Report: Ohio courts illegally jailing the poor

[The Man]

From the article

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Several courts in Ohio are illegally jailing people because they are too poor to pay their debts and often deny defendants a hearing to determine if they're financially capable of paying what they owe, according to an investigation released Thursday by the Ohio chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

and

That report determined that many courts are violating a 1983 U.S. Supreme Court decision that courts had to hold a hearing to determine why people are unable to pay before sentencing them to incarceration.

and

Courts are breaking the law by holding defendants in contempt of court for failing to pay fines without proper notice or allowing an attorney to be present, the report said.


http://news.yahoo.com/report-ohio-courts-illegally-jailing-124942197.html

What good are Supreme Court decisions if they are not followed?

 

[Jackass master]

They are meant as a guide to lower courts. Whether they follow them or anybody has the balls to enforce them is a whole different game. Sounds like they have a problem out there.

 

[Alien Allen]

The rulings of the SCOTUS are not just guidelines. The are the established law that must be followed. Sure there are grey areas where one can argue if some law applies but this does not appear one to have any wiggle room. I am guessing these must be either little tiny hick town fiefdoms or this story is bull shit and there is more to it than what is being reported. I

 

[The Man]

I think it may be more common than we know...but ohio got exposed.
There was an area here back in the 70s and 80s that was doing the same thing.{process being skipped}
When you were arrested the police chief would decide how much{dollars a day} your debt would be worked off by being incarcerated.
They would tack on costs after your release without your knowledge just to arrest you later.
It was pretty corrupt...they were essentially picking on the younger people.{30 and under}
Walking would land you in jail for loitering somehow.
Driving could be just as bad..as they had a cruising law...driving up to the local convenience store for smokes and back home could easily do it as you would be seen more than once in a fifteen minute period
Eventually they come in and cleaned em out and put a panel of 12 people in to sort the mess...essentially the police dept was replaced while the staff of 12 run the affairs.
As with ohio...locking up someone just to have to feed them etc..isnt a money maker.
One thing for sure...they didnt tolerate any "long hairs" walking town.
People had parking lots they met at just to kill time..the youngers were everywhere...and without the harsh laws would be everywhere in the town
I can see why they had the laws..although I dont agree with them.
There were pool halls hobby shops etc to draw in the youngers..so what did they expect...people met in the center of town as that is where everyone would be.
Kids get cars...go out driving and meet their buddies..we all been through it....there usually ends up being a kid hangout....at the mentioned location though the town center was the hotspot.

 

[Joe the meek]

The irony here is if you had a lawyer, the bull shit would of stopped. Catch 22.

 

[The Man]

The irony here is if you had a lawyer, the bull shit would of stopped. Catch 22.

You mean they?
I did not inject myself in prior post.

 

[Joe the meek]

You mean they?
I did not inject myself in prior post.

Of course.

 

[Alien Allen]

I will say that being from MI we learned at an early age about driving in Ohio. Ohio was natorious for the speed traps and little podunk town justice. How many places have justice of the peace working the midnight shift like they do.

 

[Joe the meek]

There is a place in West Virginia that the running joke (it may be true but I never verfified it) is that the town with a population of about 3k gives out more speeding tickets than the city of Chicago. Place in WV is kind of a mecca for white water paddling, and people from all over the country go down that road, and the cops sit in the EXACT same spot and you will see them with someone pulled over pretty much anytime you drive by with them (police) pulling an out of state driver over.

They use to bust me for car camping off the dirt roads and then I got smarter, I car camped at the town hotel parking lot LMAO

 

[The Man]

There was a town here that got in trouble...turns out they are only allowed to make a certain percentage of revenue from tickets.
I had been through there several times..I was never stopped....why because someone else was always stopped

Actually the speed limits were well marked....they just had zero tolerance.
With most towns here...speeding a little over in most towns will get you a look or followed a few blocks rather than an actual ticket...just depends on how much over or how often you do it.

Then you have those that enforce stop signs to the fullest.....usually slowed to walking speed at an intersection that isnt busy is good enough..just never know though.

Going out of turn while busy is frowned upon...the problem here is we have people that wave you to go when its their turn....fucks everything up....who gets to go next?...the waver or the guy that was actually after me?

Then the dicks that insist you are fully stopped before they go....lets see I am slowing down a half a block away to come up to this stop sign...why dont you go instead of waiting for me to get there?....but no...when I get there I now have to wait for you to go so I can go.
Its obvious I am aware of the stop sign..as I am slowing down while approaching it.

You people need your ass beat IJS...same with the wavers.

Its not safe around here for people to take the drivers test...due to wavers...they will mark it against you even if you were waved !
Additionally what gives the waver the right to hold up people behind him to let others go !!
A waver is obstructing traffic !

Only wave a guy on if he is having obvious mechanical trouble....or it aids his position with an awkward load...other than that get the fuck out of there.

I hate a busy four way filled with idiots ...the reason they are busy is because of the idiots.
When i come up to a four way and you dont go I am going to..you can honk and flip me off i dont care.
Am I really going out of turn if you dont go?....as far as I know you are broke down of fell asleep.
And now after I go...who knows who is to go next...you or the guys turn after me....all because you didnt go...we now have more cluster fuck.

Get your stop done and get the fuck out of there if you really want to be a nice guy.
IMO they should be writing more tickets at 4 ways.