Now, Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley has paused the ticket-writing practice, and a municipal court judge began dismissing cases on Tuesday.
In Lorain, the city allowed auxiliary officers — who don’t hold police powers — to target parking violators with criminal summonses for minor infractions such as parking more than a foot from a curb or on a lawn.
The news outlet "Marshall Project - Cleveland" reviewed thousands of parking cases, spent hours in court, and talked to more than 25 people about their citations and suspensions.
The news outlet "Marshall Project - Cleveland" reviewed thousands of parking cases, spent hours in court, and talked to more than 25 people about their citations and suspensions.
In some cases, people were ordered to appear in Lorain Municipal Court within days of being cited for receiving a parking violation. For those who didn’t come to court, suspension orders soon followed, records show.
While most large Ohio cities issue only token fines, in recent years, Lorain Municipal Court judges ordered almost 600 license suspensions from parking tickets, according to court records. That’s on top of the fines that can range from $50 to $100.
The citations also often required car owners to stand before a judge in a packed courtroom as if they had committed theft, disorderly conduct or driving while intoxicated.
Attorneys with The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland said The Marshall Project - Cleveland’s reporting shines a light on what it calls “unlawful license suspensions” that can impact housing eligibility, employment opportunities and financial stability for some people.
Lorain is one of the 10 biggest cities in Ohio. But The Marshall Project - Cleveland found the city is the only one that suspends driver’s licenses for a single unpaid parking violation.
Lorain is one of the 10 biggest cities in Ohio. But The Marshall Project - Cleveland found the city is the only one that suspends driver’s licenses for a single unpaid parking violation.
None of the other large cities require violators to appear for criminal arraignments in court. Each city classifies the tickets as civil infractions.
Lorain Police Chief Michael Failing said individuals should not have a license suspension over a parking ticket.
A 2019 ordinance update raised parking fines to $50 if paid within 72 hours, and $100 if paid after 72 hours. The legislation also stated that people who did not pay within 72 hours should be notified by certified mail and ordered to appear in court. But that practice was not happening, and vehicle owners were not notified, court records show.
A 2019 ordinance update raised parking fines to $50 if paid within 72 hours, and $100 if paid after 72 hours. The legislation also stated that people who did not pay within 72 hours should be notified by certified mail and ordered to appear in court. But that practice was not happening, and vehicle owners were not notified, court records show.
The Lorain ordinance was tweaked again in November 2024 when the City Council gave the auxiliary unit the expanded power to write citations for all parking violations. Since that time, 1,155 citations were issued, and judges ordered 303 license suspensions, court records show.
Judge Mark Mihok said he did not know the ordinance required letters to be sent to violators. He said the Lorain Clerk of Courts should have sent the letters, but a clerk’s employee said they were never instructed to send letters.
Judge Mihok said he has felt pressure from the Lorain City Council and the mayor’s office to get money, especially after the state legislature passed a new law aimed at helping people with debt-related suspensions. He called traffic and parking tickets “a moneymaker, so we enforce tickets.” Judge Mihok said state lawmakers never lumped parking tickets into the new law.
Judge Mark Mihok said he did not know the ordinance required letters to be sent to violators. He said the Lorain Clerk of Courts should have sent the letters, but a clerk’s employee said they were never instructed to send letters.
Judge Mihok said he has felt pressure from the Lorain City Council and the mayor’s office to get money, especially after the state legislature passed a new law aimed at helping people with debt-related suspensions. He called traffic and parking tickets “a moneymaker, so we enforce tickets.” Judge Mihok said state lawmakers never lumped parking tickets into the new law.
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