tours in iraq. now he's fighting a new battle in california. >> it was a simple seat belt ticket at first. a no front license plate. >> with added fees his $25 ticket jumped to 300 and 600 when he missed a court date. >> for a $25 fine you're looking now at over $500. >> 7:00 a.m. tuesday, hundreds wait tfine. >> i have had a ticket that went up to $5,000 before. >> for driving without plates and proof of insurance. >> you do one of three things. you either go to jail [ laughing ] community service or you pay. >> i'm a nurse and i still cannot afford to pay the ticket. >> i found out yesterday i have a warrant for my arrest. >> critics call the traffic citation system a racket that has nothing to do with justice. why? a $100 ticket jumps to 290 with state penalties. 416 with assessments.