EchoDork: I live in Virginia. It costs $60 here. I had no idea that other states DIDN'T charge citizens with "court fees" even if they were found not guilty.

great Virginia and Massachusetts, once bastions of liberty...
wtf?

/wishes the civil war wasn't prompted by slavery, the Confeds had a good idea about how to govern otherwise.

sounds like belgium. my wife and some others were pulled over for speeding. they said she was going 50 km/h in a 30 zone. she was between the 50 sign and heading towards (but hadn't reached) the 30 one.

There was no radar gun there was nothing except the policeman to say how fast she was going.

i talked to one of my belgian staff members about this and he said it works like this...

pay the fine (200 euros) and plead guilty and they won't tell your insurance.

plead not guilty, spend a day at court (which in this commune means they will conduct it only in flemish), be found guilty and pay the fine plus court costs and then they will tell your insurance so they can hike your rate for you.

there were a couple of communes that were notorious for it. stockel was a big one since there were a lot of us military there (and the DOD school) and they rarely put up a fight in court.

EchoDork: I live in Virginia. It costs $60 here. I had no idea that other states DIDN'T charge citizens with "court fees" even if they were found not guilty.

Or if you pay for tickets online. What does that fee go towards the sysadmin salary? I have an idea how about you put the ACTUAL amount on the ticket instead of the surprise 100+ dollar tickets for going 10 over.

Pleading innocent to a speeding ticket....that's a $25 paddlin.

Oh, government. Is there any way you haven't invented to fark us all up the ass?

How long before they start assessing all of us a sunshine tax (because sunlight is energy that we're all wasting by absorbing it and not converting to electrical power), a breathing tax (to offset the money they spend pretending to keep industries and cars from filling the air with pollution) and a rain tax (because water is a resource that, once it fills up the reservoirs, has to be treated before we can use it to drink and wash with)?

EchoDork: I live in Virginia. It costs $60 here. I had no idea that other states DIDN'T charge citizens with "court fees" even if they were found not guilty.

thats because you don't read your consistution and learn the laws. Therefor you allow yourself to be controlled by your goverment.

"I'd still be here," Mr. McCob said after his hearing. "That wouldn't change my decision."


They are counting on that, buddy.

Sickening, but true.

Chivas Regal.
They want us to buy it for them.

/Is this some sort of test to see how far they can push us before we go into an all out civil war?

devildog123 2009-07-02 12:40:51 PM

Tell me how 10 minutes=$25

Getting paid $150 an hour.

/What do I win?

"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." - Abraham Lincoln

Maybe.

I mean, it's just some words on a piece of paper.

theoriginalslash: Oh, government. Is there any way you haven't invented to fark us all up the ass?

How long before they start assessing all of us a sunshine tax (because sunlight is energy that we're all wasting by absorbing it and not converting to electrical power), a breathing tax (to offset the money they spend pretending to keep industries and cars from filling the air with pollution) and a rain tax (because water is a resource that, once it fills up the reservoirs, has to be treated before we can use it to drink and wash with)?

They'll do it as soon as enough lobbyists think it's plausibly profitable.

theoriginalslash: a breathing tax

Well, if one taxes CO₂ emissions, this is plausible...

I am really looking forward to leaving Massachusetts (2 months and counting) in order to live for a state that, by comparison, is a shining example of effective state government. Which says a lot considering I'll be moving to California.

The federal, state, and local governments are one large monopoly. We are their customers and no matter how much money they waste, if they need more, they always come back for for more ways to shake us down.

If found not guilty, shouldn't they pay you $25 for wasting your time?

bunner: farkingatwork: /moderate, I say abolish both parties and start 100% fresh (not allowing any of those elected currently to take part in politics and make a rule of 0 donations allowed)

Sadly, that is going to necessitate a lot of hangings, shooting and very large fires because none of these hogs are going to get nudged from the trough while they have a pulse.

Gotta love that whole "We follow the will of the people", huh. And people wonder why I say we're overdue for a political revolution (hopefully one that would end well).

tombotia: EvilEgg: So guilty or not they tag you for $25. That seems kind of unfair.

Should be $25 unless you win your case. Then that'd be fair. Because honestly, if you don't drive like an asshole you're probably not going to get a ticket anytime soon, and the small majority of people ACTUALLY in the right will likely win their court case and not be out the $25.

The rest of the jackasses who claim they didn't notice the red, or that 65 really meant 95 ... can pay the 25 and their ticket.

Absolutely, plus if the defendant wins the Law Enforcement Agency that wrote the bogus ticket in the first place has to pay $25 for wasting the time of the courts.

It's been a while since I got a ticket in California, but as I recall they had two fees on the ticket - the lower one was if you just shut up and mailed your fine in without going to court, and the higher one was if you challenged it and lost. Just mailing your payment in also had the added benefit of keeping the ticket off your record if you hadn't had another ticket in the past 18 months. Your insurance company wouldn't even find out about it.

Most people just payed the fine.

theoriginalslash Quote 2009-07-02 12:49:03 PM
Oh, government. Is there any way you haven't invented to fark us all up the ass?

How long before they start assessing all of us a sunshine tax (because sunlight is energy that we're all wasting by absorbing it and not converting to electrical power), a breathing tax (to offset the money they spend pretending to keep industries and cars from filling the air with pollution) and a rain tax (because water is a resource that, once it fills up the reservoirs, has to be treated before we can use it to drink and wash with)?

Dood, you exhale carbon dioxide just by breathing.

After so many breaths you will need to trade vouchers with someone who didnt take as many breaths, or pay a fine.

Or something like that...

This just in,

this country was built, maintained through some rough patches and sustained by firebrands, unreasonable men and vigilant hardasses who weren't afraid to die.

The pack of highbinders, gutless shopkeepers, revenuers and baloney merchants that we've turned it over to have slipped a leash over the jackbooted thugs they keep in badges and impunity and used them to put a foot to our necks and empty our pantries and pockets.

Maybe it's time to start paying attention to the results and a little less to the pretty words because if the only thing you need to pillage America is a silver tongue and a nice suit, we're lost, boyos. Lost.

So let me get this straight:

Homeless guy gets a ticket for speeding. Turns out it was the wrong guy and he's totally innocent. He goes to court:

Judge: You're innocent of the crime. Please pay the $25 fee
Homeless: Ummm... I don't have any money
Judge: Bailiff! Take this criminal into custody. 5 days in jail for failing to pay court costs!

That'll get struck down if challenged.

maybe this hasn't been suggested, but maybe the cop who wrongfully wrote the ticket should pay the $25

bunner: Maybe it's time to start paying attention to the results and a little less to the pretty words because if the only thing you need to pillage America is a silver tongue and a nice suit, we're lost, boyos. Lost.

At least we're making progress: we've gained the silver tongue, whereas, before, we were content with just the suit.

ds394

So let me get this straight:

Homeless guy gets a ticket for speeding.


How? In a shopping cart?

I fought the law, and the law won.

I live in MA. I said it at the last election and will say it again:
"Fire them all!"

I'm still chanting that it is time for another party to step up. Dems and Repubs....there has to be a better alternative.

Just popping in to add this is insanely un-American. But it's also nothing new.

In Ohio, for instance, everytime I've fought a ticket (quite a few) and either won or had the case dismissed due to technicality or whatever (also quite a few), the judge still orders you to pay the "court costs". Doesn't matter if I won or lost. I'm taking up the court's time, I gotta pay the costs costs. Which were like $54 last time. So, twice as much as Taxachusetts, and I won. Case dismissed, no points, no fine. See that nice lady over there to pay the "court costs".

Ugh.

This has been the policy in Rhode Island as long as I've lived here.

I just got a ticket for making a right on a "no turn on red" in Massachusetts and I went to the magistrate to fight it. I got the fine reduced from $100 to $50. What I didn't realize was that since it was a moving violation it would go on my insurance and stay on for the next 6 years. This would be about a raise in my insurance of $350 a year for 6 years or about $2000 total. This is strictly regulated by Massachusetts law. I have an otherwise clean record (no tickets, no accidents).

So you can see why it is absolutely necessary for MA citizens to fight every traffic ticket they receive when the real cost of every ticket will be in the thousands of dollars.

Englebert Slaptyback: ds394

So let me get this straight:

Homeless guy gets a ticket for speeding.


How? In a shopping cart?

Nah.

They'd get him for stumbling with intent to fall, aggravated window shopping, or malicious wandering.

In case you haven't noticed, the trend has been for cops to just make sh*t up, beat the piss out of you, electrocute you and then give you over to some jerkoff in a dress who takes your money. The law seldom enters into it.

There's a word for that.

Englebert Slaptyback: ds394

So let me get this straight:

Homeless guy gets a ticket for speeding.

How? In a shopping cart?

Fine... it's a red-light camera. His name is John Smith. The computer just sent him the ticket. Tada!

froopyscot: I am really looking forward to leaving Massachusetts (2 months and counting) in order to live for a state that, by comparison, is a shining example of effective state government. Which says a lot considering I'll be moving to California.

You son of a bit....take me with you.

/Moved from CA to MA last summer.
//Still waiting for a summer.....

toonz: Mose: PowerSlacker: It's amazing how the colony that once brought us the Boston Tea Party has mutated into Taxachusetts.

Welcome to my hell.

/This on the heels of the idiot governor raising the sales tax by 1.5%, which is just the right perscription for encouraging consumers to go out and spend more
//god I hate this miserable state

don't forget applying the sales tax to alcohol

bonus, it all goes into effect before my wedding , which we're already too far committed to pull out.

so while dickweeds who got gubmint assistance priced me out of the housing market here are getting free money I get to put more in teh kitty.fark this state. fark the democrats, fark the republicans for going jesus freak and corporate cocksucker weapons-grade full retard and making the dems look like a reasonable alternative. you knwo waht...?

just fark everybody.

Go North Korea.

Take my fellow "countrymen" out. I've farking had it with the lot of ya. and if I die too, so what? What's the point of working hard saving my money and every time I start getting ahead just having some cock move the goalposts on me so rich banker farks and irresponsible pseudo yuppie pigs and wanna be's who didn't need the McMansion get free money?fark this


Epic rant is epic.

Englebert Slaptyback: I'd like to tax... Raquel Welch.

+1 for MP

wgb423: devildog123 2009-07-02 12:40:51 PM

Tell me how 10 minutes=$25

Getting paid $150 an hour.

/What do I win?

A calculator. And since you won't need it, it will be donated to charity.

I'm too poor to live on the coasts, apparently.

Cynical 0: toonz: Mose: PowerSlacker: It's amazing how the colony that once brought us the Boston Tea Party has mutated into Taxachusetts.

Welcome to my hell.

/This on the heels of the idiot governor raising the sales tax by 1.5%, which is just the right perscription for encouraging consumers to go out and spend more
//god I hate this miserable state

don't forget applying the sales tax to alcohol

bonus, it all goes into effect before my wedding , which we're already too far committed to pull out.

so while dickweeds who got gubmint assistance priced me out of the housing market here are getting free money I get to put more in teh kitty.fark this state. fark the democrats, fark the republicans for going jesus freak and corporate cocksucker weapons-grade full retard and making the dems look like a reasonable alternative. you knwo waht...?

just fark everybody.

Go North Korea.

Take my fellow "countrymen" out. I've farking had it with the lot of ya. and if I die too, so what? What's the point of working hard saving my money and every time I start getting ahead just having some cock move the goalposts on me so rich banker farks and irresponsible pseudo yuppie pigs and wanna be's who didn't need the McMansion get free money?fark this


Epic rant is epic.

the coffee was especially good this morning.
I've relaxed a bit. got it out of my system. Don't really want y'all to die. sorry 'bout dat.

/still pissy tho'

Impasse

Englebert Slaptyback: I'd like to tax... Raquel Welch.

+1 for MP


Thank you, though .5 of that should go to PirateKing: his comment re: "thingie" was also from Python and was the basis for my comment.

Didn't you guys read the article? The court system needs the money! Stop complaining and do your part to keep government employees' pensions intact.

aegiswings: I just got a ticket for making a right on a "no turn on red" in Massachusetts and I went to the magistrate to fight it. I got the fine reduced from $100 to $50.

I'm assuming you did make a right while the light was red, so then why did you fight it?

Bin_smokin
I am soooo glad I don't live in this farked up Country.

Debtors prison's and now you have to Pay to prove you're innocent.

Here is your future USA Justice Link (new window)

Although I live here in the States, I have to agree with you. It upsets me that the average IQ is going down while the average waist size is going up.

18DeadMonkeys Radio: maybe this hasn't been suggested, but maybe the cop who wrongfully wrote the ticket should pay the $25

It's been suggested, but it bore repeating.

I have yet to figure out why we haven't adopted a loser-pays legal system. It would get rid of a lot of frivolous lawsuits, unclog the courts, and negate the necessity for these types of shenanigans.

EZ Cheez: The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

No lie: There really was a Tree of Liberty in Boston. There is a plaque commemorating it on the spot where it stood.

That plaque is on the RMV building.

LadyHawke: wmoonfox: EvilEgg: So guilty or not they tag you for $25. That seems kind of unfair.

DC and Boston have been doing this for quite some time -- only they charge substantially more. Barring any major constitutional challenge, which I don't see being mounted any time soon, I predict this will become the norm across the nation sooner rather than later.

I'm pretty sure DC doesn't... I had to go in to contest some tickets before a judge and all were dismissed without me having to pay anything. This was only a year and a half ago.

My car was parked in front of a tree the city decided to remove. There were no signs indicating so when I parked there. They moved my car to another block where you're not supposed to park during certain hours of the day, resulting in a fair number of tickets. This was when I would walk to work, and often not use my car for days or weeks at a time.

Chicago used to be decent like that, but sometime in the late 90s they got ridiculous. For instance, in your situation, the tickets would have been upheld because a sign about the tree had been placed behind a hedge on the other end of the block, and you should have seen it. Also, you should have checked on your car to know it was receiving tickets on the other street. Decision: all tickets valid.

toonz: EchoDork: I live in Virginia. It costs $60 here. I had no idea that other states DIDN'T charge citizens with "court fees" even if they were found not guilty.

great Virginia and Massachusetts, once bastions of liberty...
wtf?

/wishes the civil war wasn't prompted by slavery, the Confeds had a good idea about how to govern otherwise.

Hmmm....

Massachusetts, Virginia and Pennsylvania...

Are they all listed as Commonwealths? common wealth?

GurneyHalleck: But then if we weren't spending trillions of dollars to keep rich people in the money, federal aid to states wouldn't need to get cut and the states wouldn't be so desperate to find revenue elsewhere.

Bring home the troops. Let the CEOs go without their golden parachutes.

CEOs don't get paid out of the state budget. Let the CEOs make whatever the fark a company is willing to pay them.

"Her ticket was dismissed after she told the clerk she was unaware of the relatively new requirement for vehicles to move as far away as possible from parked emergency vehicles."

Ignorance of the law is an excuse now?

cowtipn: Where are all the "if you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about" people now?

This. Now all the pigs have to do is give out tickets to everyone in sight and they're guaranteed $25 at least each time. Rinse and repeat a couple of million times and you fix any budget problems pretty quickly.