OT--but this seemed unfair to me...

[HaYnSweetie]

So i went to court today with my sister, she got a ticket for not having her new tags on her truck even tho they had just arrived that day...anywho charges were dismissed woohoo...but here is what bothered me.
As you're waiting for your name to be called you are sitting in a big court room with everyone else who has to plead their case and you get to hear who ever is before you talk about their situation. Well there was a guy there who had gotten a speeding ticket and 2 days later he got deployed to Afghanistan, where he was for 7 months. Of course thinking he should reschedule his court date wasnt on his mind since getting deployed was such short notice. He brought papers of his orders that the judge DIDNT look at and asked if he could just pay the ticket now. This is what she said...

"It is very irresponsible of you to not pay your ticket on time, had you paid your ticket on time you would not have to be in court today. Thats not a good enough excuse, therefore you will have to take a driving class, pay the ticket, court costs and i am suspending your license!" Then as if she couldnt be any more of a b!tch says..."Oh by the way, thanks for all you do in protecting our Country."

I was so p!ssed i wanted to go up to her, grab her by her hair and throw her a** outta that chair!

[HaYnSweetie]

No the punishment for missing a court date here...well for traffic violators...is paying your ticket plus a fine. And i read what Roxanne wrote and i agree 100% with her, especially about drunk drivers getting less punishment! What makes it worse is that the other guy who missed his court date ONLY had to pay his ticket...that was complete BS!

[wannabeamama6]

I'm with Amanda here. It takes 5 mins to call and pay it or send the payment in the mail. so he should have paid it he was breaking the law! BUT he shouldn't have gotten all the extra stuff . Here in Nebraska they just take it off you License and you pay an extra fee when you get it renewed or reinstated. So this man did NOT deserve the other stuff. But again ive read a few ppl saying that their states different so maybe that is the punishment in your state?  

[HeatherLynB]

Im sorry but i so DISAGREE with the people saying he STILL HAD 2 DAYS TO PAY IT! Maybe he didnt have the money OR MAYBE he was thinking about HIS LIFE AND HIS FAMILY that he would soon be leaving behind! Its so unfair to give someone a slap on the wrist and then give him all these fines! Just because he is in the military doesnt mean he should automatically be a role model...he is human and we all make mistakes. Maybe he joined to support his family, we dont know but this man was treated unfair and if it were my husband id fight this judges judgement!

[5n1]

I will say that yes violating the law is still violating the law, but I will agree with you, she(the judge) should hand out equal punishments...there should be no leniency for one and not the other, ya know? but, I guess I cant really even guess why she did it, there could be underlying circumstances, first or second time offense or what not...but, I definately think it is wrong for her to allow the one who was out of town with family to basically walk and the one who was forced to leave pay a hefty toll...that is definately wrong...but, I do know that most states courts operate differently, and have different consequences, and fines...but, I would figure since he was deployed and didnt pay the fine, obviously...they would have just issued a failure to appear, and he would have paid that, which is considerably equal to the speeding ticket itself, and it would be done...oh well to each his own and we all have different opinions on this subject...

[Roxannee3]

I personally feel like what he got was a load of bs! Yes, he should've paid it, BUT how many of you that are saying he had 2 days to pay it, would ya'll actually even thought about paying it after finding out your going over seas?! I think not. Im pretty sure that ya'll would've been worried about your family!! I know I wouldn't have given to craps less about that speeding ticket, considering I have a child, & a husband. Ya'll have no idea who he left to go over there! So honestly I think that ya'll should put your self in his shoes, & then say what's been said! Yes the law is the law, & everyone no matter who you are has to obide by them! But people who drive drunk don't even get that much of a punishment!! -NOT TRYING TO START ANYTHING, JUST MY OPINION-

& Thank the Lord I wasn't in the court room, Im pretty sure I would've been sent to jail!!

[HaYnSweetie]

And he was on standby for deployment, the guy who was originally supposed to go was injured...he was told 2 days before deploying that he would be leaving. Im not saying he shouldnt have not paid his ticket but the judge could have given him an extension or let him pay the ticket that day. I dont know about everyone else, but if im about to be shipped away from my family and friends for 7 months, a speeding ticket is the last thing that would be on my mind. Spending time with the ones i love and hoping to come home alive would be my main priority.