We've discussed before how minor infractions, when combined with a person's inability to pay, court fees, and predatory practices of private probation companies, can ruin someone's life. (See, for instance, here and here.)
In today's New York Times, read this story about how the loss of a driver's license — one consequence of falling down the minor-infraction rabbit-hole — can be particularly devastating (a subject we've also touched on before, here). Here's the NYT link.