Jon|Hazan
05-08-2003, 03:59 PM
This story is very long. Usually i dont like to post stuff like this because i hate complaining about my problems to other people, but a lot of you are asking why i'm not on my way home today, this is why.
On april 30th, i recieved a ticket for speeding in a small county outside of birmingham, alabama. I was traveling over a hill, going 70 in a 65 zone, and when i reeached the top, i found a 55 mph speed limit sign about 50 feet ahead of me, and a police officer parked dircetly next to it. IMMEDIATELY i slammed on my brakes in shock, as there were no reduced speed ahead signs or warnings before this sign, but the police officer seemed to find it irrelivant. He demanded i step out of the car and found it neccessary to check every possible place of my car, including the trunk (i allowed it, because i have nothing to hide). He told me i was traveling far too fast for a 55mph zone, and that my car was way too low (told me i needed to have raised back up). He handed me the ticket for 71 in a 55 and told me to stop driving so carelessly. Atop the ticket was a court date, where i decided i would go and plead innocent. That date was 5-8-03 @ 9 00 am (this morning). The fine was 132$ with 2 points assigned to my liscense.
I arrived at the shelby county city hall this morning at 8:55am. The courthouse was probably *legally, according to fire laws* only sopposed to have a capacity for 50 people, as there were about 30 chairs, but there were probably over 175+ people packed in there, spilling out the front door. Heading the room, there were 5 people working the court desk, including a judge, and the line for this desk was out the door, so i walked out and i filed in behind a black woman (i'm not rascist, but youll see the relevance to that in a minute). It took about 40 minutes just to get to the front of the desk, and the woman ahead of me was rather frustrated. She approached the desk with an attitude, telling the judge she was innocent of the speeding occurance. immediately the judge says, " You are being held in contempt of court, you will be held over night in the county prison." She continued to argue as the police officer hand cuffed her, and naturally the room fell silent. We all sucked our lips in and stayed shut as i approached the bench. The judge began to write the fine and i very very respectfully explained to him that i felt i was not innocent. He said "are you saying you weren't going 71 kid?" I told him "Yes, but..." he interupted and said "so you would like to be held in contempt as well then? i see.." He called a police officer over to cuff me and i immediately appologized "No, sir, i apologize, i accept charges, please do not put me in prison" He held up his hand to stop the officer as i watched the court clerk cross out and add 20 dollars to my fine. I sucked in my lip again and headed for the payment office. There was an indian fellow in front of me in that line, who had a ticket for speeding 2 mph less than mine, yet his fine was for 90 dollars more than mine.
I did not have 152$. I had 80 in my account at best, but it is my legal right to ask for an extension for my payment (i dont know the laws in bama, but people who live here say they have done it), so i figured was ok. But i was wrong. The officer told me i had to choices "pay or stay, in the county prison until i can pay the fines plus bail." I dug my fingernails into my palm and sucked in my lip again. Going to prison in the middle of nowhere alabama meant a definate ass raping, especailly to a small guy like me. I explained to the officer that i did not have the money, and i had no one to wire the money to. He looks at me like a dumbass and says "well then i guess your stayin kid!" So i pleaded, and begged. I said i "Pleasee let me try to go to the bank. I havee to find a way to get your money" and he rolled his eyes. "Go aheead son, we got police over there too, so you aint goin no where"
Ok, well i haven't told my father about this. Its my responsibility and i had no intentions of dragging him into this, but i had no other choice. I called him and explained everything. He stopped me and told me to hold on. I heard him excuse himself from a meeting or something and then hear him say, "ok, jon! I'll call you when i get to the bank, dont worry!" "what in the hell?" i thought.. "Is he out of his mind?" I was expected a no or at least a 30 minute leecture but i got nothing. He went out of his way and wired me the money immediately. "Jon, they dont work the courts out there the same way they do in st louis, or any other town/country area for that matter..." He explained. "Laws are meaningless to them, only money matters, cause thats their only source of revenue in a small town like that." Well we got the account number and got the money wired. He calmed me out of panic mode as best he could and told me to call the bank to see when the money will be there. So i thanked him and called the bank, who told me the money would be there late today or tommorow, which meeans i'm fucked, as the court house closes in an hour. I hung up on them, grabbed all the money from my account (75$) and headed back to the court house. The police officer rolled his eyes as i showed up 20 minutes later and handed him 75 dollars. I showed him the deposit slip for the wire and he looked at me straight in the eyes. "You come back here AS SOON as the money comes in, i'm giving you till 4pm tommorow to get that money here, or your in prison kid." I thanked him respectfully, took my recipt for 75 and left.
Its hard not to make assumptions about the south in a situation like this. The whole black lady incident and the indan guy... i was expecting this court to be fair and just (like every other time i've been to court), but i guess i was wrong. Maybe i'm misinterpreting all this, but i felt like as soon as i walked into that court i was stripped of all my rights as an American. It was extremely demeaning and frustrating situation. I felt like a drug dealer who owes money, and if i didn't pay up i was going to get pounded in the ass.
Anywho, one more night here in bama and i'm headin home tommorow. Hopefully something doesn't go wrong, but this all should be over soon.
On april 30th, i recieved a ticket for speeding in a small county outside of birmingham, alabama. I was traveling over a hill, going 70 in a 65 zone, and when i reeached the top, i found a 55 mph speed limit sign about 50 feet ahead of me, and a police officer parked dircetly next to it. IMMEDIATELY i slammed on my brakes in shock, as there were no reduced speed ahead signs or warnings before this sign, but the police officer seemed to find it irrelivant. He demanded i step out of the car and found it neccessary to check every possible place of my car, including the trunk (i allowed it, because i have nothing to hide). He told me i was traveling far too fast for a 55mph zone, and that my car was way too low (told me i needed to have raised back up). He handed me the ticket for 71 in a 55 and told me to stop driving so carelessly. Atop the ticket was a court date, where i decided i would go and plead innocent. That date was 5-8-03 @ 9 00 am (this morning). The fine was 132$ with 2 points assigned to my liscense.
I arrived at the shelby county city hall this morning at 8:55am. The courthouse was probably *legally, according to fire laws* only sopposed to have a capacity for 50 people, as there were about 30 chairs, but there were probably over 175+ people packed in there, spilling out the front door. Heading the room, there were 5 people working the court desk, including a judge, and the line for this desk was out the door, so i walked out and i filed in behind a black woman (i'm not rascist, but youll see the relevance to that in a minute). It took about 40 minutes just to get to the front of the desk, and the woman ahead of me was rather frustrated. She approached the desk with an attitude, telling the judge she was innocent of the speeding occurance. immediately the judge says, " You are being held in contempt of court, you will be held over night in the county prison." She continued to argue as the police officer hand cuffed her, and naturally the room fell silent. We all sucked our lips in and stayed shut as i approached the bench. The judge began to write the fine and i very very respectfully explained to him that i felt i was not innocent. He said "are you saying you weren't going 71 kid?" I told him "Yes, but..." he interupted and said "so you would like to be held in contempt as well then? i see.." He called a police officer over to cuff me and i immediately appologized "No, sir, i apologize, i accept charges, please do not put me in prison" He held up his hand to stop the officer as i watched the court clerk cross out and add 20 dollars to my fine. I sucked in my lip again and headed for the payment office. There was an indian fellow in front of me in that line, who had a ticket for speeding 2 mph less than mine, yet his fine was for 90 dollars more than mine.
I did not have 152$. I had 80 in my account at best, but it is my legal right to ask for an extension for my payment (i dont know the laws in bama, but people who live here say they have done it), so i figured was ok. But i was wrong. The officer told me i had to choices "pay or stay, in the county prison until i can pay the fines plus bail." I dug my fingernails into my palm and sucked in my lip again. Going to prison in the middle of nowhere alabama meant a definate ass raping, especailly to a small guy like me. I explained to the officer that i did not have the money, and i had no one to wire the money to. He looks at me like a dumbass and says "well then i guess your stayin kid!" So i pleaded, and begged. I said i "Pleasee let me try to go to the bank. I havee to find a way to get your money" and he rolled his eyes. "Go aheead son, we got police over there too, so you aint goin no where"
Ok, well i haven't told my father about this. Its my responsibility and i had no intentions of dragging him into this, but i had no other choice. I called him and explained everything. He stopped me and told me to hold on. I heard him excuse himself from a meeting or something and then hear him say, "ok, jon! I'll call you when i get to the bank, dont worry!" "what in the hell?" i thought.. "Is he out of his mind?" I was expected a no or at least a 30 minute leecture but i got nothing. He went out of his way and wired me the money immediately. "Jon, they dont work the courts out there the same way they do in st louis, or any other town/country area for that matter..." He explained. "Laws are meaningless to them, only money matters, cause thats their only source of revenue in a small town like that." Well we got the account number and got the money wired. He calmed me out of panic mode as best he could and told me to call the bank to see when the money will be there. So i thanked him and called the bank, who told me the money would be there late today or tommorow, which meeans i'm fucked, as the court house closes in an hour. I hung up on them, grabbed all the money from my account (75$) and headed back to the court house. The police officer rolled his eyes as i showed up 20 minutes later and handed him 75 dollars. I showed him the deposit slip for the wire and he looked at me straight in the eyes. "You come back here AS SOON as the money comes in, i'm giving you till 4pm tommorow to get that money here, or your in prison kid." I thanked him respectfully, took my recipt for 75 and left.
Its hard not to make assumptions about the south in a situation like this. The whole black lady incident and the indan guy... i was expecting this court to be fair and just (like every other time i've been to court), but i guess i was wrong. Maybe i'm misinterpreting all this, but i felt like as soon as i walked into that court i was stripped of all my rights as an American. It was extremely demeaning and frustrating situation. I felt like a drug dealer who owes money, and if i didn't pay up i was going to get pounded in the ass.
Anywho, one more night here in bama and i'm headin home tommorow. Hopefully something doesn't go wrong, but this all should be over soon.