Maryland
5 Maryland drivers owe DC more than $625K in unpaid traffic tickets, lawsuits say
Marylanders are often regarded as some of the worst drivers in the nation, and a string of lawsuits by the District of Columbia’s Office of the Attorney General is not helping our case.
Five Maryland drivers owe the district more than $625,000, collectively, for unpaid traffic citations. Most of the 1,966 violations are for excessive speeding. Many of the Maryland drivers also had Virginia license plates despite not living in the state.
For decades, Marylanders chose to register their cars in Virginia because the state allows drivers to pay an uninsured motorist fee instead of buying auto insurance. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles doesn’t require in-state residency to register. The state rolled out the fee in 2024.
Under the Strengthening Traffic Enforcement, Education and Responsibility Act, the attorney general’s office can hold nonresident drivers accountable for D.C. traffic laws. The law took effect in October 2024, and the office has filed 29 lawsuits and won 10 judgments since then, according to the news release.
Michael William Hall Jr., who resides in Prince George’s County, got 826 speeding tickets between 2021 and 2025, with 87 constituting aggravated reckless driving. The fines ranged from $100 to $500 each, before the addition of penalties for failing to pay previous tickets and repeat violations. The traffic violations span across 15 Maryland license plates, five Virginia license plates and one D.C. license plate. Hall owes $284,550 to the district.
The other Maryland residents in the lawsuit owe significantly less than Hall. The office is suing Wayne Proctor, who lives in Charles County, for $155,220. He has 530 traffic citations from between 2020 and 2025 across two Maryland license plates and three Virginia plates. Most of the citations are for speeding, running red lights and running stop signs.
Anne Arundel County resident Tameisha Monai Williams owes the district $122,610 for 324 traffic citations across six Maryland license plates and two Virginia plates. Andrew Jerry Kirkland and Dabreon Shavone Bryan from Prince George’s County each owe more than $30,000 in fines.
The office also settled with two drivers who committed to pay thousands of dollars in fines and taking a safe driving course.
A University of Maryland (UMD) football player was arrested for harassment, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
Dontay Joyner, a defensive back and rising senior at UMD, was charged with telephone misuse for making repeated calls, electronic communications harassment, and violating release conditions, a misdemeanor offense, according to court records.
Joyner’s attorney is calling the ordeal “outrageous,” saying “[Joyner] has been locked in a cage in Harford County for seven nights after being charged with a misdemeanor for telephone misuse for texting his longtime girlfriend during an argument. This is simply outrageous.”
Joyner’s attorney, Former Attorney General Douglas Gansler, said the 21-year-old has never been in trouble with the law and does not own a handgun. According to Gansler, Joyner’s girlfriend is “fully supportive of him and does not want to press charges.”
According to the UMD Terps website, Joyner is a Lakeland, Florida, native who previously attended Arkansas State. In the spring, Joyner was given the Nick Cross Defensive Back Award in a tradition that honors “past terrapin greats.”
According to court records, Joyner was held without bond.
WJZ has reached out to UMD officials for comment.
In Maryland, residents can find parades, concerts, history programs, fireworks, volunteer opportunities and family-friendly celebrations leading up to Independence Day.
America250, the national semiquincentennial initiative, is encouraging communities to take part through local commemorations, block parties, service projects and July 4 events. State and local commissions, historical societies, museums, libraries, parks departments and civic groups are also hosting events tied to the milestone.
-
Florida50 seconds agoEx-Florida juvenile probation officer accused of leaking court info to drug traffickers
-
Georgia4 minutes agoGeorgia National Fair announces ticket pricing changes for 2026
-
Hawaii9 minutes agoHawaii economy remains resilient despite inflation – The Garden Island
-
Idaho16 minutes agoIdaho Targets Japanese Beetle in Caldwell to Protect Agriculture
-
Illinois19 minutes agoPedestrian fatally struck by Metra train in Palatine, Illinois
-
Indiana24 minutes agoMan dies after near east side apartment shooting
-
Iowa31 minutes agoIowa man injured in 3-vehicle crash on I-35 near Albert Lea
-
Kentucky34 minutes agoDemetrus Liggins disputes Fayette County board’s claim he resigned, attorneys allege misconduct
