Florida just renamed a highway after Sandra Bland, the girl that killed herself in jail

[NCN]

Charlotte just paid out $2.25 million dollars to the family of a man who is on tape running toward the police when they are telling him to stop. It took two grand juries before they could even get the case in court that resulted in a hung jury of 8 to 4 and the 8 said innocent. Now thy are thinking of trying him again. The person who deserves the $2.25 million is the poor policeman who is being scapegoated just for doing his job. I am so tired of the taxpayers having to pay for the incompetence of those in charge.

[Listener2307]

"It's a start. But we have sooooooooooo much more to do"
(sigh)

[shadowne]

Originally Posted by Bobdreamz

So what? A few people in Prairie View decided to rename a highway after a civil rights activist.

Why does Florida have a Ronald Reagan Turnpike?

"So, who, or what did Florida legislators decide on after exhaustive research and much politically-charged deliberation? Forget war heroes, explorers, state pioneers, inventors, philanthropists, and even indigenous plants and animals _ we got Ronald Reagan.

That's right, husband, father, ex-campy film actor and former two-term president. I am not attacking Ronald Reagan, the man. But foisting his name on road signs throughout the Florida Turnpike is an insult and an embarrassment to this state.

And does Reagan, former governor of California and president of the Screen Actors Guild, also located in California, have any connection to Florida? The only time I remember him visiting was to drum up support during campaign stops in 1980 and 1984, plus the occasional obligatory visit to Miami to pander to rich, right-wing anti-Castro campaign contributors. Politics aside, Reagan's legacy to U.S. roadways amounted to nothing more than government-by-extortion when he threatened to withhold highway funding from any states, including Florida, that didn't lower the speed limit to 55 mph.
Florida's Turnpike, if it truly needs renaming, deserves better."

Ronald Reagan Turnpike _ A Sad Misnomer - tribunedigital-sunsentinel

Why does Orlando have Barack Obama Parkway? Can we assume you were equally upset over that?

[TrafficCory]

Originally Posted by pknopp

So sitting in your own car smoking a cigarette is how we define a thug now?

Things must be pretty good all around if so.

Thug seems like a catch all, a more reasoned repsonse would be that she was a suicidal woman with double digit run-ins with law enforcement.

March of 2013 – Bland was stopped in Crestwood Township while driving a 2013 Cadillac DeVille and received two citations – for speeding 21-25 mph above the limit, and for operating an uninsured motor vehicle. She was fined $200, which – according to Cook County Court records – has not been paid.
November of 2013 – A report in a suburban newspaper says that Bland was arrested in Naperville; charged on a warrant, and transported to DuPage County Jail. The news report does not say what the warrant was for.
February of 2014 – Bland was stopped by Lombard Police and charged with operating an uninsured motor vehicle and driving with expired license plates. She was convicted in both charges and fined, but by May of 2014 court records show that she still owed $2,769.00 in fines, and the judge ordered that the Illinois Secretary of State be notified of her failure to pay.
March 3, 2014 – Naperville Police cited Bland for operating an uninsured motor vehicle. Court records show she was ordered to pay a fine, but was cited twice for failure to pay. In June of 2014 the court ordered that the Illinois Secretary of State be notified, and the docket lists a $1,313.00 balance still due.
March 8, 2014 – Approximately five days after her stop in Naperville, Bland was stopped by police in Lombard and charged with two counts of driving under the influence; speeding 15-20 mph over the speed limit; improper lane usage; disobeying a traffic control signal; failing to signal when changing lanes; driving on a suspended license, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. The court found her guilty of one DUI charge, and all the other charges were dismissed. She received court supervision and was fined, and court records show that she still owes $3,132.00 in this case. (A spokesman with the Illinois Secretary of State’s office says Bland’s driver’s license was automatically suspended for six months – until November of 2014 – as a result of this DUI conviction.)
During that suspension – in May of 2014 – Naperville Police cited Bland for speeding 15-20 mph over the limit. According to the DuPage County court docket, Bland “fail[ed] to comply” in the case in June of 2014 and again in August of 2014, when the court ordered the Illinois Secretary of State to be notified. Records show a $45.00 balance due in this case, though a court spokesman says the actual amount owed is $165.00. The outcome in this case is not clear.
These notifications would have come up when Bland next tried to renew her license, according to the Illinois Secretary of State spokesman, and she would be required to pay all balances due.
May of 2010 – Bland was charged in two separate court cases in Harris County, Texas, for misdemeanor possession of a small amount of marijuana and driving while intoxicated. Court records show that the DWI charge was dismissed, but Bland pled guilty in September of 2010 to the pot charge.
April of 2009 – Bland was charged in Harris County with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, but the charge was dismissed.
June of 2005 – Bland was stopped by police in Oakbrook Terrace and charged with two traffic violations: Driving too fast for conditions or failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. She pled guilty to both charges; was given supervision, and paid a fine.
June of 2004 – Bland was charged by Elmhurst police with one count of retail theft of less than $150. She pled guilty to that charge in August of 2004; paid a fine; and was sentenced to community service and supervision.