I work part-time at Justice Court, where no good deed goes unpunished.

In the past, if I knew someone that owed on a ticket, I'd give them a courtesy call when the late penalty of $50 was going to kick in. Then I'd give them an extension of a week or two to get it paid.

Well, a month ago I called a lady's/defendant's daughter (I already had her cell number from church), and left a voice message that I was giving her an extension on her payment due date. So I get a call from a very irate mother (who apparently didn't know the daughter had voluntarily gave me the number). She viewed this as invasive, which I guess it was. (Other friends have been very appreciative).

So, no more "Mr. Nice Guy." I'll just send them their late letter. And no, I don't deduct $50 just because I know them. I'll do what I can within office protocol, but I don't do favors that would jeopardize my job.

BTW, the mother was STILL late paying the ticket and got charged the additional $50!


About cops issuing tickets -- just b/c someone has broken the law doesn't immediately warrant a ticket. The officers get to use their discretion on whether or not they issue a citation. For instance, I get a stack of tickets to input into the computer by re-typing the information so we can follow-up on whether they pay; sometimes the officer will give them a seatbelt ticket (which doesn't reflect on your driving record), and issue a "warning" for speeding.



Also, an FYI: Did you know that you can do a "plea in abeyance" to keep a speeding ticket off your insurance? This is an agreement between you, the judge and the prosecuting attorney. In our court it costs $25 and gives you the opportunity to pay a little extra to take Traffic School (which costs about $30). You can do it online in just a couple of hours or so.

The County District Attorney likes that people get educated on how to be better drivers which, after all, is the ultimate goal.