DMV barred from suspending licenses for failure to pay fines

A federal judge has granted an injunction to stop Virginia's Department of Motor Vehicles from enforcing a law requiring automatic license suspensions for failure to pay court fines.

U.S. District Judge Norman Moon ordered DMV Commissioner Rick Holcomb to remove suspensions on three plaintiffs' licenses and $145 penalties to reinstate their driving privileges.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch

the ruling came Friday, three days after Gov. Ralph Northam criticized the agency's enforcement policy.

Angel Ciolfi is director of the Legal Aid Justice Center, which joined a law firm in contesting the matter. She described the ruling as a "victory for the Constitution and for common sense."

Attorney General Mark Herring's spokesman says the office will "take the time needed to consider the judge's opinion" before deciding how to proceed.