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Like hundreds of thousands of other Texas motorists, Thomas Reader found himself in an unending debt spiral as a result of the state's Drivers Responsibility Act. Due to the program's surcharges and late fees, Reader owed $13,000 to the state-an amount he simply couldn't pay until he was finally granted a form of amnesty. The occupational license, which was a direct result of this program, limited his ability to drive, and as a DoorDasher his increased time on the road only meant increased exposure to police looking to write tickets to secure revenue. When Reader, out of frustration, "flipped the bird" at a Texas Sheriff patrol car, officers conveniently claimed to have witnessed a traffic violation, pulling Reader over and arresting him. Taya Graham and Stephen Janis of the Police Accountability Report examine the footage in the case and its wider implications on the corrosive power of revenue-motivated policing, which is increasingly a factor in the behavior of law enforcement nationwide.
Studio Production: Stephen Janis
Post-Production: Stephe Janis, Adam Coley
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