Municipal courts checking for fake auto insurance cards

Oct. 06--TUPELO -- Mississippi has required proof of automobile liability insurance since 2001, but some residents are apparently willing to risk prison time to avoid paying the premiums.

If someone presents a fake or altered insurance card to a police officer or a court official, they could be charged with a felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and/or up to a $10,000 fine.

"You're taking a big risk (by presenting false information) and it's not worth it," said Capt. Jerry Davis, chief of detectives for the Tupelo Police Department.

If a motorist is stopped and doesn't have proof of insurance. They will be given a ticket. If they can show the court they had insurance at the time, a judge will dismiss the case. If they present a card showing they got insurance after being stopped, the amount of the fine will drop from $608 to $208 in Tupelo.

Before each session of the Tupelo Municipal Court, administrator John Knight makes an announcement that anyone presenting a fake insurance card is subject to being charged with a felony.

"You'd be surprised how many people still try to do it," Knight said.

According to Davis, some people will try to take advantage ofimprovements in printer technology and print out a fake card or even try to alter the dates on an existing card.

But not everyone has access to a top-quality printer or advanced computer software. Most of the time, the fraudulent cards don't make it past the court clerks.

"They know what to look for," Knight said. "The clerks spot most of them because they are so obvious.

"If we are suspicious, we will call the insurance company and ask. If it is fake or altered, we'lltake them to the back and call detectives. The last one we had was about a month ago."

When the law was first passed, the fine for not having proof of insurance was around $1,200. Knight said it was not uncommon to see someone who just didn't want to buy insurance get stopped two or three times before their case would come up in court.

"The fines could really add up in a hurry," Knight said. "Even at $608, if you get caught three times, that's almost $2,000. If you have a car, you're supposed to have insurance. We try to make it easier on folks who do get insurance.

"Even if someone comes in with old charges from a couple of years ago, if they have insurance now, we'll knock off the $400 on each of the charges."

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