Posted on 05/28/2011 3:04:24 PM PDT by The Magical Mischief Tour
George Springer is at his wit's end. He has to prove that two tickets written 24 years ago are not his.
"The county is making me prove that this was not me," Springer said.
Springer got a letter from the Department of Safety telling him his driver's license was being suspended. The state recently discovered some old traffic charges - one was for speeding - had never shown up on his record.
Springer told Channel 4 the tickets aren't his. He said he's never owned either of the cars listed on the citations and has never lived at the addresses listed.
The Hickman County Circuit Court Clerk said she can't find copies of the 24-year-old tickets. However, a hand-written docket book from 1987 lists Springer's name. It shows the charges were retired to the state, meaning Springer didn't show up in court.
The clerk said she doesn't have the authority to dismiss the old charge. To do that, Springer has to go to court to plead his case before a judge. "Now I have to go before a judge in two weeks to prove I'm not this person, which is almost impossible," Springer said.
To put the date in perspective, 1987 was the year two new television shows premiered: "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."
The court clerk said a lot of people make the same claim as Springer -- that they're innocent.
"I'm sure they hear that a million times a day, but it's not me," Springer said.
Springer said it would be funny, but it's not. He said trying to prove his innocence on a charge nearly a quarter of a century old has been expensive, time-consuming, and stressful.
"It's not funny; it's crazy," Springer said.
That’s almost as bad as my being accused of being some Aryan Nation/Christian Identity dude (similar name except middle name, and that person is now in the Federal Pen).
Big deal. Go to court. In order for their case to proceed, the cop will need to testify. He’s probably no longer employed by the department. Case dismissed.
IMHO...
The only real purpose for driver licenses is a revenue stream. There is nothing else a state does with them other than manage violations charges, revoke them and use them for ID.
All that would be needed for personal ID card would be a photo ID card with SSN as an identifier, along with a guaranteed unique card ID. The production of these could be outsourced completely because all the state would need would be a file at the state linking your SSN, the unique ID and your other personal info, like name, address, telephone, etc.
Automobiles have a State registration and their only purpose is a revenue stream as well - there’s nothing they really need to manage with auto registrations.
One would think. This is looking as if local governments are scamming the citizens.
You wrote: “That didn’t make much sense.”
I write: That does not surprise me.
With a name like Fred Hayek the Keynesians probably have a hit squad looking for you. ;~)
Me neither.
Is it possible that speeding tickets are below the level of ‘crime’ and aren’t covered by Statue of limitations... Seems the judge would know if a 24 year old ticket was valid...
Weird story, I have old tickets in other states.
Ok I will break it down for you:
Part One: Conservatives = Big Government Bad.
Traffic law system= Big Governemt
Question? Why do Conservatives in this case support big government.
Part Two:
Conservatives = self sufficient individuals.
Conservatives supporting regs designed for untrained drivers= BAD.
States interest in untrained drivers and lots of traffic laws = subverting 4th amendment = BAD.
Hope that helps
Except the judge you're going in front of is an employee of the same county that's going after you for the fine. He and the county both know it's cheaper on you to pay the fine rather than fight it and that's what they're counting on. Depending on how corrupt or a horse's rear he is, if you do have the audacity to waste his time swearing your innocence, your odds of getting it tossed may be slim to none. BTDT and was told to pay up.
We did not need class time to figure out how to put a 'raincoat' on a pickle.
Now, kids are 'educated' in things they'd likely have figured out for themselves doing what comes naturally, as well as a host of deviant behaviours, (which they'd have figured out if they'd been so inclined--or not), but they can't drive a stick shift...
The 'pickles' still aren't getting covered, by the teenage birth rate.
What? No statute of limitations on traffic fines?
Government Union Run Schools
Union Run Police...
Connection?
Pickles in raincoats. It usually a good idea. I don’t think anybody taught me that. Well, fear taught me that.
When I got my license in 1973 Tennessee did not keep minor moving violation driving offenses on your record past 4-5 years. It was when Barney, Floyd, and Goober, at the Department of Safety in Nashville started putting old {should have been purged} traffic offenses decades old into the Tennessee Hiway Patrol database the problems started. Unless a person commits a felony while driving it should return to mandatory purging after 7 years. County Court Clerks refusing to do so should face fines personally.
When it comes to trying to extort revenue from citizens some officials in a few Tennessee counties and towns have no moral conscience. For them anything goes and take peoples money till you get caught.
This is also called a 'service economy'...
If it was just suspended in Tennessee he was being a jerk especially if your priors were clear. Driving on Revoked is another matter though. I know plenty of person who forgot to renew in Tennessee {honest mistakes} and simmply got a summons and free to go.
Murder, kidnap, and
....
wait for it
...
Defrauding the IRS!
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