American Justice
So I had to go to court Tuesday. A little background....
I was spraying an apartment complex for bugs when I ran into some white trash scum that the capitol of Illinois spreads throughout these welfare apartments in Central Illinois. It's supposed to "acclimate" them to normal life. Instead it "acclimates" the unwary parent's kids to the joys of AIDS and low-quality, high powered Meth.
So this ugly wench, call her Maw Trash, was upset with me because she had declined service last time, and I had reported this to the manager, who then wrote her up. She gave me crap for a bit, then when I declined any further crap, she called up some guy and passed me the phone.
So I say, "Yes?", and he gives me all this hilarious shit about how he's coming over to teach me a lesson. Bored at the lack of novelty of it all, and not enjoying the squalid hospitality of this wench, I hung up and told her that I was marking her as having "declined service", and that she'd be evicted.
Then went about my rounds.
Soon, her old husband Paw Trash came by, and wanted to start trouble. He wanted me to tell the manager that I had sprayed the woman's apartment, but I declined. Then he went off to try to get me in trouble with the manager.
Not that this did much good. I grew up here, so did she, neither of us have enjoyed seeing Chicago's trash littered about rural Illinois. She listened, then told him that as service was declined, Maw Trash was to be evicted.
He went off to Maw Trash's apartment, and the manager and I went about the rest of the rounds.
But when we came out, there was Trash Jr., all 6'4'' 250 pounds of righteous wrath, looking for Landlord ass to chew. So he comes striding over, swearing up a storm and wants to give her a piece of his mind. Fortunately for me, 50 pounds of it was beer belly.
I intervened, and let him know that the cops would be called and he should back off. He did, still yelling and such, and her and I retired to her office. Where she called the cops to have him arrested.
Which would be pretty hard, since while morally he had done great wrong, we had him on little more then menacing and disturbing the peace. But she wanted to be able to tresspass him more conveniently, and to get the others evicted, so that worked.
The police came by, and he was arrested. And RoR'd, it being too small a charge.
Well, it so happens the guy is minor muscle (read "glorified mule") for some who enjoy making meth with handy kitchen and farm supplies. So it was decided to prosecute him for nuisance value. It was expected that he'd plead.
He didn't, but asked for a bench trial.
The wheels of justice turning so swiftly, and his right to a speedy trial so guaranteed, we went from October 30th of 2004 to April 5th of 2005 before this trial. Which brings us to now.
Monday, I did call to see if they'd actually still need me as a witness. I figured he had plead out, but nope, it was still on. I said to the State's Attorney, "My driving time will likely be longer then what he can be sentenced to!", to which he laughed and agreed.
So I drive two hours down into Southern Illinois where everyone else is. There was the Judge, the State's Attorney, the Public Defender, the Court Clerk, the Bailiff, me, the victim, the police officer. Versus little old him.
I don't know how the others value their time, but I get anywhere from $20 to $40 an hour, and I wondered at how much this was costing the taxpayers, and all involved, so as to try him for this penny-ante misdemeanor.
He showed up, with the whole extended Trash Clan in their Sunday finery, in this case that being T-shirts and baggy jeans for the "men" and halters and slut skirts for the "women". (They all hadn't had this much excitement since Cousin Trash had a chance to be on Jerry Springer last year, and that other time when Betty Lou kicked Donny Ray out for him cheatin')
First there were some other "trials" to be had in this little corner of Amerika.
1. A hearing to determine the legitimacy of a search warrant that had been executed, and had resulted in a pot bust. The man's lawyer asked the undercover drug shit under oath, "What was the basis of obtaining the warrant?" - a reasonable question, it being a hearing to determine the legitimacy of the search warrant.
State's Attorney: "Objection! Outside the scope of the hearing!"
Judge: "Sustained"
Defense Attorney: "What led you to want a warrant?"
SA: "Objection! Outside the scope of the hearing!"
Judge: "Sustained"
Defense Attorney: (silent)
Judge: "Any further questions?"
DA: "No, your honor".
SA: "State has no questions"
Judge: "I find insufficient evidence to indicate the warrant was issued without merit."
2. Amusingly during this judicial farce, a guy in front of me was very agitated and asking if the man on the stand (the undercover shit) was "Jim's friend". Guess Jim doesn't know how to pick his friends very well!
3. Two people were then busted for possession of drug related paraphernalia, which nowadays means, "ZigZag Rolling Papers". They each plead out to a suspended sentence of a year, then a $750 fine, court costs, and another $50 payable to Crimestoppers, those fun lovers who run the 1-800-SQUEALER hotline.
Now it was Trash Jr.'s turn, but lo and behold, he was off with the State's Attorney in consultation. Seems he had figured that either the manager or I would call off, and he'd get a walk. As we were there, he obviously would not.
The State's Attorney was told that Trash Jr. didn't want to do community service - manadatory if convicted of Disturbing the Peace, which was what he was charged with. So he pleaded UP to Battery.
In this he was given Court Supervision for one year (translation: Nothing) and a $75 fine and court costs. And was barred from contact with either the manager or me or any property of the Company that owns the apartments.
Hmmm....rolling papers.....$750......scaring and bullying....$75? Such priorities, such justice.
In any case, it wasn't a total loss. The manager was glad to see me there, and her boss was similarily pleased. There may be some extra work for me now, so that is good.
And Maw Trash was evicted. And all were trespassed. And now they say they are moving back to Chicago.
Damn!
*smiles*
I was spraying an apartment complex for bugs when I ran into some white trash scum that the capitol of Illinois spreads throughout these welfare apartments in Central Illinois. It's supposed to "acclimate" them to normal life. Instead it "acclimates" the unwary parent's kids to the joys of AIDS and low-quality, high powered Meth.
So this ugly wench, call her Maw Trash, was upset with me because she had declined service last time, and I had reported this to the manager, who then wrote her up. She gave me crap for a bit, then when I declined any further crap, she called up some guy and passed me the phone.
So I say, "Yes?", and he gives me all this hilarious shit about how he's coming over to teach me a lesson. Bored at the lack of novelty of it all, and not enjoying the squalid hospitality of this wench, I hung up and told her that I was marking her as having "declined service", and that she'd be evicted.
Then went about my rounds.
Soon, her old husband Paw Trash came by, and wanted to start trouble. He wanted me to tell the manager that I had sprayed the woman's apartment, but I declined. Then he went off to try to get me in trouble with the manager.
Not that this did much good. I grew up here, so did she, neither of us have enjoyed seeing Chicago's trash littered about rural Illinois. She listened, then told him that as service was declined, Maw Trash was to be evicted.
He went off to Maw Trash's apartment, and the manager and I went about the rest of the rounds.
But when we came out, there was Trash Jr., all 6'4'' 250 pounds of righteous wrath, looking for Landlord ass to chew. So he comes striding over, swearing up a storm and wants to give her a piece of his mind. Fortunately for me, 50 pounds of it was beer belly.
I intervened, and let him know that the cops would be called and he should back off. He did, still yelling and such, and her and I retired to her office. Where she called the cops to have him arrested.
Which would be pretty hard, since while morally he had done great wrong, we had him on little more then menacing and disturbing the peace. But she wanted to be able to tresspass him more conveniently, and to get the others evicted, so that worked.
The police came by, and he was arrested. And RoR'd, it being too small a charge.
Well, it so happens the guy is minor muscle (read "glorified mule") for some who enjoy making meth with handy kitchen and farm supplies. So it was decided to prosecute him for nuisance value. It was expected that he'd plead.
He didn't, but asked for a bench trial.
The wheels of justice turning so swiftly, and his right to a speedy trial so guaranteed, we went from October 30th of 2004 to April 5th of 2005 before this trial. Which brings us to now.
Monday, I did call to see if they'd actually still need me as a witness. I figured he had plead out, but nope, it was still on. I said to the State's Attorney, "My driving time will likely be longer then what he can be sentenced to!", to which he laughed and agreed.
So I drive two hours down into Southern Illinois where everyone else is. There was the Judge, the State's Attorney, the Public Defender, the Court Clerk, the Bailiff, me, the victim, the police officer. Versus little old him.
I don't know how the others value their time, but I get anywhere from $20 to $40 an hour, and I wondered at how much this was costing the taxpayers, and all involved, so as to try him for this penny-ante misdemeanor.
He showed up, with the whole extended Trash Clan in their Sunday finery, in this case that being T-shirts and baggy jeans for the "men" and halters and slut skirts for the "women". (They all hadn't had this much excitement since Cousin Trash had a chance to be on Jerry Springer last year, and that other time when Betty Lou kicked Donny Ray out for him cheatin')
First there were some other "trials" to be had in this little corner of Amerika.
1. A hearing to determine the legitimacy of a search warrant that had been executed, and had resulted in a pot bust. The man's lawyer asked the undercover drug shit under oath, "What was the basis of obtaining the warrant?" - a reasonable question, it being a hearing to determine the legitimacy of the search warrant.
State's Attorney: "Objection! Outside the scope of the hearing!"
Judge: "Sustained"
Defense Attorney: "What led you to want a warrant?"
SA: "Objection! Outside the scope of the hearing!"
Judge: "Sustained"
Defense Attorney: (silent)
Judge: "Any further questions?"
DA: "No, your honor".
SA: "State has no questions"
Judge: "I find insufficient evidence to indicate the warrant was issued without merit."
2. Amusingly during this judicial farce, a guy in front of me was very agitated and asking if the man on the stand (the undercover shit) was "Jim's friend". Guess Jim doesn't know how to pick his friends very well!
3. Two people were then busted for possession of drug related paraphernalia, which nowadays means, "ZigZag Rolling Papers". They each plead out to a suspended sentence of a year, then a $750 fine, court costs, and another $50 payable to Crimestoppers, those fun lovers who run the 1-800-SQUEALER hotline.
Now it was Trash Jr.'s turn, but lo and behold, he was off with the State's Attorney in consultation. Seems he had figured that either the manager or I would call off, and he'd get a walk. As we were there, he obviously would not.
The State's Attorney was told that Trash Jr. didn't want to do community service - manadatory if convicted of Disturbing the Peace, which was what he was charged with. So he pleaded UP to Battery.
In this he was given Court Supervision for one year (translation: Nothing) and a $75 fine and court costs. And was barred from contact with either the manager or me or any property of the Company that owns the apartments.
Hmmm....rolling papers.....$750......scaring and bullying....$75? Such priorities, such justice.
In any case, it wasn't a total loss. The manager was glad to see me there, and her boss was similarily pleased. There may be some extra work for me now, so that is good.
And Maw Trash was evicted. And all were trespassed. And now they say they are moving back to Chicago.
Damn!
*smiles*
posted by Dean West @ 1:31 PM
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