our continuing commitment: if your actions behind the wheel put people’s lives at risk, we will hold you accountable, no matter where you live.”
The lawsuits announced Tuesday were against Maryland driver Charles V. Sanders Jr., and Virginia drivers Ayanna Khalya Wilson, Omar Rahmouni El Idrissi, Dejene A. Abebe, and Pedro James Baker.
The traffic infractions in the lawsuit were committed from June 2010 through September 2024, with most of them coming in recent years. Each of the accused has more than 100 traffic citations during that time span. Sanders had 344 traffic infractions from May 2020 through June 2022, averaging five speeding tickets per week from March 2021 through July 2022.
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The lawsuits are being brought with the STEER Act, which went into effect last year, and allows the district to sue regardless of where someone lives for unpaid traffic fines.
“We need more accountability for people who choose to drive dangerously and also better government systems to make that happen,” Washington, D.C., Councilman Charles Allen, who wrote the law, said in a statement last year. “Right now, there are few meaningful consequences for people who drive recklessly or rack up unpaid tickets from our traffic cameras, especially if they’re from other states without what’s called ‘ticket reciprocity’ — i.e., Maryland and Virginia.”
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