A man who was pulled over for speeding in Georgia says he initially received a ticket for $1.4 million.
The astronomical figure, which is notably not in line with state law regarding misdemeanors, was later said by city officials in Savannah to be a mere “placeholder" amount. But the man in question, identified in a regional WSAV report as Connor Cato, has further alleged that he was previously told he had to either “pay the amount on the ticket” or head to court.
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Cato was going 90 in a 55 mph zone last month when he was pulled over by Georgia State Patrol. When he later learned what he thought was the amount of the ticket, he reached out to the court for clarification and later to WSAV.
“I told them, ‘This might be a typo. … I’m not sure,’ and I told them the amount it was,” Cato told reporter Tyler Nicole. “She said, ‘No sir. That’s the correct amount. You either pay the $1.4 million or appear in court.’”
Noted in the original report and elsewhere is that Savannah officials have since addressed this story by calling the $1.4 million a "placeholder" pending a judge's decision on the final ticket amount up to $1,000. When reached for comment by Complex on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the City of Savannah’s Office of Marketing and Communications reiterated those remarks. The rep also pointed out that e-citation language will be changed moving forward.
"The balance reflected in the e-citation is a placeholder, not a fine," the city spokesperson said in an email. "The fine for a super speeder ticket can only be set by a judge at the court appearance and cannot exceed $1,000 plus state mandated costs. Since super speeders are required to go to court, the software automatically puts in a $999,999.99 base amount plus state mandated costs. Recorders Court is adjusting the language in e-citations in order to avoid future confusion."
Complex has also reached out to Georgia State Patrol for additional comment. This story may be updated.
