Tens of thousands of California drivers have had traffic fines and court fees reduced under an amnesty program pushed by Gov. Jerry Brown to help the poor.

State court officials said Tuesday that more than 58,000 drivers have received cost reductions in the first three months of an 18-month program that started in October.

When he announced the program in May, Brown called the traffic court system a “hellhole of desperation” for the poor who lose driving privileges because they can’t afford skyrocketing traffic fines or miss a court date.

The Department of Motor Vehicles reports that about 612,000 people currently have a suspended driver’s license for failure to appear or pay.


At least 3.3 million traffic tickets are eligible for the amnesty program.

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