Current through 2024 Legislative Session Act Chapter 531
Section 4127 - Unlawful evasion of Delaware Turnpike and the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway; harassment of toll collectors; penalty; appeal; jurisdiction; payment of minimum fine before trial(a) No vehicle shall be used on any part of the Delaware Turnpike, the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway or any other State toll road except upon payment of such tolls as may from time to time be prescribed by the Department of Transportation of this State.(b) It is unlawful for any person to refuse to pay, to evade or attempt to evade the payment of such toll. Any such violation regarding the payment of tolls shall be an unclassified misdemeanor, and shall be punishable by a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $100, or imprisonment for not less than 10 nor more than 30 days, or both.(c) Any person convicted under this section shall have the right of an appeal as prescribed in § 708 of this title.(d) In the event of an arrest for the violation of this section, the person arrested shall be taken before a justice of the peace whose regular office is nearest to the place where such person was arrested. The person so arrested shall have the privilege of electing to have the case tried and determined in the Court of Common Pleas as provided in § 5901 of Title 11.(e) Any peace officer may stop and arrest, with or without a warrant, any person abroad who the police officer has reasonable ground to suspect is committing, has committed or is attempting to commit a violation of this section.(f) Any person arrested for violations of this section shall have the right to appear before the committing justice of the peace on or before the date and time set for trial and pay the minimum fine for each such offense or to mail the minimum fine to the committing justice of the peace provided that such remittance is mailed at least 2 days before the date set for the trial. Court costs shall not be assessed if the fine is paid pursuant to this subsection, any statute or court rule of this State notwithstanding. The court shall mail a receipt indicating the payment of a fine pursuant to this subsection if the person paying such fine makes a written request for a receipt and encloses a self-addressed envelope with postage affixed thereon.(g) If any vehicle is witnessed by a police officer, toll collector or video surveillance device, to be in violation of subsection (b) of this section, and the identity of the operator is not otherwise apparent, it shall be a rebuttable presumption that the person in whose name the vehicle is registered committed such violation of subsection (b) of this section.(h) Any person who commits an act of offensive touching, presents payment in the form of an obviously unsanitary piece of United States currency, or who commits any act knowing that one is thereby likely to cause offense or alarm to an on duty toll collector, will be guilty of an unclassified misdemeanor.21 Del. C. 1953, § 4127; 57 Del. Laws, c. 456; 58 Del. Laws, c. 198; 60 Del. Laws, c. 701, § 26; 68 Del. Laws, c. 9, §26; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 342, §§ 1 - 4; 71 Del. Laws, c. 13, § 3; 77 Del. Laws, c. 60, § 10.;