WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs applauds Committee Chair Allen and the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety of the D.C. Council for advancing Bill 22-408, the Fare Evasion Decriminalization Amendment Act of 2017, out of Committee. When enacted, the bill will make evading fare on WMATA buses and trains a civil offense punishable by a fine. Currently, fare evasion is a crime that can result in arrest, jail time, and/or a fine of up to $300. The bill, was introduced by Councilmembers Trayon White, Anita Bonds, Mary Cheh, David Grosso, Kenyan McDuffie, Brianne Nadeau, Elissa Silverman, and Robert White in July of 2017.
The Committee Print of the bill also reduced to civil infractions other minor offenses on public transit that are currently categorized as crimes, including eating and drinking, playing a radio, and operating roller skates, among others. Under Bill 22-408, the penalty for these offenses, including fare evasion, would be a fine of up to $50, which is consistent with WMATA’s current practice when it issues citations.
Fare evasion citations can result in someone being arrested, spending time in jail, and having a criminal record for the rest of their lives. This law has been enforced almost exclusively against African-American Metro riders, especially young African-American men. 91% of the more than 20,000 citations or summonses issued during a two-year period were issued to black people, despite being less than half of the District’s population, with 46% were given to black youth. Out of more than 30,000 stops during that same period, almost one-third of those took place at just two stations – Gallery Place and Anacostia – and more than one-third of stops took place east of the Anacostia River.
“A criminal citation for fare evasion can have serious and life-long consequences,” said Marques Banks, Equal Justice Works Fellow at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee. “These consequences are being borne almost exclusively by African–Americans riders. This inequitable enforcement does not make us safer. It erodes trust in law enforcement and contributes to the criminalization of DC’s young African-American men.”
As Councilmember and Chair of the Judiciary Committee Charles Allen wrote in support of the bill, “There is no evidence showing arresting people for fare evasion, as opposed to giving them a ticket, is reducing assaults or making our system safer, only more inequitable.”
We are grateful Councilmember Allen’s leadership and to the Judiciary Committee for bringing this important bill one step closer to a final vote. We look forward to working with the Council on this important bill.
Gregg Kelley
Director of Development & Communications
Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs
(202) 310-1000 Ext. 155
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ABOUT THE WASHINGTON LAWYERS’ COMMITTEE: The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs was established in 1968 to provide pro bono legal services to address issues of discrimination and entrenched poverty. Since then, it has successfully handled thousands of civil rights cases on behalf of individuals and groups in the areas of fair housing, equal employment opportunity, public accommodations, immigrant rights, disability rights, public education, and prisoners’ rights. For more information, please visit www.washlaw.org.