Michael DiFrancesco, a 22-year-old man from Bozeman, Montana, never had a chance. In 2009, DiFrancesco was convicted of being a minor in possession of alcohol and fined $185. He was ordered to pay for and complete a substance abuse course, neither of which he could afford.
DiFrancesco’s driver license was later suspended due to the fines and he was ordered to pay a $100 reinstatement fee.
He has since racked up $4,000 in unpaid fines for convictions for driving without a license, and he spent about five months in jail.
Without a license, DiFrancesco is unable to work consistently, causing him to lose employment and become homeless.
In August, DiFrancesco filed a federal lawsuit arguing that “Montana has trapped him in an inescapable cycle of poverty.”
Like so many millions of others, DiFrancesco cannot be productive due to government impositions, licensing laws, and punishments.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports that Montana’s Attorney General’s office is seeking dismissal of the lawsuit.
