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.
FWIW I got it the first time.
Problem with suing the state of this, its not against the law... there is no “statute of limitations” once the ticket or case has been entered on the docket as these have... the statute of limitations applies to the time to bring the charge, these tickets were all written at the time of the crime... the issue is over the collection of money.
They (small .gov luving conservatives) do it because they are hypocrites...
If he were to go to court and have Xxx number of George Springers would the court have to prove which one was guilty?
No they would probably charge them all
This country is rapidly sliding into the ditch, becoming the newest Banana Republic!
If someone owes another person $100, but for some number of years the person who was owed money fails to make any effort to collect on that debt, the debt becomes legally uncollectable no matter how solid the evidence may be that the money was owed and never paid. While there are specific rules which change the statutes of limitations for some types of debt, I am unaware of any that would be applicable to traffic tickets or other civil fines.
Were it not for such statutes of limitations, anyone who ever paid any sort of debt would have to keep forever the evidence of such payment. An N-year statute of limitations gives one the freedom to dispose of receipts that are more than N years old, without fear of being compelled to produce them.
Becoming?!?!?! Hell you say... were already here!
I sit here, corrected! Thanks.
A night in jail seems a little harsh for a suspended license. But maybe that’s just me...”
If he spoke Spanish he wouldn’t even need a license. Obviously his mother’s fault!
You are preaching to the choir with that excellently written article. Thank you for directing me to it. I would add:
From the Deceleration of Independence. “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
I understand that is not a constitutional document however it shows how far we have veered from the concepts of Liberty that birthed us.
I always want to puke on my shoes every time I hear “This Country Tis of Thee” and the phrase “this land of liberty, to thee I sing.”
Liberty is not even on the Radar in this country! Has not been for a very, very long time. So I say, quit singing the damn song!
My problem is that years ago I bought into Jefferson, Adams, Locke, Blackstone. I wish I hadn’t. I wish I had never philosophically tasted the sweet fruits. I would by far be happier if I just went along with the program. Add a double dose of Globull Warming to boot! Why the hell not? I could enjoy Low blood pressure and only just the vague and ill defined malaise associated with collective self delusion and collective shame.
Good luck! you might have something to look forward to!
Tennessee seems to have a problem. I moved there for a year back in 1989 then moved back to Texas. Got my Texas license and surrendered my Tenn license. When that license “expired” Tenn notified my insurance company and my insurance was cancelled. Took me a lot of work to prove that I’d turned the Tenn license into the State of Texas.
Or, in some instances, the payment of child support.
When I got my license it was six weeks of school and nine hours of driving instruction. Long time ago. Nothing the driving instructor taught me was new. My father had fully prepared me under my permit.
THAT is the real problem. Parents of each succeeding generation pass on less and less of what is the right way to do things - they have been led to believe someone from the govt. will fill the gaps.
I was perfectly willing to pay the ticket, I just didn’t know how to. Now I’m sort of worried what sort of interest and penalties this 11 year old ticket might have accumulated if Georgia decides to go the Tennessee route.
So you wish you had taken the blue pill. :)
The old USSR approach. Prove you didn’t do it, or you’re guilty.
Watch and see how much more of this occurs with civil infractions that require fines, now that governments are hunting around for money.
I had cops accuse me of harboring a fugitive because he had given the same last name as mine and my address when arrested. Apparently he had looked me up in the phone book, used my information, and the dipshit cops did not verity his identity before releasing him on bail.
They claimed I had to prove he was not my brother. Morons.
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