2-23-22 fdl judge issues new suspension guidelines for excessive speeding violations

A retiring Fond  du Lac County Circuit judge is instituting  new drivers license suspension guidelines for drivers caught speeding at least 25 miles an hour over the posted limit.  Judge Peter Grimm says he is instituting the new policy to bring consistency to the length of suspension and after an unusually high number of speeding tickets  issued last year for 25 mph or higher over the posted speed.  “I think drivers should know that we are treating them all consistently,”  judge Grimm told WFDL news.  During  three intake weeks last June Grimm says he handled 23 speeding tickets for at least 25 miles an hour above the posted limit.  “I look at those numbers, ten were people under age 22, and that’s why I thought on reflection, if I create these guidelines it’s going to be a teaching moment for younger drivers, their parents, drivers ed instructors.”    Under the new policy the length of suspension would be 30 days for 25 mph over the posted limit, 80 days for 30 miles an hour over and 180 days for 40 miles an hour over.  If you’re ticketed for 50 miles an hour over, the license suspension would be 280 days.   “The idea was to tell a driver if you’re going to speed every mile per hour counts.  If you’re going to do 25 (over) that’s fine, if you’re going to do 30 it’s going to be higher,”  Grimm said.   Grimm says its a trial run and he’ll see how it works.  Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s captain Bill Tadych  says the Sheriff’s  Office supports the new policy.   Tadych says there should be consequences.  “I’ll give you ten, 15, 20 (mph over the limit) but after that you know that you’re hauling the mail.”  Especially 50 miles an hour.  Come on, there’s no excuse that you can give me and rationalize to say that’s okay.”   The new policy will be in effect for Judge Grimm’s final traffic intake court March 14 through April  8.