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Sonoma County debuts court specializing in cases of homeless defendants
Press Democrat ^ | 15 April 2016

Posted on 04/17/2016 1:41:24 PM PDT by rey

Things were looking up for Roy Burress.

After a few years living on the streets, he moved into a Santa Rosa motel converted to homeless and veteran housing where he started volunteering with an eye toward full-time employment.

Then financial disaster struck.

Burress was pulled over by the CHP for driving in the carpool lane on Highway 101. He was slapped with a $500 ticket.

Fearing he would never be able to pay it and could lose his license, Burress turned to Sonoma County’s new homeless court, where Commissioner Anthony Wheeldin allowed him to work off the steep fine with 25 hours of community service.

It was the break he needed.

“I’ve never been in a courtroom where they have so much compassion for you,” said Burress, a onetime resort manager living at the Palms Inn since mid-February. “It’s pretty amazing.”

He isn’t the only one smiling about the specialty court, which debuted this week at Sonoma County’s Hall of Justice in Santa Rosa.

About a dozen formerly homeless people cited with infractions ranging from illegal camping and panhandling to speeding appeared before the commissioner seeking relief from snowballing fines they said threaten their chances of success.

(Excerpt) Read more at pressdemocrat.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: court; equalprotection; homeless
Isn't this in violation of the equal protection clause of the constitution? How can 2 courts, one for poor one for wealthy be legal?
1 posted on 04/17/2016 1:41:24 PM PDT by rey
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To: rey

If you can’t pay a $500 driving fine, you probably aren’t paying for insurance.


2 posted on 04/17/2016 1:45:30 PM PDT by USNBandit (Sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: rey
Not only that....but Sonoma County needs a court dealing with illegal immigrants.....deport or work for Sheriff Joe building the WALL....

Oh Noes.....Sonoma is a sanctuary county...

3 posted on 04/17/2016 1:48:01 PM PDT by spokeshave (Somewhere there is a ceiling for Trump.....Yeah, it's called The Oval Office)
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To: USNBandit

It could have been another person’s vehicle.


4 posted on 04/17/2016 1:48:50 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Hey Ted, why are you taking one for the RNC/GOPe team, and not ours? Not that we don't know.)
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To: spokeshave

...and if the illegals were all deported... Roy Burress would easily find a job, he has transport...cell phone.....no problemo.


5 posted on 04/17/2016 1:51:07 PM PDT by spokeshave (Somewhere there is a ceiling for Trump.....Yeah, it's called The Oval Office)
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To: rey
Then financial disaster struck.

No, disregard for the LAW struck. Vet or not, homeless or not. If I'm homeless and struggling to make ends meet I don't go around breaking laws that are easy to avoid.

Releasing them from the responsibilities of society is no way to "re-integrate" them.

6 posted on 04/17/2016 1:52:28 PM PDT by Feckless (The US Gubbmint / This Tagline CENSORED by FR \ IrOnic, ain't it?)
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To: USNBandit

insurance is available in monthly installments my liability is 38 dollars a month. if the guy had been pulled over with out insurance it would of been more then 500 dollars in fines and his car would of been impounded. the cost of retrieving a car is about 100 dollars and it goes up about 4o dollars a night. most cars end up being abandoned because the fees end up being more then the worth.


7 posted on 04/17/2016 2:13:03 PM PDT by PCPOET7
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To: rey

With our so called “courts” already a joke and a clown show, what we needed was a bunch of “designer” courts in which some people are more “equal” than others. If you work and have money, the bastards want it. If you’re “homeless”, you get a free pass. When America was a fair and equal country, this kind of liberal, commie BS would have been ruled unconstitutional.


8 posted on 04/17/2016 2:36:14 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (The "college" snowflakes need to check their American privilege. Everything isn't a right.)
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