I once got pulled over in this small town in North Georgia called Fairmount. This was years ago, so I can't remember all the details. I think I was speeding and I think my registration was...
I once got pulled over in this small town in North Georgia called Fairmount. This was years ago, so I can't remember all the details. I think I was speeding and I think my registration was expired. I got a ticket, but decided I'd go to court to see if I could get it reduced. I had about $200 cash on me and took my checkbook to pay the ticket. Sat through court, judge just blew through my case. We got to the money part and to my dismay the only options I had were to pay cash on the spot, with the ticket being ~$400, or go on probation. I was directly told no checks, no leaving the courthouse to go to the ATM. Cash or probation. I had to choose probation, and luckily I was able to immediately pay off the probation (along with about an extra 20% in probation fees, because probation in Georgia is privatized) and get out of that jam. I'm positive this was a total scam being run by the city in cooperation with the private probation company.
From abroad, the degree of localization of US law is a bit shocking. Seems unfair and ripe for abuse, specially when it comes to criminal justice. It's so weird that I could go to jail because I...
From abroad, the degree of localization of US law is a bit shocking. Seems unfair and ripe for abuse, specially when it comes to criminal justice.
It's so weird that I could go to jail because I smoked a joint 100 meters to the left.
From afar, the US sometimes doesn't feel like a country, but rather an assortment of countries bounded by necessity, harboring deep distrust for each other.
From afar, the US sometimes doesn't feel like a country, but rather an assortment of countries bounded by necessity, harboring deep distrust for each other.
At first, I thought that this was just a poorly disguised tax but the unmarked vehicles and suspicious behavior from the officers, sheriff, and mayor make it seem a little more nefarious....
At first, I thought that this was just a poorly disguised tax but the unmarked vehicles and suspicious behavior from the officers, sheriff, and mayor make it seem a little more nefarious. Normally, I would sit back and wait for this all to blow up but we're kind of at an "anything goes" moment in America, so who knows how this will turn out.
I once got pulled over in this small town in North Georgia called Fairmount. This was years ago, so I can't remember all the details. I think I was speeding and I think my registration was expired. I got a ticket, but decided I'd go to court to see if I could get it reduced. I had about $200 cash on me and took my checkbook to pay the ticket. Sat through court, judge just blew through my case. We got to the money part and to my dismay the only options I had were to pay cash on the spot, with the ticket being ~$400, or go on probation. I was directly told no checks, no leaving the courthouse to go to the ATM. Cash or probation. I had to choose probation, and luckily I was able to immediately pay off the probation (along with about an extra 20% in probation fees, because probation in Georgia is privatized) and get out of that jam. I'm positive this was a total scam being run by the city in cooperation with the private probation company.
From abroad, the degree of localization of US law is a bit shocking. Seems unfair and ripe for abuse, specially when it comes to criminal justice.
It's so weird that I could go to jail because I smoked a joint 100 meters to the left.
The entire US legal system is comically bad, but in such convoluted and self-sustaining ways that it essentially can't be fixed. I hate it so much.
From afar, the US sometimes doesn't feel like a country, but rather an assortment of countries bounded by necessity, harboring deep distrust for each other.
From inside, I'd say that's fairly accurate.
At first, I thought that this was just a poorly disguised tax but the unmarked vehicles and suspicious behavior from the officers, sheriff, and mayor make it seem a little more nefarious. Normally, I would sit back and wait for this all to blow up but we're kind of at an "anything goes" moment in America, so who knows how this will turn out.