Cookeville, TN, Judge creates class for unlicensed drivers. (safe, license)

[JD59]

COOKEVILLE -- One day recently as General Sessions Court Judge John Hudson sentenced yet another licenseless driver to community service sorting garbage, a thought struck him: there must be some better way to reach these people.
And that's how the Rules of the Road class was born.

Now, the judge is sentencing the approximately 20 persons per week brought before him for not having a driver's license to attend a four-hour class where they learn traffic rules.

Many of the offenders have never had a driver's license and "don't have a clue" about driving rules, Hudson said.

The judge arranged with the Progressive Sentencing Inc., a privately-owned probation supervision service, to set up a new class which will provide instruction in the basic "rules of the road," or safe driving practices.

Many of those charged with driving without a license are illegal immigrants who cannot get a driver's license and who become repeat offenders, Judge Hudson said. Even after being arrested and brought to court, they simply pay the fines, do the community service, and keep driving.

PSI's new rules of the road class will be taught by Barbara Allen, who speaks Spanish. She will focus on teaching safety rules of driving, such as what traffic signs mean. At the end of the course, the students will be required to pass a proficiency test.

"The goal is to make our roads safer if these people continue to drive, and they usually do," Judge Hudson said.

"We can't jail them for these offenses because there are just too many and our jail is at capacity now. It could require a whole jail to treat the cases that way."

http://www.herald-citizen.com/

[Hawkeye48]

This sounds like a great program for unlicensed drivers that are citizens. But for the illegals, they should be thrown out of the country. They shouldn't be here, and they certainly shouldn't be here driving.

[Jim280]

I was a judge here there would be a nice program for the illegals,*Chain Gang*