A day or two ago, there was a unanimous SCOTUS decision against excessive fines, fees, & civil asset forfeiture imposed by State, County, & City authorities. Texas, in particular, is infamous for such practices, plus "Debtor's Prison" if you can't afford the freight. Example: a fine of $569 (if I recall correctly) for grass too high in a vacant lot (the back lot of a residential double lot). The "court fees" are added to that...hundreds of dollars more. If you can't pay immediately, chances are great that you go to jail. In California, if you run a red light, the fine is $100; but $390 is added to that in the form of "fees". $490 for trying (and failing) to make a yellow light. Outrageous.
I didn't see this story on the Corporate TV News, but it was a lead story on Democracy Now. The Corporate Media seem to avoid any stories that have even a hint of the growing poverty in the USA.
In some local jurisdictions, you can be fined hundreds of dollars for having anything dangling from your interior, rear view mirror...including a simple, small chain.
Civil (not Criminal) Asset Forfeiture (CAF) applies even if you're not convicted of whatever "crime" or code violation is involved. Your assets can be seized in addition to fines imposed, or simply because they "look suspicious". When you apply to get your property back, it has already been auctioned off...& you get no cash compensation. This has been going on in the Land of the Free for about 25-30 years. It started because counties & cities lost huge tax revenue when manufacturing moved South of the border or overseas---Corporatist Globalization. So, excessive fines & fees AND CAF have been used to raise local revenue. SCOTUS finally ruled against it.
Apparently, even NeoCon Justices do something ethical once in awhile.
Not only my opinion. Be Well
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