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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: 2) by JNCF on Thursday December 29 2016, @06:53PM

    by JNCF (4317) on Thursday December 29 2016, @06:53PM (#447167) Journal

    I grew up with the half-lie that taxes were a civic duty to help keep the roads and bridges in good condition, and I believed it for a while. Once you google America's military budget, the ugly truth seems rather blatant. Every time I submit to taxes I hate myself for not refusing to pay my "fair share" of the bombs that my government drops on foreign countries. Despite being done under threat of force, this cowardice is one of the things I hate myself most for. It's not that I don't have other failings as a human being, it's that this one seems really major to me. Like, Godwin-invoking levels of major. I feel slightly less horrible about this government's domestic policies, but it's really just a matter of scale. They're still murdering innocents with my money. Long-term I hope to leave this country, but even then I'll be forced to either keep paying taxes to give up my ability to visit people I know and love who will still be living in the States. Realistically, I'll probably be a tax-paying citizen for at least a couple decades. So without getting all high-and-mighty (I, too, am guilty of paying taxes) I would love to see this beast starved of every penny it can be. If they have to work for that funding, good. If they have to make it even more obvious that they are simply the most powerful gang in town and that this is the only basis on which they get to demand tribute from common citizens, good. I have no interest in discussing collective bridge-building efforts until they stop murdering innocent children with my money (SPOILER: I like localized/decentralized bride-building schemes anyway, but wouldn't mind paying taxes in that context at all).

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