It's not been a pleasant week. I don't have the energy to go into all the details but the basics are, 1) my son was stopped on Monday for having a brake light out, 2) the cop arrested him on a warrant he didn't know he had, 3) he spent 3 days in jail, partly because they 'lost' him for over five hours, 4), I barely slept during most of that time and went to school only to cover my classes, spending the rest of the time at the jail trying to get him released.
After he was out, he showed me a ticket the next day that he'd been issued over a year ago which clearly had TBA on it for court date, but he did not recieve any further information. It's possible he recieved something and accidentally discarded it, or that it was sent to the apartment he was living in when the ticket was issued, but which he'd moved out of. I know he would not have just "blown off" a court date if he'd known about it.
Right now I'm quite sick of having any association at all with the Greater New Orleans area.
I'm gonna try to get around to some blogs today but it'll probably be a few days before I can catch up.
Thanks to everyone for their kind thoughts.
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52 comments:
I'm sure things are back on the right track now. We'll keep our fingers crossed.
...Been to the deep South.
Wonderful hospitality. But funny things happen...Almost as bad as Newmerket, Ontario politics here in the bad old days...Can read in my blog if you care to. Ever see the movie Nashville?
Politics is funny. And probably in the Parishes too.
Ah paranoia will destroy ya.
--I.M. Paranoid.
I'm so sorry, Charles! I hope all gets settled as well as possible for your son soon. I'm glad he's out.
Good luck!
I can't imagine the stress! I'm glad he's out now and hopefully it can all get cleared up. How awful for you :(
What a hellacious mess. We'll be thinking about you as you try to get it straightened out.
So sorry to hear about this, Charles. What a gut-wrenching experience. Your son must be a wreck, too.Hope all turns out well.
Thinking of you and knowing a little of what you must be feeling. Believe me.
Fingers crossed it's sorted now - one of those things to put down to experience.
Welcome back!
Charles - you'd be amazed how many times this happens. Happened to my nephew a few years ago. Although he was rightfully arrested (drugs in the car), he was arrested in one of the worst places: El Paso. He languished in that jail for at least three weeks, with no family or friends living nearby to help. We had to do it all long distance and finally got him out. It didn't help that he was depressed to begin with - he was almost suicidal by the time he got out of there. It's one of the worst things that can happen to a family. Rest up now.
That sounds harsh- 3 days in jail for a traffic offence.
My son never opens his mail so I can imagine him getting in a similar fix one day . Glad it's resolved now.
I'm glad your son is out. I can just about imagine what you went through and I know it must have been hellish.
My poor husband has 48 hours to pay a speeding fine he never earned. It's a big scam here -- issuing speeding fines to motorists who drive a lot -- and they know that most people don't have the time to query these things; my husband definitely doesn't. One of my colleagues was fined for speeding in an area she was nowhere near (she's got witnesses and everything). But in the end, she paid it: it was just too much trouble to fight it.
Holy freakin' cow.
Glad to hear that things are somewhat resolved.
Keep us posted, but please, catch up some much needed R & R first.
Ah jeez, that's lousy. Best wishes on that one. I hope you can petition the court to disgard the warrant and just pay the ticket without fines and penalties above and beyone the original fine.
dang, charles... hope all turns out well
how do cops 'lose' a person already incarcerated, other than deliberately? GRRRRRR
That sounds like a rough few days. I'm sorry that happened.
Even after he hung up his spraycans, The Man's still keeping him down...
Glad he's okay!
Charles, I read a quote somewhere that went something like this: "We are only allowed to be as happy as our unhappiest child". The same goes for safety, contentment, and health. I feel for ya, dear.
Somebody dropped the ball there, and it doesn't sound like it was your son. :/ I hope everything works out for him. And you, get some sleep, 'kay? {{}}
Angie
I would be so sick at heart and angry also. I'm so sorry you and your son had to put up with that. It's ridiculous that they would do that! Simply ridiculous! I'm just glad he's out and home again.
I feel for your son. And the entire family. I can imagine the trauma and hope things will work out.
Thanks for the update; that sounds hectic and wild. Good luck!
Hang in there!
Your boy will be OK after this horrendous experiance largely because he has a good dad.
Sending prayers, Aloha
I think you should move close to Heff's house and teach at Auburn. Just an idea. That would be cool.
Wil Harrison.com
What a bummer... When the system screws like this, I imagine you feel so helpless. Hang in there, especially for your son who needs you more than ever.
and the fucking morons wonder why urban residents have no trust in or respect for the system.
They can lose murder suspects in New Orleans but they never lose a warrant history.
This sort of thing isn't just confined to New Orleans or the big cities. Livingston County, IL is notorious for stopping cars for the smallest infraction with the hope of finding something bigger. I'm sorry this had to happen, but happy you've got it cleared up, for the most part.
that's pretty crappy. 3 days in jail can be a long time. glad he's out now and everyone's okay.
Randy Johnson, thanks, I appreciate that. It’s worrisome.
ivan, it’s the old cog in the system story. And no one gives a shit about the cog.
Natasha Fondren, his court date is October 14. Hopefully it will be over then.
H.E.Eigler, it was just sickening. So hard to stand.
James Reasoner, thanks James. I appreciate that very much.
Thumbelina, thanks. Good thoughts are needed.
Miladysa, we have court and hopefully that will finish it all.
Laurie Powers, I believe it. It’s awful and just completely unacceptable how often our forces that are supposed to serve and protect turn against us. I just pray that he won’t have to suffer anymore. I think my son was about half suicidal after three days.
Cinnamon, I wonder if that not opening the mail was the exact reason for the problem. I’m sure he will be opening it all now. But it’s so ridiculous.
Mary Witzl, your husband’s experience is another example of how the legal system in this country is primarily a money making machine. I wanted to fight an unfair ticket once and they kept putting back the court date. I finally paid it for fear I’d forget one of the many dates and be arrested for it. The behavior of too many police forces is obscene.
G, thanks. I’m not yet recovered but am feeling somewhat better.
writtenwyrdd, we will try but sometimes the judges you get down here don’t even pay attention to any information brought to them. It keeps them away from their own personal corruptions.
laughingwolf, when I went to the Bail Bondsmen they found him in the system right away. But the jail folks were too lazy to look for one, and second, they want to keep you in longer so they get paid more by the state. So they drag their heels as much as possible.
Travis, I appreciate that. Definitely rough.
Steve Malley, you don’t want to get on their radar. It will follow you forever it seems.
jodi, that’s a good and accurate quote. Most of the time my son is happy and he is a good kid. Especially lately. But his luck doesn’t always run well.
Angie, it was like one of those comedy of errors, only without the comedy.
Ello, I’m feeling very disgusted with our legal system at the moment.
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I would be so sick at heart and angry also. I'm so sorry you and your son had to put up with that. It's ridiculous that they would do that! Simply ridiculous! I'm just glad he's out and home again.
Ocean Girl, thank you. I appreciate that. The support is needed.
Erik Donald France, thanks. I’m sure hoping this is the end of it.
Cloudia, his dad doesn’t handle this kind of stress terribly well. But I’m sure he will be fine. He’s just gotten back to school so I hope it doesn’t cause a hiccup for that.
Wil, well, I know Heff is probably in good with the cops there so that might be a good idea. I could just say, “hey, I know Heff!”
sage, I think that’s it. You feel totally helpless. There’s almost literally nothing you can do.
Mark, yeah, they act like they’re doing us such a favor. I’ve seen so much corruption, subtle and not here.
BernardL, you said it. If it means money will roll their way then they will keep track of it for sure.
steve on the slow train, I just hope the court goes well now. But yes, it’s all about making money all over the US now.
Greg Schwartz, I sure hope I don’t have to spend any time in jail ever. The thought disgusts and terrifies me after what Josh has told me.
What a gut-wrenching and frustrating week! Hope everything will be behind you and your son after the 14th.
Geez, I hope everything is already back to normal. You and your family don't deserve this.
In the words of The Tragically Hip; "Who cops all the cops...?"
These bureaucratic hassles are the worst. Especially when you have to hold your temper or risk a similar fate.
Hey Charles,
Hope you're having a VERY relaxing weekend after all that trauma! God, what a mess. I hope you and Josh are all right and doing much better after the entire debacle.
Shauna Roberts, until then I won't be able to really relax.
David Cranmer, I guess what Clint said in Unforgiven is apropro, "Deservings got nothing to do with it."
Lana Gramlich, that's a very good question.
pattinase, oh it was so hard to hold my tongue, knowing they were just waiting for me to lose it.
Michelle, we'll not be completely back to normal till after the 14th. I will be glad when it is all over.
It is so painful to see our kids go through a hard time! My mother called this evening worrying about my brother. She said "Jennifer, you think you will finally be done raising your kids one day but it just doesn't seem to ever happen."
It sounds like you were there for your son when he needed you most. I imagine it was a scary experience for him and I'm just so sorry it happened.
I hope everything turns out okay for you and your son. I have a pretty good idea how much hospitality you received from New Orleans finest. Hang in there.
I am so sorry to hear that, Really hope you the best, and I will be thinking about you, hoping for things to go well (which I am sure will, just take a deep breath and continue being)
jennifer, I know what you mean. I guess one is never through being a parent.
JR, yes, I imagine you have a pretty good idea. Sensitivity isn't a strong point.
Mariana Soffer, thanks, I appreciate the good thoughts. I'm trying to think them myself.
Charles, I know what you mean...
In Greater Montreal Area, cops are more of a nuisance than anything else.
I'm glad your son is out of jail and I hope everything will be all right.
(Don't worry about the blogs...)
I'm sorry you guys have to do deal with this. How incredibly frustrating.
Ugh! Your poor son! Seeing as he still had the ticket (which means he was aware of what was going on), it doesn't seem like he would have missed the mail with the court date. Sometimes government office workers are so lackadaisical -- I remember that we hadn't gotten our marriage certificate and it had been several months after the fact. Turns out, that for whatever reason, it had been returned in the mail to them, and no one bothered contacting me. I then had to go downtown (*shudder*) and pick up a copy. It had the correct address ON the certificate, so I an only assume there was a clerical error on their end in sending it out. (Also happened with a car registration sticker, but hopefully it got resolved before it expired.)
Hope he'll be okay and things will get taken care of. *HUGS*
Vesper, I think the problem is that there is too much of a profit motive for the police. They make so much money off tickets and inmate fees that they are focused on creating more minor chrimes than need to be.
Barrie, very much for sure. And so exhausting.
Gabby, there are so many errors and errors on the part of police are not considered errors. Other folks pay for those.
I sympathize with you Charles. I hope things turn out well. I had a disagreement with a police officer one time and felt lucky to get out of it without mishap.
I really hope so too Charles!
I hate to be a doom monger but I have had a similar experience with a family member in the past and I can say (although I wish it was not so) that the law is an ass!
Jack, thanks. I hope it will be OK.
Miladysa, that has been my unfortunate experience as well. It's just so unsure and depends totally on what kind of judge you get and what kind of mood he or she is in at the moment.
Hang in there.
If you're sick of the Greater New Orleans area- come to Detroit! We'd be happy to have you.
Rachel, thanks.
Rick, thanks, my friend. I was thinking more along the lines of Montana though. lol.
The term 'police state' comes to mind.
I can sympathize. There were better ways of handling that than hauling him in and getting him into the system. I wish you guys the best of luck with that situation.
X-Dell, we seem to be approaching that.
I am so sorry for you and your son (I have also read the more recent post about the court date)! It is always horrible to end up in a system that seems to be out of bounds, on the little guy especially.
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