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In the wrong place at the wrong time? Tough luck, says the state of Colorado. If you are arrested the police will charge you a $25 booking fee. If you can't pay on the spot, don't worry, they'll bill you. Even if charges are dismissed, or you are aquitted, you still pay a price! But fear not, if you can prove you are innocent (beyond reasonable doubt) you can get your money back. This is not something new, but something that people should be aware of.
Charon writes:
There is a case before the US Supreme Court, Nelson v. Colorado, which will be argued on Jan. 9, regarding the difficulty of getting fees and penalties refunded when defendants are found innocent.
And it's not just Colorado. Another case from Minnesota:
Corey Statham had $46 in his pockets when he was arrested in Ramsey County, Minn., and charged with disorderly conduct. He was released two days later, and the charges were dismissed.
But the county kept $25 of Mr. Statham's money as a "booking fee." It returned the remaining $21 on a debit card subject to an array of fees. In the end, it cost Mr. Statham $7.25 to withdraw what was left of his money.
The Supreme Court will soon consider whether to hear Mr. Statham's challenge to Ramsey County's fund-raising efforts, which are part of a national trend to extract fees and fines from people who find themselves enmeshed in the criminal justice system.
(Score: 0, Troll) by jdavidb on Thursday December 29 2016, @03:46PM
what else are they going to do? if you deny taxes to the people who work for the public interest (ha! I choked a bit on that bit of wording) then they will steal it some other way. they will find a way, and the way they find will be MUCH WORSE than if everyone just paid their fair share. but no. the repuglicans keep forcing this 'dont pay any more taxes!' bullshit
You explain perfectly in your post that we have a bunch of parasites and then castigate the Republicans for trying to starve the parasites. Seems like the solution is to fire the parasites.
ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
(Score: 4, Insightful) by TheRaven on Thursday December 29 2016, @04:29PM
sudo mod me up
(Score: 5, Insightful) by jmorris on Thursday December 29 2016, @05:32PM
Well if we are agreed they are parasites and cutting direct funding only inspired them to new levels of corruption, what is your solution? I can see two:
1. Double down on the penalties. These sort of things always start in Democrat Machine cities where they can prey on their helpless underclass. They can't sue, they don't even know how and it being a Machine it generally wouldn't matter anyway unless someone with really deep pockets donated the legal firepower to get such a minor case all they way into Federal Court. So RICO the Machines? Or just let the God Emperor go all in and RICO the Democratic Party in general?
2. Kill them. Give em "helicopter rides." Not the cops, the policymakers who thought this evil scheme up.
Somehow I doubt you find either of those acceptable, so what are we Republicans to do to bring relief to this oppression? Given our lack of control of the federal machinery (just having a POTUS doesn't mean much, especially a squishy "compassionate conservative) means we can't really do the two options I mentioned, ignoring the reality that 99% of elected Republicans would be terrified of #1 and vomit at the suggestion of #2, defund was the best option available.
This situation is pretty out of control, not this particular one the whole theme. Our justice system is totally broken. The process is the punishment in most cases. If you get arrested you will be lucky to see a judge within a month for anything but setting a date to talk about scheduling a trial. The system is setup to demand an unreasonable bond (a Constitutional violation) so the bailbond system can take a slice, you pay 10% up front to them and will never see it again win or lose. Now you need a lawyer, unless you want to risk your life on a public defender you better be able to pay up sucker. Next you decide whether you pay that lawyer to negotiate a plea deal or gear up for a multi-year battle. If the charge was a non-violent white collar crime you MIGHT actually be able to work while all this goes on, forget it if it is a violent crime in most of the careers that pay enough for a lawyer, so there goes the kid's college fund and your retirement. And if you somehow "win" in the end, you get precisely zero of any of that back. The process WAS the punishment.
If you are poor it is a little different. Your family usually pools their money to pay the bond company's fees, again that money is just gone, never to be seen again. You will have a public defender so will almost certainly plea out, and unless you are a career criminal (and they should actually be punished) you get probation. Look into how much THAT costs sometime. Whether you were guilty or innocent doesn't matter, your best option is always to take the plea. pay the fees and move on. Again, the process was the punishment.
The whole system needs an enema. In 90% of arrests there is no good reason we couldn't get to a final verdict in sixty days max. Under no circumstance should it take more than six months to get through the initial trial and appeals another six.