District Attorney Seth Edwards, of Beaufort, Martin, Washington, Tyrell, and Hyde Counties, has showed a commitment to help people with long-term debt-based driver’s license suspension by promising to execute traffic debt relief programs in Beaufort County and the other counties in his district. Court data and personal stories reveal there are thousands of Beaufort County residents who have long-term driver’s license suspensions due to their inability to pay their traffic ticket(s).

North Carolina is one of several states that automatically suspends a person’s driver’s license for failure to pay. This means that many of our neighbors and community members may lose a drivers’ license on average for eight years because they couldn’t pay for a ticket. This can be devastating for someone who needs to get back and forth to work, medical appointments and pick up kids from school. Many people fall into a perpetual cycle of suspension, and currently, more than 300,000 North Carolinians are not able to legally drive because of Debt-based suspension has devastating impacts on them, their families, other drivers, and our entire community.

While the North Carolina General Assembly has the power to change state law and end or significantly limit debt-based driver’s license suspension, district attorneys have the power to combat traffic debt causing long-term driver’s license suspension for residents in their district. Having this program in Beaufort, Martin, Washington, Tyrell and Hyde Counties will show an ongoing commitment to second chances for many of us living in Eastern North Carolina.

Several counties across the state have taken up data-driven mass debt relief programs including Gaston, Rockingham, Pitt, New Hanover, Mecklenburg, Caswell, Nash, Edgecombe, Wilson, Durham, and Cumberland Counties. As community members we are grateful that our district attorney understands that justice includes second chances.

We are pleased that District Attorney Edwards has promised to hold the program and look forward to when he puts his promise into action. We stand ready and committed to support his efforts to direct relief to people in our community striving for better opportunities.  

Sign this petition to show your support for District Attorney Edwards using his power to reduce debt-based driver's license suspensions for people in Beaufort  Martin, Washington, Tyrrell, and Hyde Counties.