Re: Speeding tickets...

[JJK1204@domain.elided]

In a message dated 10/20/99 11:17:57 PM Central Daylight Time, 
shempmodin@domain.elided writes:

<< How's this for a speeding ticket concept - several counties in Indiana are 
offering a deal called "deferred prosecution".  If you get a ticket in one of 
these counties, you contact the courthouse and ask about deferred 
prosecution.  Essentially, you pay an additional fee and the ticket never 
happened.  
 
 It works like this:  say I get a speeding ticket in my Milano (highly 
unlikely considering it's current, non-running state, but we're being 
hypothetical).  The ticket would normally cost me, say, $80.  If I'm in a 
deferred prosecution county, I can pay them the $80 ticket cost plus their 
fee - we'll call it $30.  They hold the ticket and don't enter it into the 
system so there are no points on my license and my insurance company doesn't 
find out.  If a set period of time passes (usually 30-90 days, depending on 
the county) and I don't get pulled over again, the ticket ceases to exist.  
If I do get pulled over again, I get hit with both tickets.
 
 The very concept amuses me.  It's a legalized version of slipping a cop some 
extra cash and him telling you to "slow it down from now on" - legalized 
bribery.  But I must say I've used it - I'd rather pay a one-time fee to "the 
man" than pay an insurance company more.
 
 - Paul Witek
  >>

In Illinois we have a similar system called "Court Supervision". A few years 
ago it was linked to "drivers school" a classroom "reeducation course" for 
sinners. This was a good way to reward police officers by paying them to 
teach the classes, that is, run the movie. Now, in most jurisdictions, the 
"school" has been dropped. The basic premise now is the local jurisdiction 
gets their money and the offender gets off easy. Recently Illinois has had a 
spate of Secretary of State (IL for DVM) office scandals involving bribes for 
truck driver licenses, money going into the then Sec. of State now governor's 
campaign fund. A few of the bribers have gotten court supervision on 
subsequent tickets, as did a truck driver who blew a railroad gate and 
derailed an Amtrak train killing around twelve people.

John Katos

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