[Perdogg]

payment is an admission of guilt.

[beezdotcom]

payment is an admission of guilt.

I don't think so - if you sign a ticket and pay it, it is probably an admission. However, if you don't sign it, judgement is rendered, and a fine has been levied, payment is merely an acknowledgement that the court has been vested with the power to collect fines. Saying otherwise would be like saying that "submitting to incarceration is an admission of guilt."

[CindyDawg]

That's not what I was told. The judge said I could plead guilty or not or something else. I forget what it was called but it meant "just take the money. I can't afford to go to court". You can write your side of the story on the back, without getting in trouble though, if you keep it clean. It doesn't change things but it makes you feel better:')

[Jim Verdolini]

"payment is an admission of guilt"

No, payment is an admission of subserience. It acknowledges the superiority of government and taxation of the individual.

[ishabibble]

On a lighter note, when the camera cops were first used, a guy in AZ got a ticket in the mail along with a photograph of his car speeding through a red light. The guy mailed the police a photo of two twenty dollar bills ($40 fine). The cops mailed him back a photo of a pair of handcuffs. He paid up!

When I read this story, the first word that came to mind was "tinpot". The judge, the clerks, the civil parasites in general. I hope this man gets out of this trumped up trouble.

[Protagoras]

payment is an admission of guilt.

I disagree.

[Ancesthntr]

payment is an admission of guilt.

Not if the choice is "pay or go to jail." My memo line would have been: "Extortion payment to stay out of jail" or words to that effect.

As to the issue here, though the guy was a bit vulgar, that's his right. This is just a check, and as long as the funds were good the clerk/court shouldn't have a thing to say, officially. This is completely an issue of freedom of the press (since it was in writing); wonder of wonders, the ACLU actually got one right.

[Glenn]

payment is an admission of guilt.

I recently received a ticket that I shouldn't have. In order to plead "not guilty", I first had to send in a check for the amount of the fine and court costs as "bail". (For a parking infraction!). It was $147.50, though the potential fine was only $50. The rest were "costs".

The court was understanding and dismissed the ticket in under 30 seconds, but they had my money for more than a month before the hearing was scheduled.

Kind of irritated me that the law dictates bail for a parking infraction and adds on so many costs if you want to defend yourself.