How many inmates can the SMC jail hold?
- Thread starter vraiblonde
- Start date
That's my question: what are they going to do if he refuses to pay the fines?
I'm guessing throw him in jail.
But they're emptying the jails of non-violent offenders because of the rona, and this man is certainly non-violent. So maybe a judge orders him to house arrest. But what if he refuses? Then what?
I'll tell you straight up, Ian Smith is my hero and should be an inspiration to Americans across the country. He is the living first-person answer to my question "then what?" - and that answer is "the petty tyrants fume and rail at being thwarted, that's what."
GregV814
Well-Known Member
I think you're pretty safe in St. Mary's....You see, the 2 district court judges do NOT jail anyone unless there are extenuating circumstances. Here's the proof....As you scan the Sheriff's Office wanted lists, you will see NUMEROUS escape, 2nd degree warrants out. No, they didnt " bribe the screws for cigarettes, and overpower them " like a James Cagney movie, nope. Those herculean offenders WERE NEVER JAILED OR EVEN HAD TO POST A BOND OR BAIL. Frankly, its silly to even suspect they gave "the Court" a valid address when they " promised, crossed their heart, hope to die" to appear for trial or a urinalysis.
CoVid my butt....
CoVid my butt....
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
Like locks, laws are made for honest people.
Exactly.
trust me, you don't want to spend time in the jail. It's far from a country club. I've never been in there accept as a visitor. But I know COs, lawyers and a few people who have had the misfortune of spending time. It's cold in the winter, hot in the summer, there is basically nothing to do and the food is minimal and poor. The only people who probably don't care are either homeless or mentally ill, but that is a bit redundant.
It's like a line of cars speeding, cop pulls you out of the pack for the ticket. Everyone else then slows down, you are just the lucky one who gets to pay the fine.
Just because you appeal a decision, doesn't mean you get to skip paying the fine. You would be able to make bail, but that's more money out of pocket. Most people don't have that kind of cash to pay fines, bail, lawyers fees etc. and hope they get reimbursed when they win on appeal.
I was once told by a retired state trooper (in another state) that I should fight a speeding ticket from a local cop.
He handed me everything to make my case.
Problem is, I have to pay the fine - because the district court is going to find me guilty even if Christ came in with me.
Then I would have to post the money to appeal the case before a real judge in Commonwealth Court.
Then take off another day for court, hoping the case is heard and resolved that day. Otherwise there are more trips to court.
Each time it's a day off from work and the mileage.
At what point does making a statement end and being foolish for tilting at windmills commence?
1stGenSMIB
Active Member
For my last speeding ticket, I just wrote the check and sent it in. I only wasted 5 minutes looking for my check book. I am not taking a day off work to fight a ~$100 speeding ticket.
I'ma tell you a secret a cop told me:
Cops are busy. They don't typically show up in court for a traffic ticket. So if you show up and plead not guilty, there's no one there to say different.
Cops hedge their bets because they know you'll pay it without question because you think cops have nothing better to do that sit in court all day waiting for your piddly ass traffic ticket to come up (and you have better things to do with your time as well). And it's not like they get a cut so they don't give a chit if you pay your ticket or not. They're just doing their job.
I went to court for running a red light, which I didn't do. I was to!d by the cop that wrote the ticket that I was spotted by another that radioed to him. Dismissed.
SamSpade
Well-Known Member
That's what I was told. And since the case was mostly BS - one of my plates (but not both) was stolen - they'd dismiss it.
She showed up.
I showed her my evidence - one of the charges was "driving an uninsured car" for a car that has NEVER been uninsured, zero lapses.
She told me not to worry about it.
She lied - she brought up every possible angle against my case.
Uninsured? Your honor I have proof -
Your choices are fine or jail.
But -
Fine or jail.
Fine.
Ok. Next case!
I hate traffic court.
The last speeding ticket I received was 60 in a 45. The officer apologized the whole time, but told me that 15 over was his "personal" threshold for a paying ticket. He knocked it down to 54 in a 45. He went on to explain to me that in St. Mary's, you have the option of making a deal with the SA's office to avoid the points which usually means an insurance increase, and apologized again and thanked me for being so courteous. He told me that he usually deals with a-holes all day. I told him that I understood the law and I had broken it. I thanked him for the break and went on my merry way.
The day of court, when I showed up, a nice lady walked into the courtroom and asked if there was anyone present who would like to opt out of the fine/points. If so, we should follow her. I went with her, signed up for community service, and was given an opportunity to make a donation to Project Graduation. My community service was assisting the organizers of a First Responders Appreciation picnic by setting up tents, tables, and chairs. I got free food and drinks all day and then helped them tear down at the end. All day I was thinking that this is something I would volunteer for anyway. What a great group of people.
The day of court, when I showed up, a nice lady walked into the courtroom and asked if there was anyone present who would like to opt out of the fine/points. If so, we should follow her. I went with her, signed up for community service, and was given an opportunity to make a donation to Project Graduation. My community service was assisting the organizers of a First Responders Appreciation picnic by setting up tents, tables, and chairs. I got free food and drinks all day and then helped them tear down at the end. All day I was thinking that this is something I would volunteer for anyway. What a great group of people.
Wait, are you saying that the judge wouldn't allow you to show proof that you were in fact insured??
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
Unless your hourly pay is so low that wasting a half day on traffic court will save you more it isnt worth it. That or you drive like such an ass you always have a stack of tickets.
Grumpy
Well-Known Member
I've told this before, I was supposedly given a ticket by an out-of-control state trooper for my tag light being out..Not a repair order, a ticket..but the state boy used the wrong code and the tix was for not displaying my DOT registration number on my commercial vehicle..ha...$70 dollar tix, went to court, showed that my car was not commercial and the judge said you're right, tix is dismissed, but charged me $70 for court costs..azzholes...
SamSpade
Well-Known Member
To be fair - this is what happened ---
Someone stole my plate off my car. It must have happened while I was parked in the commuter parking lot at Charlotte Hall. Honestly - I never noticed. I still had the back plate on, but somehow, the plate made it to the MVA and they cancelled my registration. Oddly enough, not only did I never receive any notice of cancellation, but my insurance company had no problem continuing to charge for a car that (I assume) the MVA of Maryland MUST have informed them no longer was registered. Insurance actually never received word, either.
So in utter ignorance - I paid the insurance and kept right on driving. I got pulled over and they towed my car away. I was incredulous. But it IS my fault I just never noticed the front plate missing. My only excuse is, I used to live in MA and you don't need a front plate - but that had been years prior.
So - fair or not - my plates had been cancelled. Unknown to me. I was supposed to explain this to the court but the judge wasn't interested in any part of the story. She cancelled a few of the charges, saying you couldn't apply all of them - but bottom line I still paid several hundred bucks in fees. It was a little embarrassing because she also insisted I agree NOT to drive an uninsured car for one more year. When I insisted that I had never done that, I got a sharp remark from the bench which amounted to "take it or leave it".
This was a case of "just pay the damned fine and put it behind you". Whenever I hear stories of people fighting to the last dime for their rights, there's a part of me that says more power to them.
Wife had a similar situation last year where she was charged with I guess something like reckless endangerment - pulling into a parking space where another family was loading their car. She did it very slowly, was never closer than five feet - and they went ballistic on her. Long story short - they never showed up in court - but she still ended up paying a fine.
I - HATE - traffic court. Hate it.
LightRoasted
If I may ...
If I may ...
Never answer any questions asked by a Deputy, Trooper, or Police Officer. Even the innocent sounding ones like, "So where are you off to in such a hurry?" Or, "Is there a reason why you were going so fast?" Just remain silent. They write everything down you say to be used against you in court to convict. And nowadays, as once happened to me, when pulled over, the first thing the Trooper said was, "This encounter is being video and audio recorded." I said thank you and remained silent throughout those prying questions. Got a warning. Pretty much, I think, is because I did not convict myself my answering his questions. Answers he would have used against me had it gone to court.
Because you know, when you plead "not guilty", the judge will always ask the ticket writer if there is anything he/she has to say, and out comes the notebook, or the back of the ticket. "Well your honor, I asked the defendant xxxxx and he/she responded zzzzz." Which validated that my radar was correct and that it was his/her car that I had the radar beam focused on giving me probable cause to activate my lights and siren to pull over the vehicle." So there you have, an officer using your own words to convict you in court and then the judge will ask you, "Is that correct Mr/Ms Defendant?" And if you lie, then the officer will bring out more of the questions asked and answered on the side of the road to further establish your guilt. Or worse. The officer could enter into evidence the audio, or the whole video/audio recording of you looking into the camera mounted on his/her chest into evidence to have your own words convict you. All for answering simple innocent sounding questions.
Moral of the story. Always, without fail, exercise your right to remain silent if pulled over. Do not think you can outwit them. Be nice. And if those prying questions keep coming, just say, "With respect, (Deputy, Trooper, Officer), I'm exercising my right to remain silent."
Oh yeah. And one other one big thing too. Always keep the inside of your car clean, uncluttered. Don't want your car searched do ya? What you know as just a pieces of trash or junk on the floorboard or backseat, from the outside looking through a window might be seen as something suspect. Even if you are just an innocent traveler. Just in case, here's another phrase if you are asked, "Deputy, Trooper, Officer, with respect, I do not consent to a search of my vehicle. If asked to exit your vehicle, lock all the doors as you exit. Also, "Am I being detained, or am I free to go?" If being detained? "With respect, Deputy, Trooper, Officer, (why am I), or, on what grounds am I being detained?" And never answer any direct questions, remain silent. But always keep your cool and be polite. If things do go against you, aka sideways, it can be dealt with later in court. Do not try to deal with it on the side of the road.
Here's another secret ...
Never answer any questions asked by a Deputy, Trooper, or Police Officer. Even the innocent sounding ones like, "So where are you off to in such a hurry?" Or, "Is there a reason why you were going so fast?" Just remain silent. They write everything down you say to be used against you in court to convict. And nowadays, as once happened to me, when pulled over, the first thing the Trooper said was, "This encounter is being video and audio recorded." I said thank you and remained silent throughout those prying questions. Got a warning. Pretty much, I think, is because I did not convict myself my answering his questions. Answers he would have used against me had it gone to court.
Because you know, when you plead "not guilty", the judge will always ask the ticket writer if there is anything he/she has to say, and out comes the notebook, or the back of the ticket. "Well your honor, I asked the defendant xxxxx and he/she responded zzzzz." Which validated that my radar was correct and that it was his/her car that I had the radar beam focused on giving me probable cause to activate my lights and siren to pull over the vehicle." So there you have, an officer using your own words to convict you in court and then the judge will ask you, "Is that correct Mr/Ms Defendant?" And if you lie, then the officer will bring out more of the questions asked and answered on the side of the road to further establish your guilt. Or worse. The officer could enter into evidence the audio, or the whole video/audio recording of you looking into the camera mounted on his/her chest into evidence to have your own words convict you. All for answering simple innocent sounding questions.
Moral of the story. Always, without fail, exercise your right to remain silent if pulled over. Do not think you can outwit them. Be nice. And if those prying questions keep coming, just say, "With respect, (Deputy, Trooper, Officer), I'm exercising my right to remain silent."
Oh yeah. And one other one big thing too. Always keep the inside of your car clean, uncluttered. Don't want your car searched do ya? What you know as just a pieces of trash or junk on the floorboard or backseat, from the outside looking through a window might be seen as something suspect. Even if you are just an innocent traveler. Just in case, here's another phrase if you are asked, "Deputy, Trooper, Officer, with respect, I do not consent to a search of my vehicle. If asked to exit your vehicle, lock all the doors as you exit. Also, "Am I being detained, or am I free to go?" If being detained? "With respect, Deputy, Trooper, Officer, (why am I), or, on what grounds am I being detained?" And never answer any direct questions, remain silent. But always keep your cool and be polite. If things do go against you, aka sideways, it can be dealt with later in court. Do not try to deal with it on the side of the road.
I'm physically incapable of doing that. Last time I got stopped for speeding I was doing 6 over and the cop asked where I was coming from, where I was headed. I launched into the story of how we are full time travelers and came all the way across the country from Maryland to Utah, and were on our way back to Nebraska to see the Huskers Homecoming game, and oh my gosh it's so pretty out west! He was probably sorry he asked.
Anyway, he gave me a warning when he realized we weren't the drug traffickers he was hoping to catch. He said, "We think 80 is plenty fast enough along this stretch." I replied, "Me too." He said, "Have a nice day," and I said, "You too!" Everyone parted friends.
I'm not a combative type with cops. I'm never doing anything worth arresting me for so if the cop wants to ask me some questions I have no problem with that.
Or you have a toddler or 8 year old in the car asking if he's going to give mommy a ticket. Got me out of two speeding tickets!I'm physically incapable of doing that. Last time I got stopped for speeding I was doing 6 over and the cop asked where I was coming from, where I was headed. I launched into the story of how we are full time travelers and came all the way across the country from Maryland to Utah, and were on our way back to Nebraska to see the Huskers Homecoming game, and oh my gosh it's so pretty out west! He was probably sorry he asked.
Anyway, he gave me a warning when he realized we weren't the drug traffickers he was hoping to catch. He said, "We think 80 is plenty fast enough along this stretch." I replied, "Me too." He said, "Have a nice day," and I said, "You too!" Everyone parted friends.
I'm not a combative type with cops. I'm never doing anything worth arresting me for so if the cop wants to ask me some questions I have no problem with that.
And they promise not to call him Officer Diarrhea! True story!
