Thursday, December 15, 2005
Court
I'm never quite sure whether its better to go into a situation like that i experienced today fully caffenated or wiping drool from your chin as your head snaps in and out of restless slumber.
In an effort to lessen my fiscal responsibility for breaking the law, I dragged my sorry carcus out of bed and into the car. I think I remembered to brush my teeth but made no effort to appear neat, clean or tidy deciding that the impoverished graduate student approach might better suit my cause.
The instructions on my ticket said to arrive at the courthouse in oakland before 8am. So i did, arriving about 740 Am and finding myself in a line with a motley assortment of people. I was curious about who they were and what they were doing there and if drug and alcohol offenders would get to be in the court room with me. Tragic though it may be, there are few things that can add humor to a court room like to the excuses people come up with when charged with a citation for being outright stupid. The girl behind me in line tapped me on the shoulder demanding to know if I was here because I didnt have car insurance neither. I learned as the morning droned on that driving around without insurance is a very popular activity in Alameda County.
Sometime after 8 they got around to letting people into one section of the court house. The DMV model was in effect with different, ambigulously letter-number windows each with a different purpose and smiling face just waiting to serve you. Unlike the DMV however there are somewhat helpful signs adorning every inch of free space around the windows and on the columns. Of course, the people who actually need the help being offered by these signs are the ones least likely to actually pay them any mind.
Because I was one of the first 65 contestants in the door that morning I was rewarded with a 930 court time. The waiting hall outside the court room slowly filled with traffic offenders, some ordered to show face and others like me. In addition to us a few other individuals strolled the hallyway. I realized after some study that they were waiting for some drug hearings next door. yes! Two talked fervently on their cell phones in a speak that indicated that perhaps a good deal was about to come down, clearly unmindful of where they were or how they had gotten there. Another had styled his hair into 6 (yes 6!!!) puffs. He picked at each puff with a comb to attain maximum roundness and volume. The others in the hall were less interesting, save the woman who babbled on and on about her sister was gonna end up all sorts of used up if she kept sleeping with men for giving her a ride home from work. Uh.....
Sometime long past 930 (1015 perharps) the guy who likes to feel powerful by taking away people's cell phones emerged from the court room and hearded us in. He barked instructions that forbade cell phones, talking and reading while the judge was present. He also explained a sheet detailing the different pleas we could enter: Traffic School, Not Guilty, Guilty, and No Contest. Traffic school is only available for individuals who have a moving violation and who havent been in the last 18 months.
The judge ambled in and the proceedings began. Case by case individuals were called to stand in front of the bench, the judge read the charges, they entered a plea, and bail was issued. There were two popular themes in the first group of 20 people. The first was that basically no one had car insurance. Now I find this disconcerting since nearly everyone was also charged with at least one other violation. The second violation varied but was generally no registration, no license, speeding, or driving in the car pool lane. A few particularly saavy individuals had come up with interesting combinations of these violations and one exception woman had managed to be in violation of all of them. She explained to the judge that she shouldnt have to address the insurance, registration, or license issues since the car stopped running two days after she was cited. The good news for those who commit any of these or other infractions, going to court will result in a substantial reduction of fines. With the exception of our overly cited friend, no one else had a fine above 200$.
Next group up. Surprise, more driving without insurance (remind me to NEVER EVER get in an accident round these parts). One gentleman apparently thought that if he just drug the matter out for eternity by showing up everyweek with a different piece of paper the court might just forget the whole thing. He had been pulled over in March 2005 and of course was uninsured. As the story unravelled it turned out he had been making weekly pilgrimmages to the court to provide proof of insurance in March by producing pieces of paper that have nothing to do with his insurance, and quite often with cars, driving, or anything mechanical at all. Today he was at least getting closer since he had proof that his car had been insured since Nov 2005. However the concept that November is not the same as March was proving taxing and after a lot of hemming and hawing a story about how in March his wife had the insurance card in her wallet at work and didnt give it to him came out. This went on for about 25 minutes and to the judge's credit he did not lose his temper and just patiently asked again and again if the gentleman had proof of insurance in MARCH 2005. To his discredit he failed to point out how this confused soul could go about obtaining such proof, say by calling his insurance company and asking them for something, and as such, I would expect the gentleman back in court next Tuesday, possibly this time with his AAA card.
Finally it was my turn. Yay me. I went up, correcting the horrible butchering of my seemingly simple yet oft mispronounced last name, and entered a plea of traffic school "thank you miss that will be 380$. " "What? " " 380$. " "You cant reduce the fine? I came here to get the fine reduced. I have a clean record." "That is the minimum for running a red light and its non-negotiable."
So all these other assholes that are driving around irresponsiby get off with a tickle on the wrist and 60 days to pay their way out and I have to support the fallen economy of this state because no one has the balls to make people pay their property taxes???? Plus I had to pay 6$ in parking and lose hours of my life to find out what should be stated on the ticket: Dont bother showing up for court. Unlike other people who are more likely to kill someone and then not be able to be held liable for it than you, you ran a red light and that is non-negotiable.
In an effort to lessen my fiscal responsibility for breaking the law, I dragged my sorry carcus out of bed and into the car. I think I remembered to brush my teeth but made no effort to appear neat, clean or tidy deciding that the impoverished graduate student approach might better suit my cause.
The instructions on my ticket said to arrive at the courthouse in oakland before 8am. So i did, arriving about 740 Am and finding myself in a line with a motley assortment of people. I was curious about who they were and what they were doing there and if drug and alcohol offenders would get to be in the court room with me. Tragic though it may be, there are few things that can add humor to a court room like to the excuses people come up with when charged with a citation for being outright stupid. The girl behind me in line tapped me on the shoulder demanding to know if I was here because I didnt have car insurance neither. I learned as the morning droned on that driving around without insurance is a very popular activity in Alameda County.
Sometime after 8 they got around to letting people into one section of the court house. The DMV model was in effect with different, ambigulously letter-number windows each with a different purpose and smiling face just waiting to serve you. Unlike the DMV however there are somewhat helpful signs adorning every inch of free space around the windows and on the columns. Of course, the people who actually need the help being offered by these signs are the ones least likely to actually pay them any mind.
Because I was one of the first 65 contestants in the door that morning I was rewarded with a 930 court time. The waiting hall outside the court room slowly filled with traffic offenders, some ordered to show face and others like me. In addition to us a few other individuals strolled the hallyway. I realized after some study that they were waiting for some drug hearings next door. yes! Two talked fervently on their cell phones in a speak that indicated that perhaps a good deal was about to come down, clearly unmindful of where they were or how they had gotten there. Another had styled his hair into 6 (yes 6!!!) puffs. He picked at each puff with a comb to attain maximum roundness and volume. The others in the hall were less interesting, save the woman who babbled on and on about her sister was gonna end up all sorts of used up if she kept sleeping with men for giving her a ride home from work. Uh.....
Sometime long past 930 (1015 perharps) the guy who likes to feel powerful by taking away people's cell phones emerged from the court room and hearded us in. He barked instructions that forbade cell phones, talking and reading while the judge was present. He also explained a sheet detailing the different pleas we could enter: Traffic School, Not Guilty, Guilty, and No Contest. Traffic school is only available for individuals who have a moving violation and who havent been in the last 18 months.
The judge ambled in and the proceedings began. Case by case individuals were called to stand in front of the bench, the judge read the charges, they entered a plea, and bail was issued. There were two popular themes in the first group of 20 people. The first was that basically no one had car insurance. Now I find this disconcerting since nearly everyone was also charged with at least one other violation. The second violation varied but was generally no registration, no license, speeding, or driving in the car pool lane. A few particularly saavy individuals had come up with interesting combinations of these violations and one exception woman had managed to be in violation of all of them. She explained to the judge that she shouldnt have to address the insurance, registration, or license issues since the car stopped running two days after she was cited. The good news for those who commit any of these or other infractions, going to court will result in a substantial reduction of fines. With the exception of our overly cited friend, no one else had a fine above 200$.
Next group up. Surprise, more driving without insurance (remind me to NEVER EVER get in an accident round these parts). One gentleman apparently thought that if he just drug the matter out for eternity by showing up everyweek with a different piece of paper the court might just forget the whole thing. He had been pulled over in March 2005 and of course was uninsured. As the story unravelled it turned out he had been making weekly pilgrimmages to the court to provide proof of insurance in March by producing pieces of paper that have nothing to do with his insurance, and quite often with cars, driving, or anything mechanical at all. Today he was at least getting closer since he had proof that his car had been insured since Nov 2005. However the concept that November is not the same as March was proving taxing and after a lot of hemming and hawing a story about how in March his wife had the insurance card in her wallet at work and didnt give it to him came out. This went on for about 25 minutes and to the judge's credit he did not lose his temper and just patiently asked again and again if the gentleman had proof of insurance in MARCH 2005. To his discredit he failed to point out how this confused soul could go about obtaining such proof, say by calling his insurance company and asking them for something, and as such, I would expect the gentleman back in court next Tuesday, possibly this time with his AAA card.
Finally it was my turn. Yay me. I went up, correcting the horrible butchering of my seemingly simple yet oft mispronounced last name, and entered a plea of traffic school "thank you miss that will be 380$. " "What? " " 380$. " "You cant reduce the fine? I came here to get the fine reduced. I have a clean record." "That is the minimum for running a red light and its non-negotiable."
So all these other assholes that are driving around irresponsiby get off with a tickle on the wrist and 60 days to pay their way out and I have to support the fallen economy of this state because no one has the balls to make people pay their property taxes???? Plus I had to pay 6$ in parking and lose hours of my life to find out what should be stated on the ticket: Dont bother showing up for court. Unlike other people who are more likely to kill someone and then not be able to be held liable for it than you, you ran a red light and that is non-negotiable.
# posted by -cn : 12:38 AM
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