State officials say Californians owe more than $10 billion in court-ordered fines and restitution — including parking tickets — and courts and counties are doing a spotty job of collecting the money.
The Orange County Register reports that even when fines and fees are collected, the Legislative Analyst's Office says it isn't even sure the money is being counted correctly.
The state office says the collection process is plagued by incomplete and inconsistent reporting and miscalculation of performance measures.
Officials say that since the majority of court-ordered debt goes to the state, counties and courts have little incentive trying to collect it. They'd rather focus on collecting money they can keep a greater share of — such as probation fees or medical billings.
