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posted by on Thursday December 29 2016, @11:35AM   Printer-friendly
from the how-else-can-they-afford-their-toys dept.

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.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 29 2016, @06:42PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 29 2016, @06:42PM (#447159)

    Harharhar you partisan hack. They're all corrupt and greedy, that's the real NWO.

  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by jmorris on Thursday December 29 2016, @07:29PM

    by jmorris (4844) on Thursday December 29 2016, @07:29PM (#447175)

    Pray tell us where a Republican machine still runs an American city. Ojce upon a time they existed, no more.

    • (Score: 2) by edIII on Thursday December 29 2016, @08:43PM

      by edIII (791) on Thursday December 29 2016, @08:43PM (#447186)

      Oh shut the fuck up you partisan hack!

      This has nothing to do with trusting cops with physical bills. Put it in a bank you moron? What fucking bank? Are they complying with the Patriot Act? Is it FDIC regulated?

      Leave their PROPERTY in a fucking locked cage. The real issue here is that they are inspecting your debit cards in your wallet and then STEALING the fucking money. There was no valid transaction, no trial, no judge, no anything.

      They UNILATERALLY stole money direct from a citizen. Shut the fuck up with your bullshit Repugnican crap! Like the police in the past under Republican control was so much better? I'm sure.

      What a fucking moron you are.

      --
      Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 30 2016, @03:47AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 30 2016, @03:47AM (#447266)

        It was cash in his wallet, they took the cash, then when returning his belongings (after subtracting the 25 dollar fee from his available funds) returned the remaining balance not as the cash from his wallet, but as a debit card which charged fees in order to regain the cash he had previously had in his pocket.

        Mull on that a moment and think if that is truly the sort of society you wish to live in.