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| Porn Users Forum » Public Safety (non-porn topic) |
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| 03-31-09 08:15am - 5745 days | Original Post - #1 | |
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lk2fireone (0)
Active User  Posts: 3,618 Registered: Nov 14, '08 Location: CA |
Public Safety (non-porn topic) Matt Dillon pleads guilty speeding, pays $828 fine The Associated Press, March 30, 2009 CHELSEA, Vt. (AP) -- Matt Dillon had his case dismissed after pleading guilty to speeding and paying an $828 fine. The 44-year-old actor was stopped Dec. 30 on Interstate 91 while driving 106 mph in rural Northern Vermont. Because of the excessive speed, he was also charged with negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Prosecutor Will Porter said Monday that Dillon agreed to plead guilty to speeding in exchange for having the negligent operation charge dismissed Wednesday, which he said is common in such cases. Dillon's lawyer, Mark Kaplan, says the plea was a fair resolution for Dillon. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Personally, I think this is crazy. A movie star pays $828 for driving 106 mph (speeding). That speed, on a public road, is life threatening. I was ticketed $300 (a first offense) for failing to display my disabled person placard when I parked in a disabled parking space. I had the placard in the car, but forgot to display it properly. I showed the placard to the officer who ticketed me, but he said the ticket was already written, and that if I wanted to dispute it, I would have to contact the police department. Was my crime (failing to display a disabled person placard while parked in a disabled person parking space) really 1/3 as serious or dangerous as driving 106 mph on a public road? I realize tickets are used to get money, but shouldn't there be a better connection between the seriousness of the crime and the penalty you have to pay? | |
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| 03-31-09 09:15am - 5745 days | #2 | |
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Khan (0)
Suspended  Posts: 1,737 Registered: Jan 05, '07 Location: USA |
My guess is, the fine for illegal parking in a handicapped space is set high to discourage violations. If you take it to court they might lower the fine if you just didn't put the placard up. Former PornUsers Senior Administrator Now at: MyPorn.com "To get your ideas across use small words, big ideas, and short sentences."-John Henry Patterson | |
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| 03-31-09 03:34pm - 5745 days | #3 | |
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RagingBuddhist (0)
Disabled User  Posts: 893 Registered: Jan 23, '07 |
lk2fireone - Sorry to have to say it, but I think you need to look at the news more often and realize that that's how life is in these Semi-united States. "Money" gets away with stuff that the average guy can't. It's kind of along the lines of me asking for my bailout. Any idea why my signature is what it is? Sarcasm is a body's natural defense against stupidity. | |
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| 03-31-09 03:40pm - 5745 days | #4 | |
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turboshaft (0)
Active User Posts: 1,958 Registered: Apr 01, '08 |
I believe that the penalties in this country have little to no "connection" to the seriousness of the crimes. For example, drug possession charges that end with people being imprisoned (a large portion of our prisoners are incarcerated for drug related offenses). So, though 106 mph may be life threatening, there are even lower speeds and a whole slew of other driving habits that are just as life threatening as well. And -- no offense here, it's just my opinion -- I think we take handicap parking disproportionately seriously in comparison to things like driving in the triple digits. I don't even think it has to do with Dillon being famous; I have known people to get tickets for extremely high speeds, not 106 mph, but in the high 90s and subsequently being charged a high fine, so none of this really surprises me. I would suggest, if possible, taking it to court and trying to get it reduced or even voided...though a reduction is probably your best bet. "It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hardcore Commie works." - Gen. Jack D. Rippper, Dr. Stranglove | |
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| 03-31-09 05:36pm - 5745 days | #5 | |
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lk2fireone (0)
Active User Posts: 3,618 Registered: Nov 14, '08 Location: CA |
Thanks for the responses. I was foolish not remembering to hang my disabled placard from the rear-view mirror. I still think a parking fine of $300 is excessive for this offense. I am definitely going to try to have the fine I pay reduced from $300. The ticket (however much I end up paying) serves as a strong kick to the rear to remember the placard in the future. | |
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| 03-31-09 06:16pm - 5745 days | #6 | |
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Tree Rodent (0)
Active User  Posts: 708 Registered: Oct 29, '08 Location: UK |
I don't know how anyone could be surprised by this. But sometimes they are. Not me. As always, I believe the law is made by and for the rich and powerful, so I'm not the slightest surprised. The law is complicated and convoluted enough so that the rich and powerful can make it work for them and against the rest. It means if you have money you can afford to buy yourself a better deal than if you're poor. That applies in life across the board. Yes it's lousy, but that's the way it's always been and always will be. There is no justice, but as I have said before, we are all animals. If you look at nature, the strongest, and most ruthless always win. The poor, weak, and defenseless suffer incredible pain, anguish, and death. It's never going to change. Ik2, I think the fine was pretty disgusting, and I really don't think it would make any difference to them that you had a genuine badge. Just the opposite. These are the sort of people who revel in making the law work against the unimportant masses. You may challenge the fine and win. But the very fact that you will have an expensive, challenging, and hard fight, both financially and mentally, is by design. Even if you win, it's a demonstration that once again, the majority don't count, and are there to be bullied and exploited. It's not that you can't win, it's just that the fight is meant to be impossibly hard, as a demonstration to everyone, just who counts and who doesn't. | |
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| 03-31-09 06:47pm - 5745 days | #7 | |
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pat362 (0)
Active User  Posts: 3,575 Registered: Jan 23, '07 Location: canada |
You know what saddens me the most is that, after reading each of your post, I've come to the conclusion that we all think the legal system just doesn't work. It's not normal for normal for Matt Dillion to get away with such a small offense because of his star status anymore than it is for Lindsay Lohan being caught drunk driving and getting away with it. Once laws are altered for some and not others than you open the door to anarchy. PS: I'd fight the ticket if I were you lk2fireone. You may be right that the ticket will be a good kick in the ass. Your case is very different from someone who parks in handicap parking space and isn't one. You just forgot to put your sign in the window. Long live the Brown Coats. | |
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| 03-31-09 07:17pm - 5745 days | #8 | |
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mbaya (0)
Suspended  Posts: 891 Registered: Jul 07, '08 Location: new jersey |
I have been to traffic court several times and have found the judges to be very lenient. When I was there, there was a case identical to yours that the judge threw out. You will probably win and just get a warning to be more careful. | |
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| 03-31-09 08:06pm - 5745 days | #9 | |
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badandy400 (0)
Active User  Posts: 869 Registered: Mar 02, '08 Location: ohio |
My cousin who was in high school in South Carolina was charges a $1,000 fine for throwing a little gravel in his school parking lot. Mind you the cop did not see it and he was driving a Camaro. A rear wheel drive car with about 5 pound on the back wheels, in other words he just spun the wheels a little and his principal did not like it. However, even if he did a massive burnout is a $1,000 fine appropriate for a 16 year old with no previous record? Most 16 year olds have never seen $1,000 let alone can afford to give it up for a fine. Oh yeah, a friend of his who was not around when all this happened received a ticket for "lying" when he said he did not know what happened because he was not there. My buddy was recently pulled over for going 104 I believe the number was. Although I do not recall exactly what his fine was I can tell you it was no where near $800. If you check out superspeeders.com they have a few trialers to their DVDs. In one scene the guys are pulled over and the cop tickets them and lets them go after being caught doing 190 mph in their Ford GT40. I recently read of a few states introducing a super-speeders law. Basically people who are known speeders or are caught speeding excessively will be penalized much great than someone caught doing 80 in a 65 for example. "For example, badandy400 has taken it upon himself to become the one man Library of Congress for porn with a collection that surely will be in Guinness Book of World Records some day." ~Toadsith~ PU Interview | |
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| 03-31-09 10:29pm - 5744 days | #10 | |
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Wittyguy (0)
Active User  Posts: 1,138 Registered: Feb 04, '08 Location: Left Coast, USA |
If you want to beat the system it takes time and money. Most traffic cases are handled as infractions meaning there is no prosecutor involved; just the traffic judge (usually some lawyer sitting on the bench part-time building up his/her "judicial qualifications" to eventually run for a real judge position). Once your start subpoenaing information, hiring experts, and doing other stuff to make the traffic cops life and courts life hell it's often not that hard to make your case go away or plead to significantly reduced penalties. Obviously, most people won't do this ... unless they happen to have a lot of bucks to hirer a lawyer or a high profile ... like a celebrity. Basically, if you're haulin' ass down the highway at around 100 you probably won't get much than a real nasty case of ticket rash. Weaving in and out of traffic doing a 100 will probably get a you a criminal charge (reckless driving). I don't think your status has much to do with it; cops can get reprimanded for being too lenient on public figures. If your a cop the last thing that you want to discuss over your next promotion is why the chief of police had to have a press conference over why you let some dude off for an autograph. I don't think too many celebrities get away with much (hell, even OJ eventually got his due) more than regular people. To the extent they get away with it it's because they shell out top bucks for top lawyers who are usually going to out-muscle and hustle some newbie lawyer doing a 1000 traffic misdemeanors a week in the district attorney's office. Money or legal knowledge can buy you certain privileges in these types of cases, just like it can buy you better health care, better cars and hotter women ;) | |
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