TRAFFIC COURT

William Saletan has a piece about the idiocy of traffic court. I can’t decide whether it’s more funny or sad.

FILED UNDER: Law and the Courts
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Kevin Drum says:

    Hmmm, this kind of thing seems to happen an awful lot to Saletan….

  2. James Joyner says:

    Well, there is that, too. . . .

  3. Blogeline says:

    I had to go to a federal traffic court in September because I was hit by a pizza delivery guy on a military base and they determined it was my fault because of the damages.
    We took pictures of the intersection and brought them with us and when the prosecutor came to “offer” me a deal of only paying the $250 fine and not go to jail (???) we showed her the pictures and after she discussed it with her people they dismissed the charges.
    I hope that this was my one and only time in traffic court though.

  4. melvin toast says:

    Justice can vary greatly depending on the justice you happen to get. In S. Monica I had a Judge who wouldn’t barely let you speak. I was in a major hurry to convict. In Chatworth which is part of LA city, the Judge there was pretty lenient.

    It may also have to do with how to procedings are carried out though. In Chatsworth you have to be areigned before you go to try whereas in S. Monica they generally have you areigned and tried at the same time so the cops are all present through the whole proceding and I got the impression that the judge was reluctant to exonerate with the cops present.

  5. melvin toast says:

    Wow there are like a dozen typos in the above post… I need more coffee!