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And JUSTICE For All....

My youngest daughter had to go to traffic court this morning - and being that she is only 16, and this was her first ticket I went along for moral support. The ticket that she got was for "failure to follow traffic patterns" ... or something like that! At any rate, she was going to school, and moved into the turn lane about a car length BEFORE the turn lane actually starts and there happend to be a state trooper patroling this area that day! (this has become a VERY controversial area in our town because it is simply TOO congested during the morning rush hour for students, teachers, busses to all be getting over and NOT blocking the regular traffic that's cruising along doing 75 mph (in a 55!). Accidents are happening and of course there are two sides to the situation! BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS POST IS ABOUT! lol.

Until this year, we have only EVER had ONE District Court Judge in our County. Judge Clagget! We all know him - most of us love him. I suppose a few hate him -- but it would be really hard, because even when he's being mean he has a GREAT sense of humor! I'm VERY familiar with Judge Claggett because I, myself, have gone before him once and he was very fair. But I've also gone along with my eldest son (who has a LEAD FOOT and total disregard for the law... all laws!) on 5 seperate occassions to visit Judge Claggett! I can tell you for sure that my son has a golden horseshoe up his rear end -- and he knows it! Mathew should have ended up with 14 points on his license - and the most he ever accrued was 8. When his license should have been suspended it wasn't. When it should have been REVOKED it was only suspended. Every time I went with Mathew and expected to have to drive him home, he walked out with a slap on the wrist and a MUCH lower fine than he started with! (ONE time he had to do community service - but he was allowed to do it at his place of employment, and just not get paid for those hours.) So... you've got the picture... right? Dad and I were ripping our hair out over this kid who WOULD NOT stop speeding -- WE took his car away, we grounded him, we did all OUR stuff -- but we felt like we really weren't getting much help from the LAW with him! K?

So... today, my daughter... my VERY law abiding daughter, the one who does NOT drink alcohol, does NOT smoke pot or use ANY illegal substances, who in fact IS taking the criminal justice pathway in her education and DOES plan a career in Criminal Justice - who in fact, HAS been selected for an internship with the Sheriff's Office this school year ... THIS daughter goes to court. You KNOW what's coming don't you? Well, first we notice that Judge Claggett's name isn't on the bench this morning. Our NEW Judge - Judge Riddle is presiding this morning. Judge Riddle doesn't have much sense of humor. We KNOW this because we watched about 25 people get called before Krysti. Judge Riddle is a pain in the butt! Judge Riddle is EXACTLY the judge that my SON should have had! But no... Krysti got him! Now... Krysti's cop DIDN'T show up -- and we all know that normally that means YOU ARE EXCUSED, leave the room, do not pay a fine, go on with your life and try to behave... RIGHT? (I don't know what happend with this because another cop was covering her ticket ... which I've NEVER seen happen before ... and she didn't say "hey, that's not my cop!" I think if she HAD she probably would have gotten off... but I don't know.) And here's the rub... Judge Claggett always gives everybody a chance to "tell their story" - I think he likes hearing all the excuses! Judge Riddle really doesn't much give a hoot! Krysti got NO CHANCE to explain herself. He DID lower her fine, but he also gave her community service! ??? I was like... for THIS? (I mean ... Mathew got away with so much MORE without getting community service!) I wasn't gettin' it! But then! The kicker! Krysti IS a volunteer at our local firehouse -- so I figured, well if Mathew was allowed to do HIS community service at his place of employment (he was a ligeguard) - surely she would be allowed to do HERS at the firehouse! ... ... ... NOT EVEN! No no no. She has to do HER community service filing papers for some county office!

Krysti ... who has a WONDERFUL sense of humor ... is NOT happy about this whole situation -- but she IS able to laugh about it! She does however feel that she would have done MUCH better to have simply PAID the $80 fine and NOT gone to court. Because today's activities cost her - with court fees AND $25.50 for Community Service Fees - $95.50. She did save herself from getting a point on her record -- but we're both wondering if that ONE point was worth not having!

I think we have determined that there is probably only ONE golden horseshoe in our family ... and that is it wedged rather tightly in place. And JUSTICE will NEVER be served!

posted by Melli at 2:00 PM