Fucking Cops: Volume II

[Minimalist]

[Chad32]

I see in some places we are already there.

Thanks, Rock.

It's not in the article, but in Missouri, many counties are sending prisoners a "bill" for each day they stayed in the county jails... of course, in prison, they cannot work except at $40/month (max!) jobs, so the bill follows them back on the street, and may result in their reincarceration. While in prison, it means that whatever money they do earn (minus $5/month for soap, toothpaste, etc) is taken from their pay and sent to the county. It also means that if you fight your case, which may result in a minimum stay of 8 months (Speedy Trial limit in Missouri) or more likely a year or two (since Public Defenders in this state have the right to wave your Speedy Trial rights for you, and usually do because they're so swamped with cases, then tell you about it later), putting pressure on the defendant to plead out quickly so they don't stack up a bill. 

I filed cases on behalf of some of the inmates, claiming the practice is unconstitutional as a violation of Equal Protection, but none of them had made it to the appeals court ruling stage (local courts always shoot down the first round of inmate petitions, requiring an appeal, which has a "filing fees" of $90 at each level of court applied to, so $270 in total, not counting xerox copies and stamps to mail the numerous copies required to apply) by the time I got out.

The eighth amendment is supposed to protect against excessive fines, which makes this unconstitutional. Not that I'm horribly surprised they ignore the constitution when it suits them. It also protects against cruel and unusual punishments, but some people still think we should torture people at Guantanamo and wherever else they feel like doing it.

[TheRocketSurgeon]

It's illegal on a number of grounds, but because it targets those least likely to be able to fight back (the exceptionally poor), it continues to stand.

They took me back to county jail for 7 weeks for a series of hearings, immediately following my cancer surgery and radiation treatment... transported me literally the day after my radiation stopped. They waited until that day to come get me on purpose (they wanted me a few weeks earlier, but coordinated with the prison to wait). Then they charged me for my medical care while in their facility, including taking all the money I had in my bank account at the prison (which transferred with me) for canteen. Becuase they didn't give me my meds correctly while I was there, waiting until I ran out of one medication before taking me to the local MD to get a new prescription instead of filling the ones my prison doctor had given me on time, I got so bad I had to be taken to the ER and was diagnosed by the ER doctor as being, quote, "about an hour away from slipping into a coma" as a result of what they did.

They tried to get me to sign paperwork on the way in "agreeing" to pay for my medical care, even though I had been incarcerated nearly 3 years at that point. I refused, and they threatened to provide no care. I said "I dare you". So they instead acted as if I had signed the paper. I had to sue them to get them to take the bill off me, my first pro se victory against the state. They never did give me my canteen money back, but it wasn't worth a new lawsuit over ~$250. Oh, and they stole my Ralph Lauren Black Label suit, DKNY shirt, and Steve Madden shoes, which I had worn to every court appearance up to then, and which had been hung in the Captain's office (jail commander), claiming "what suit?" when my mother-in-law (who originally brought them to the jail) drove to the county to pick them up two days after my last hearing and transport back to prison. The county Sheriff used the jail building as HQ, and the Sheriff's office was right across the hall from the jail commander's office, so I would have had to file a report with the people who stole my shit.

But remember... I was the criminal!

[Chad32]

I feel for you, buddy. Power corrupts, and it makes things hard to get rid of the corruption. the ones most effected are the ones who can't fight back. Like if a cop tried to arrest someone with money, he'd get his ass handed to him.

[TheRocketSurgeon]

I feel for you, buddy. Power corrupts, and it makes things hard to get rid of the corruption. the ones most effected are the ones who can't fight back. Like if a cop tried to arrest someone with money, he'd get his ass handed to him.

If you haven't, yet, you really should take some time out of your day and watch these two interviews:

There's a shorter version of the first one, if you don't have time. Just search on YouTube for "TYT Michael Wood".

[Minimalist]

[Minimalist]

[Chad32]

Yeah, making someone quite cold turkey doesn't always work out well. Not that I think they had altruistic motives for denying him doctor prescribed medication.

[Minimalist]

[BrokenQuill92]