EDITORIAL: Crack down on driving scofflaws

Every once in a while, you see something in the paper that makes your blood boil. Nothing to do with the state of the federal government or any of that. Just a local story about a guy who got pulled over for speeding on a Tuesday morning. But this wasn't your ordinary traffic stop. It turns out that 41-year-old David Swartz of Broadalbin already had 22 active license suspensions on his record when he was stopped for speeding in Clifton Park on Tuesday. The suspensions were the result of 18 distinct violations on 10 different dates. And all the while, he was thumbing his nose at the law and our system of justice. State lawmakers need to plug this leak in the justice system before the next innocent motorist is killed or injured by one of these drivers. Yes, this individual is to blame for his actions. But he's not alone. He was aided and abetted by the very justice system that he so brazenly flouted. After the Clifton Park stop, he was charged with a felony and faces up to four years in a prison and a $5,000 fine. But that's now. The big question is why did it take so long for the justice system to catch up to him in the first place? State lawmakers need to look at this case to more effectively punish scofflaws like this. For instance, how does someone get stopped by police 18 times and have their license suspended 22 times and get released without a serious penalty? How did the last judge turn him loose after the 17th violation and 21st suspension? Does the state have a record-keeping issue? Did the courts not know about the past suspensions before letting him go? In that case, the state needs to update its computer system and update its cooperative agreements with other states. Is it the traffic laws? Are they not a sufficient enough of a deterrent to discourage people with suspended licenses from driving anyway? Do judges have enough discretion to hand out effective punishment? Even with tougher laws, the state would still have to deal with how to keep someone like this person from driving. In some cases, the state seizes the registration of the vehicle. If someone drives an unregistered vehicle, the state could seize it. That could discourage a friend or family member from loaning him their vehicle. Or the state could treat drivers like this the way it treats some drunk drivers, by forcing them to lease a device that identifies them and prevents them from starting a car. If jail space is an issue, the state could assign drivers with multiple suspensions an ankle monitor for house arrest, allowing them only to go to and from work. And make them pay for the device. They could put him in jail for a few years, but after the third or fourth violation, not the 21st. Either way, this guy slipped through a system not secure enough to stop him. Oh, and if all this didn't make you enraged enough, after his latest arrest, he was issued an appearance ticket and released. We can't wait to see how he gets to his court appearance this time. Hopefully, it's in a taxi.