Brickbat: Filing the Correct Paperwork

Source: Pixabay

More than 80 college students are facing criminal charges in Fairfield, Connecticut, and the police chief says they shouldn't be. The students were cited by police officers for misrepresentation of age, an infraction which carries a $200 fine, after police raided a local bar and found them with fake ID cards. But the officers cited them under a law that was repealed four years ago. So when the citations got to the local court, a clerk there noticed that and changed all of the charges to misrepresenting age to procure liquor, a misdemeanor offense which carries a larger fine and the possibility of time in jail. "This is terrible," said Police Chief Armando Perez. "I didn't want to hit these kids. I just wanted to send them a message. A fine is one thing, but a misdemeanor can go on their record."

Comments

[buybuydandavis]

a clerk there noticed that and changed all of the charges to misrepresenting age to procure liquor, a misdemeanor offense which carries a larger fine and the possibility of time in jail.

So random clerks can change the charges on hundreds of citations on their whimsy?

[Adans smith]

He / she has a pen and a phone.

[WTF]

It all falls under the FYTW clause of jurisprudence.

[Florida Hipster]

Yup. Happened to me.

[WTF]

So, you should be able to get the clerk on the stand and question them regarding the circumstances under which they witnessed the alleged crime they charged you with. In a system that wasn't rigged, anyway.

[Florida Hipster]

n a system that wasn't rigged, anyway

Well there's your problem right there.

I had to hire a lawyer, pay fines, pay bribes on top of fines. Giant headache. Luckily I had the money to put up a defense. If I was poor, I would have been more meat for the grinder.

[thom]

So random clerks can change the charges on hundreds of citations on their whimsy?

Should we be trying to get more libertarians into these court clerk positions? Drug possession charges magically change to misdemeanor loitering, or something like that? Or does this only work one way?

[Pat (PM)]

So, on account of the cops being (typically) ignorant of the state of the law, a bunch of overprivileged douchebags at a $40k/yr Connecticut uni/social club ended up getting treated like common proles and charged with a misdemeanor when the cops actually intended to treat them like overpriveleged douchebags and give them lesser charges? Where did I put my hankie...

[Ted S.]

There probably shouldn't be a minimum age to drink legally, and it certainly shouldn't be 21.

[Pat (PM)]

Just because you can drive around the desert in a $9-million-per-copy M1 Abrams blowing other human beings to smithereens at 18 doesn't mean you can handle the responsibility of drinking a beer or playing a hand of blackjack.

[some guy]

Hell, you can do that at 17 if you've graduated and have your guardian's permission. You can also get your legs blown off and face melted in an IED attack in the desert at that age. But still no drinking.

[Ted S.]

I drink wine, anyway.

That, and vodka.

[B. Woodrow Chippenhaus]

Maybe the all identified as being at least 21, you privileged white cis-hetero male shitlord!

[B. Woodrow Chippenhaus]

Or maybe they all identified as such..

[Rich]

So, "the" identified as "they"?

[pan fried wylie]

thex

[some guy]

So the clerk was charged with obstruction of justice, right? Or some sort of official forgery or fraud?

[straffinrun]

80 underage kids in one bar on "Student Night". Not the brightest move by the Captain's Star Cafe.

[Rufus The Monocled Derp Slayer]

They'll make perfect politicians.

[Eman]

"I didn't want to hit these kids. I just wanted to send them a message. A fine is one thing, but a misdemeanor can go on their record."

he's just noticing his actions have consequences?

[Eman]

"I didn't want to hit my wife. I just wanted to send her a message. "

[Florida Hipster]

Women are devoid of reason and agency. It really the only way to communicate with them.

[Citizen X]

Paging Johnny Longtorso. Mr. Longtorso, please finish jacking to Sailor Moon and come to the brown courtesy phone.

[Rich]

"Do you know why I pulled you over today?"

"Because you just wanted to send me a message?"

[sarcasmic]

Showing signs of a conscience? Obviously this man lacks the depraved indifference required for law enforcement. He should resign immediately.

[Citizen X]

To err is human. To really fuck up a random person's life for no reason and with no consequences whatsoever takes a bureaucrat.

[jackrose]

nice post thanks admin