How taxpayer money is used
A woman was fined for holding an apple while performing a maneuver in a car. Aside from the absurdity of this, it cost the government far more to prosecute her than what they obtained from the fine:
A NURSERY nurse was fined £60 yesterday for holding an apple in her hand while driving around a bend after police used a spotter aircraft, a helicopter and a patrol car to win the case.
Northumbria Police went to extraordinary lengths to gather evidence against Sarah McCaffery, 23, who had missed breakfast and grabbed the apple to eat on her way to work. Magistrates ruled that she had not been in full control of her car. Miss McCaffery was also ordered to pay £100 costs at the tenth court hearing of the case.
Chris Kay, for the prosecution, said that the bill was £425, not including the aerial photographs and the squad vehicle’s video. The full cost of bringing the case against Miss McCaffery is thought to have been about £10,000.
Comments (6)
Murders: Step 1) Send a man and woman of every race into city traffic with pears. Step 2) Wait several minutes with police scanner until anyone not driving is unprotected. Step 3) Profit!
Published: March 22, 2005 6:56 PM
I didn't think infractions were to be charged only where the fines would yield profits, or even that they were not to cost more than a certain amount. One hopes, however, that there are not more-serious crimes afoot in Northumbria in which the L10,000 might have yielded a greater benefit than discouraging drivers from holding apples.
Published: March 22, 2005 7:41 PM
That's part of the problem. Generally, a government can pursue enforcement of the laws, even minor infractions, and simply pass the costs on to the taxpayer in the name of "law and order". Regardless of the buck-passing, though, law enforcement is still subject to economics due to the finite resources available. And, as you've already noticed, resources spent enforcing minor infractions means less resources for enforcing more serious crimes.
Published: March 23, 2005 10:03 AM
Extremism in the application of Government Authority is no vice! Moderation in the pursuit of Common Sense is no virtue!
Published: March 23, 2005 5:02 PM
"Extremism in the application of Government Authority is no vice! Moderation in the pursuit of Common Sense is no virtue!" -- that's great
Published: March 23, 2005 5:23 PM
Obligatory Arlo Guthrie quote:
"...and the judge wasn't going to look at the twenty-seven eight-by-ten color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one, explaining what each one was, to be used as evidence against us."
Published: March 26, 2005 1:57 PM