I walked out of the Harrison, NY courthouse last week thinking if legal procedures are so convoluted at the base level, God only knows what’s the truth in these high profile cases.  

About two months ago, leaving work late, I picked up a bit of speed driving out of my corporate campus, making a right turn on yellow.  I turned the corner, and there was Mr. Copper facing my way, who quickly put on his lights, did a U, and pursued me.  He claimed that I went through a red light, and gave me a ticket.  By the time I got home and tried to read the ticket, it was illegible, and there was no stated fine – just the opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty and send into the Courthouse for a trial date.

So I pled “not guilty” – and was assigned a court date – June 25, 9AM.  As I had a terribly busy day scheduled at work, I went in extra early to the office, and then left at 8:30 to drive to court.  In my mind I was thinking there would be a handful of people – and I would be out by 10 at the latest.  As I drove up, I saw a mass of people standing outside the courthouse – reminiscent of the long lines that form in Times Square before Broadway Shows.  As I got in line, behind at least 100 or so people, I thought, “this is not going to be a good morning.”  As soon as I got in, I approached an officer to ask just how long this would take.  His response – “could go to early afternoon.”

Well, that’s it, I thought.  I walked over to the clerk to find out what my fine would be if I were to pay it.  She was obviously a surly, frustrated government worker – who refused to give me a simple straight answer.  ”Can you tell me what I owe if I pay this now?”  She refused – certain that I would use whatever info she gave me against her when I was before the judge.  ”Are you changing your plea to guilty?” she asked.  As we bantered back and forth, me in disbelief because she couldn’t answer my simple question, I turned my head smiling.  ”What, are you laughing at me” she said.  ”No, I just want to have a ballpark of what I owe if I were to settle this now.”  Finally she said “$225 and 3 points on your Driver’s License.”  OK, I thought.  I’m going into court.

By that time, the court room was overflowing into the outside hall, standing room only.  Finally, at 9:45, the judge walks in, and cases begin to be called – building permit violations, landlord disputes, etc.  Shortly thereafter, my name was called, and I was asked to go out into the hall.  JACKPOT, I thought.  (I was sure that since I was the hundredth and umpteenth person to check in – I was due a long wait).

In talking to a nice officer (first day on the job) in the hall, he informed me the officer who had ticketed me wasn’t in court, and that I could either plead guilty to a lesser charge, or come back for a new trial date. Now what happened to the premise that if your officer doesn’t show, charges are dismissed? Not in my case.  The thought of giving up another half day was not palatable.  The officer said that he could give me a cell phone usage while driving citation, or something along those lines.  That charge would eliminate the points on the driver’s license, and the fee would be a lot less.  Of course he could not tell me what the fee would be, but in my mind I was thinking maybe $40-$60.  In hindsight, I wish I had pushed for a seatbelt or parking violation.

So we settled.  I said, “Ok, I’ll take the cell phone charge.”  Thinking that I was done, the officer informed me that I needed to go back into the court, and my name would be called to settle up.  So back in I went, and I sat for another hour and 45 minutes until my name was called.

I was called out with a group of traffic violators who got in line to pay up.  My fee?  $180 big ones.  I was none too pleased, wishing that I had just signed up to face my captor eye to eye and argue my case before him, at his convenience of course.

But who has time?  The system got me.  I’m a victim of the legal system in a sleepy little hollow of a town in Westchester County.  I still maintain my innocence …