I'm sure most have you haven't ever been arrested. In my 37 years of life, I've been arrested once. I stupidly left a $90 moving violation unpaid. I foolishly assumed that I could let it slide because it was a stop sign violation in a tiny town Municipality. I knew about it and kept tabs on the ticket. It just sat there for months. No warrant was ever issued and my license was never suspended.... At least I thought.
One morning, about 3 years later, I was taking my kids to daycare. Without really paying attention, I was going about 10 miles over the speed limit. A cop, justifiably, pulls me over. The cop asks me why I'm speeding, and I was honest. I was just in a hurry, and not paying attention. The cop, a female, seemed sympathetic. I think she was probably going to just give me a warning. Anyway, she takes my license and registration, insurance, etc and goes back to the car. Within a few minutes, two other cruisers show up.
She then comes to my window and tells me I have a warrant, and they're gonna need to arrest me. My kids, 10 month old twins at the time, were still in the car. She says, "do you have any one who can come get the kids? Otherwise, we're gonna have to turn them over to the state."
Luckily, my daycare provider was a block away and she was able to come pick them up. Meanwhile, the cops get me out of the vehicle, cuff me, and pat me down. They then call a tow truck to come get my car.
Dressed for work, I'm hauled off to the cop shop. I'm cuffed to the floor, in a holding cell for about an hour, while the county sends a cruiser over to pick me up. The county van shows up with two deputies. They cuff me with chains connecting my hands to the side of my body down to around my ankles. I'm then led into the Sheriff's van and cuffed to the floor. They drive me to the county jail, lead me in where they finger print me, ask me all kinds of questions about drugs and other irrelevant information. Then, they finally uncuffed me and move me into a large community incarceration room.
In here, the sheriff's corrections deputies are playing Mine craft on their computers and a bunch of gang banger looking dudes are watching Judge Judy. Now mind you, I'm unable to call my wife. I've been unable to call my office and tell them I've been "detained."
I'm also in the post 2010 World where the only phone numbers I know without my cell phone are my own, my office number, my wife's cell #, my parents, and my grandma's #. I'm not sharing this with Grandma. My parents are 480 miles away and irrelevant to the situation. My wife is working and does not have cell service phone for hours at a time in her office. I don't know her work# because it's saved in my phone.
I ask the deputy if I can just pay some money to leave? He says no, you have to go in front of the judge today at 2:30. After about 4 hours of Judge Judy and commercials about unemployment, another Jail official calls me over to her window. She had removed everything from my wallet and laminated my belongings. She then asks if I want to use a card to post bond. I'm like yes! How much? She said, $250 is pretty standard. So I pay that amount. I then ask, OK, can i leave? Another deputy says no. By this time, it's lunch. The county served a decent Turkey Sandwich.
Two hours later, my name is called. I'm called into a make shift municipal Court room with about 15 other people, men and women. The court clerk then starts going over all the charges for everyone and asking them to confirm their names and charges. They are stuff like. "Possession with the intent to sell, possession of a firearm, assault, DUI, theft, larceny, shoplifting more than $1000, auto theft, possession, possession. The clerk then looks at me and says, "wait... Who are you?" I tell her my name. She then asks, why are you here? I said " I was arrested for a warrant, for I assume, and unpaid ticket. "
She then has a deputy grab something. They get on her computer. She's like. "you owe the county $90 bucks. We didn't need to bring you in here."
I said, I just paid the county $250 bucks. She's like, "why?" I said the chick in the jail told me this was standard. Does she work on commission? The room full of criminals chuckled.
The clerk said at this point though, you still have to face the judge. I then go into a room with a camera and a TV. I appear in front of the judge on CC TV. The judge reads my charges and gets to the amount. "He says, when were you arrested on this bench warrant? I said about 7 hours ago. He then turns to the prosecuter and says, "we hauled this man 20 miles, fed him, and housed him for 7 hours for $90?"
The prosecuter says, "I guess so." The judge then asks how for a plea. I said, "your honor, I paid the county $250 about 4 hours ago under the advisement of a deputy here. Considering that's $160 more than what I owe, can I State guilt, apologize to the county and maybe still try to get home before dinner time? The judge and the prosecuter then agree... It takes me another 35 minutes before they release me.
I then have to walk a mile, pay $85 bucks for my car, and finally get to go home.
3 months later, I receive a check from the county for my change back from there overpayment.
Now this was clearly my own fault... I have no one to blame but myself. But you can't deny the absurdity of the criminal justice system in this case. The county spent hundreds of dollars on resources so they could make $90 off of me...
One morning, about 3 years later, I was taking my kids to daycare. Without really paying attention, I was going about 10 miles over the speed limit. A cop, justifiably, pulls me over. The cop asks me why I'm speeding, and I was honest. I was just in a hurry, and not paying attention. The cop, a female, seemed sympathetic. I think she was probably going to just give me a warning. Anyway, she takes my license and registration, insurance, etc and goes back to the car. Within a few minutes, two other cruisers show up.
She then comes to my window and tells me I have a warrant, and they're gonna need to arrest me. My kids, 10 month old twins at the time, were still in the car. She says, "do you have any one who can come get the kids? Otherwise, we're gonna have to turn them over to the state."
Luckily, my daycare provider was a block away and she was able to come pick them up. Meanwhile, the cops get me out of the vehicle, cuff me, and pat me down. They then call a tow truck to come get my car.
Dressed for work, I'm hauled off to the cop shop. I'm cuffed to the floor, in a holding cell for about an hour, while the county sends a cruiser over to pick me up. The county van shows up with two deputies. They cuff me with chains connecting my hands to the side of my body down to around my ankles. I'm then led into the Sheriff's van and cuffed to the floor. They drive me to the county jail, lead me in where they finger print me, ask me all kinds of questions about drugs and other irrelevant information. Then, they finally uncuffed me and move me into a large community incarceration room.
In here, the sheriff's corrections deputies are playing Mine craft on their computers and a bunch of gang banger looking dudes are watching Judge Judy. Now mind you, I'm unable to call my wife. I've been unable to call my office and tell them I've been "detained."
I'm also in the post 2010 World where the only phone numbers I know without my cell phone are my own, my office number, my wife's cell #, my parents, and my grandma's #. I'm not sharing this with Grandma. My parents are 480 miles away and irrelevant to the situation. My wife is working and does not have cell service phone for hours at a time in her office. I don't know her work# because it's saved in my phone.
I ask the deputy if I can just pay some money to leave? He says no, you have to go in front of the judge today at 2:30. After about 4 hours of Judge Judy and commercials about unemployment, another Jail official calls me over to her window. She had removed everything from my wallet and laminated my belongings. She then asks if I want to use a card to post bond. I'm like yes! How much? She said, $250 is pretty standard. So I pay that amount. I then ask, OK, can i leave? Another deputy says no. By this time, it's lunch. The county served a decent Turkey Sandwich.
Two hours later, my name is called. I'm called into a make shift municipal Court room with about 15 other people, men and women. The court clerk then starts going over all the charges for everyone and asking them to confirm their names and charges. They are stuff like. "Possession with the intent to sell, possession of a firearm, assault, DUI, theft, larceny, shoplifting more than $1000, auto theft, possession, possession. The clerk then looks at me and says, "wait... Who are you?" I tell her my name. She then asks, why are you here? I said " I was arrested for a warrant, for I assume, and unpaid ticket. "
She then has a deputy grab something. They get on her computer. She's like. "you owe the county $90 bucks. We didn't need to bring you in here."
I said, I just paid the county $250 bucks. She's like, "why?" I said the chick in the jail told me this was standard. Does she work on commission? The room full of criminals chuckled.
The clerk said at this point though, you still have to face the judge. I then go into a room with a camera and a TV. I appear in front of the judge on CC TV. The judge reads my charges and gets to the amount. "He says, when were you arrested on this bench warrant? I said about 7 hours ago. He then turns to the prosecuter and says, "we hauled this man 20 miles, fed him, and housed him for 7 hours for $90?"
The prosecuter says, "I guess so." The judge then asks how for a plea. I said, "your honor, I paid the county $250 about 4 hours ago under the advisement of a deputy here. Considering that's $160 more than what I owe, can I State guilt, apologize to the county and maybe still try to get home before dinner time? The judge and the prosecuter then agree... It takes me another 35 minutes before they release me.
I then have to walk a mile, pay $85 bucks for my car, and finally get to go home.
3 months later, I receive a check from the county for my change back from there overpayment.
Now this was clearly my own fault... I have no one to blame but myself. But you can't deny the absurdity of the criminal justice system in this case. The county spent hundreds of dollars on resources so they could make $90 off of me...
