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I notice while in court about 50 people were there... half of them were unemployed and instead of giving them a fine, he gave them 20 hours community service or probation... for those who were employed he gave them fines...
How would you know they were unemployed, because unemployed people look different?
All the court knows on employment is if you say you are working or not.
I think you should ask the judge why you don't have the... uh... "right"... to demand community service instead of a monetary forfeiture for violating a state statute.
Yes, that does sound discriminatory. You are being discriminated against on the assumption that you are frugal and economical enough to have enough discretionary cash to pay the ticket. Not only is it discriminatory, but it implies that the frugal and economical are deserving of a special punishment.
I think, though, that the argument could be made that the fines for traffic violations ought to be a percentage of the blue book value of the car. The more you can afford to spend on a car, the more you can afford to pay for auto-related infractions without venturing into hardship territory. After all, the whole philosophy of government is to minimize hardship on the citizenry. The job of the shepherd is to see that no harm comes to even one sheep.
Of course, the obvious reason that is not done is because it would inspire the police to set up speed traps on the road to the country club, and we wouldn't want any "profiling" in law enforcement, would we?
I think we should be able to ask for a different sentence for EVERY infraction...Speeding = Community Service, and Murder = More Community Service. :P
Maybe, if you don't have a job to pay the fine, they should be nice enough to offer you time to work off your fine...paid at $7.11/hr, and performed under the supervision of a corrections officer at the county jail?
When I used to go to municipal court for the irritating children of clients, their cleaning ladies, landscapers and friends. I can't tell you how many times a stupid question like this came up. These people want to drive around with their stupid stereo loud enough to interfere with people inside their own homes and then cry about a ticket. And, the whining always seems to center on what are their rights.
I'm really quite sick of people who want to violate a law, interfere with others and then cry like a baby when they have to pay.
How would you know they were unemployed, because unemployed people look different?
All the court knows on employment is if you say you are working or not.
The judge asked them... and they told him... sometimes they told him upfront... and it is STOCK speakers for the other people out there... and it wasn't loud, that's why I plead not guilty... apparently this particular officer gives out half the tickets for loud music and the other half for window tinting... and we know how window tinting interferes with other people's right to look inside your car... my entire point is, why is there two different punishments for the same violation?
I fail to see the difference...except that I'm not relying on someone else to pay my stuff for me (in my mind I feel I'd deserve the option just like anyone else)
When I used to go to municipal court for the irritating children of clients, their cleaning ladies, landscapers and friends. I can't tell you how many times a stupid question like this came up. These people want to drive around with their stupid stereo loud enough to interfere with people inside their own homes and then cry about a ticket. And, the whining always seems to center on what are their rights.
I'm really quite sick of people who want to violate a law, interfere with others and then cry like a baby when they have to pay.
Evil acknowledge that he violated the noise ordinance, and that he should be required to pay the penalty as prescribed by law. He pleaded guilty and threw himself upon the mercy of the court. Your criticism of him is seriously misplaced, and he cannot be accused of anything that you said about him, neither in deed nor spirit.
His contention is that different penalties are imposed on different people in a manner that discriminated against him, and it is a legitimate complaint.
Evil acknowledge that he violated the noise ordinance, and that he should be required to pay the penalty as prescribed by law. He pleaded guilty and threw himself upon the mercy of the court. Your criticism of him is seriously misplaced, and he cannot be accused of anything that you said about him, neither in deed nor spirit.
His contention is that different penalties are imposed on different people in a manner that discriminated against him, and it is a legitimate complaint.
He acknowledged it with numerous excuses, did NOT plead guilty (he "loss", remember? And later said he didn't plead guilty), so that criticism is not misplaced.
He broke the law and was...whatever...enough to get caught by a LEO while the radio was turned up too far. To me that suggests he is excessively visible to LEOs. Been there, done that, grew up.
Are the people who received community service complaining? Do they feel discriminated against? Why is it assumed that money is more important to everyone than time? I would rather spend the couple hundred bucks than have to do community service, and tie up that time plus travel to and from, etc.
...my entire point is, why is there two different punishments for the same violation?
It's not two different punishments. It's two different ways of paying for the same punishment.
If the fine is $200 and you have the money, you write a check or hand over the cash.
If you're doing community service, you work for $200 worth of wages that pay the fine.
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