phyregod
!!YTINASNI
Well, I got yet another taste of the american legal system today, via jury duty. Some smaller cities survive solely from the revenue of traffic tickets. Now I see how they can warp anything to their advantage.
I got this in the mail a few days ago..
Now, a short story / my thoughts on the whole thing.
I show up at 8:20am, finish my coffee, check in, and step into the court room. Roughly 20 jurrors have been summoned to this "municiple" case. Someone is fighting a traffic ticket. No prob. We all get sworn in, sit down, and the prosecuting attorney calls the attention of the court. She (the defendant) is fighting a no insurance and no Driver's licenses ticket. (Ok.. The first thought.. Did the bitch have insurance and a license or not?? She did not.) There were 4 officers in the room who were "witnesses". Now, I could see fighting a speeding ticket, or a failure to stop ticket or whatever, but this was a complete waste of time. So this bitch is clearly abusing the legal system.
I hate her already.
Anyway, we must rewind just a little.. Before being sworn in, there was roll call of the jurrors. 5 failed to appear, and were immediately fined $100 each by the judge. Isn't that magical. Even if she wins and they have to drop the case, the court just made $500. Now this bitch has inconvenienced 20 of us, gotten 5 people fined $100 each, simply because she didn't want to pay her fucking tickets.
Anyway, the case goes on. She sits silently in her chair, squirming every once in a while. The prosecuting attorney absolutely slaughters her and she doesn't even make a statement NOT A WORD. Case closed. She gets fined I forget how much for each incident + "court costs".
A complete waste of fucking time, and the state made around $1k in a matter of 10 minutes. We are now excused.
P.S. In my experience working as a bail bondsman, let me tell you a little more about those 5 poor bastards who failed to appear and got fined. IF they did not change their address with the state, the state mailed the jury duty card to the wrong address. They will now get another letter stating that they have been fined and will have to show up for court within 10 working days. This will go to the same bad address. They will not show for court, and now they have a "contempt of court" charge as well as a "failure to appear" (fta) charge. FTA's in the municiple court generally cost somewhere between $250-500.. Anyway, for failing to appear a warrant is issued for their arrest. They get pulled over in bum-fucked egypt for speeding or whatever. The cop arrests them, has their car towed, puts them in jail where they have to make bail. So, this is where the bondsman's pockets get greased. Anyway, we get our money, then they have to show up for court again. This time they actually know about it and show up. Of course after paying the towing company up to three times the normal tow fee, and the bail bondsman his fee. Now the judge says "plead no contest, we'll fine you $100 for contempt of court and $250 (or whatever) for the failure to appear. Plus a surcharge for your arrest and "court costs"". The poor bastard drops his $700 in the secretary's lap, snags his receipt and heads out the door.
"And that my friends, is the rest of the story."
Just think of the loop if the poor bastard pleads "not guilty".. It is infinitive.
I got this in the mail a few days ago..
Now, a short story / my thoughts on the whole thing.
I show up at 8:20am, finish my coffee, check in, and step into the court room. Roughly 20 jurrors have been summoned to this "municiple" case. Someone is fighting a traffic ticket. No prob. We all get sworn in, sit down, and the prosecuting attorney calls the attention of the court. She (the defendant) is fighting a no insurance and no Driver's licenses ticket. (Ok.. The first thought.. Did the bitch have insurance and a license or not?? She did not.) There were 4 officers in the room who were "witnesses". Now, I could see fighting a speeding ticket, or a failure to stop ticket or whatever, but this was a complete waste of time. So this bitch is clearly abusing the legal system.
I hate her already.
Anyway, we must rewind just a little.. Before being sworn in, there was roll call of the jurrors. 5 failed to appear, and were immediately fined $100 each by the judge. Isn't that magical. Even if she wins and they have to drop the case, the court just made $500. Now this bitch has inconvenienced 20 of us, gotten 5 people fined $100 each, simply because she didn't want to pay her fucking tickets.
Anyway, the case goes on. She sits silently in her chair, squirming every once in a while. The prosecuting attorney absolutely slaughters her and she doesn't even make a statement NOT A WORD. Case closed. She gets fined I forget how much for each incident + "court costs".
A complete waste of fucking time, and the state made around $1k in a matter of 10 minutes. We are now excused.
P.S. In my experience working as a bail bondsman, let me tell you a little more about those 5 poor bastards who failed to appear and got fined. IF they did not change their address with the state, the state mailed the jury duty card to the wrong address. They will now get another letter stating that they have been fined and will have to show up for court within 10 working days. This will go to the same bad address. They will not show for court, and now they have a "contempt of court" charge as well as a "failure to appear" (fta) charge. FTA's in the municiple court generally cost somewhere between $250-500.. Anyway, for failing to appear a warrant is issued for their arrest. They get pulled over in bum-fucked egypt for speeding or whatever. The cop arrests them, has their car towed, puts them in jail where they have to make bail. So, this is where the bondsman's pockets get greased. Anyway, we get our money, then they have to show up for court again. This time they actually know about it and show up. Of course after paying the towing company up to three times the normal tow fee, and the bail bondsman his fee. Now the judge says "plead no contest, we'll fine you $100 for contempt of court and $250 (or whatever) for the failure to appear. Plus a surcharge for your arrest and "court costs"". The poor bastard drops his $700 in the secretary's lap, snags his receipt and heads out the door.
"And that my friends, is the rest of the story."
Just think of the loop if the poor bastard pleads "not guilty".. It is infinitive.
