Cook County judge rules Chicago overcharged residents for parking tickets, other violations

CHICAGO - A Cook County judge has ruled that for more than a decade, the City of Chicago improperly charged residents millions of dollars in parking tickets and other violations.

What we know:

The case was granted class action status on June 29, 2023.

Last week, the judge ruled in favor of drivers who challenged the city’s ticketing practices, according to attorneys representing the group.

The lawsuit argued that Illinois law prohibits Chicago from assessing more than $250 in fines and penalties for "standing, parking, [or] compliance" violations, including city sticker tickets.

However, the suit alleged the city charged as much as $400 for city sticker violations and went over the $250 limit for several other types of tickets.

In the ruling, the judge found the city "systematically overcharged" residents on about a million tickets issued since 2012.

As a result, the city is reportedly liable for more than $163 million in illegally assessed fines and penalties.

Attorney Jacie Zolna, who represents the group and previously won a $40 million class action lawsuit against the city over its red-light camera program, called the ruling "a victory for all working people in Chicago who have been unfairly burdened with the City’s expensive and out of control ticketing."

"For years, the City has used ticket revenue to balance its budget on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens," he said.

According to the Sun-Times, the city plans to appeal the ruling.

What we don't know:

The ruling could mean refunds for drivers, but details on how funds would be doled out remain unclear.