So, I guess showing respect for the court has gone to hell in a handbasket

[baxterday]

It's all about the money, not saving lives.

 

[AKguy]

It's all about the money, not saving lives.

What gave it away? The fact that Gwinnett Co's population has only grown by about 10% in the last decade, but now they need an entire annex building for traffic court?

 

[StateLine]

Speeding. But they ****ed up my paperwork, so I was given a continuance until October. I'm gonna plead not guilty, and try to make a backroom deal with the solicitor. If they say no, I'll request another continuance to "seek legal counsel." My next court date will probably be in November, which I'll also make a plea of not guilty. If me and the solicitor can't reach a deal, they'll assign me a pre-trial preliminary hearing (probably in December). I'll plead not guilty at that hearing as well (unless we can reach an agreement). If no agreement is reached, they'll give me an actual jury trial date (roughly late January). I'll make an attempt, if it gets that far, to cut a deal with the solicitor and if no deal is to be made, I'll just burn a no-lo plea.

The objective is to kick the can down the road if I don't get what I want, so the cop that gave me the citation is less likely to show up in court. No cop in court, no charges stick. In the mean time, he may retire, go to a different department, skip court out of sheer aggravation of re-schedules, etc. With each delay I create, I increase the odds in my favor.

This is the textbook way to increase your potential for beating a ticket or ANY criminal charge. Time is always a benefit to the defendant. Cops do quit, they do get fired, they do retire. They do move away. They do get sick and stay home. The same can be said for witnesses and even for prosecutors. Any good defense attorney will tell you the best thing you can do is drag a case out as long as possible before it ever sees the inside of a court room. However most traffic court judges are wise to this and some will grant only one continuance each for the state and for the defense. YMMV.

 

[Gordon Freeman]

Well, were you speeding?

 

[Nonliberal]

I go to court a lot. Courts and judges do not deserve any respect, **** em. That being said, I have enough sense to act right and dress my finest to go. I certainly act like I have some respect for the system too, even though I have nothing but contempt for it.

 

[AKguy]

Well, were you speeding?

I respectfully decline to answer the question until my case has been adjudicated.

I go to court a lot. Courts and judges do not deserve any respect, **** em. That being said, I have enough sense to act right and dress my finest to go. I certainly act like I have some respect for the system too, even though I have nothing but contempt for it.

It's a political game, of sorts. Even if you hate the judge, the DA, whoever, you don't have an iceberg's chance in hell of winning or being granted any leniency if you dress like a bum.

 

[AKguy]

This is the textbook way to increase your potential for beating a ticket or ANY criminal charge. Time is always a benefit to the defendant. Cops do quit, they do get fired, they do retire. They do move away. They do get sick and stay home. The same can be said for witnesses and even for prosecutors. Any good defense attorney will tell you the best thing you can do is drag a case out as long as possible before it ever sees the inside of a court room. However most traffic court judges are wise to this and some will grant only one continuance each for the state and for the defense. YMMV.

No doubt. The first continuance was granted due to the court's screw up. I can request another if need be, but you can bet your ass it will be the last one.

 

[Gordon Freeman]

I respectfully decline to answer the question until my case has been adjudicated.



It's a political game, of sorts. Even if you hate the judge, the DA, whoever, you don't have an iceberg's chance in hell of winning or being granted any leniency if you dress like a bum.

But you don't have a problem publicly stating that you're purposely trying to prolong the case in hopes to drop the charges, or commenting on judges looks?

LoL, ok.

 

[AKguy]

But you don't have a problem publicly stating that you're purposely trying to prolong the case in hopes to drop the charges, or commenting on judges looks?

LoL, ok.

Yea, neither one of those has anything to do with innocence or guilt.

 

[Gordylew]

It's all about the money, not saving lives.

Amen. I remember the ads "55 saves lives" The same road today is 70 MPH. what happened? " We saved so many lives from the 1950 to the 2000s that we raised the limit to cull the population" Laws passed to make money based on crackpot science.