I once got a speeding ticket in Kentucky. I asked the Trooper, What would happen if I never pay the fine? He said "never come back to Kentucky", I paid the fine when I got home.
I know, a while back, Wisconsin required payment prior to being turned loose, for out of state violators.

The episode in New York was ridiculous. Frankly I'm amazed that the NYPD actually stopped someone. The things I have seen in the City that Never Sleeps...and the police ignore it. Once two officers were standing on a street corner during a four way traffic jam. A taxi had gone through a red light and had become trapped in a sea of cars trying to travel in the other direction. Horns blaring, people yelling profanities out their windows. The officers stopped chatting, looked at the mess (which showed no signs of clearing up soon), looked at each other, shook their heads and went on talking. So I have to believe Ms. Garcia's stop was an extraordinary circumstance. (A NY acquaintance kept a broom in his car for years for Manhattan driving. Cabby, delivery truck or other vehicle would get too close, and SMACK! I love New York.)

But it is a shame that citizens are harassed with minor traffic issues when crack houses and major crimes are rampant in some tragic parts of the city. The obvious answer is revenue. People who can afford to drive a car can afford to pay citations.

America has become a scary place that is looking like countries that we used to use as examples of where people did not have basic rights and dignity.

Two reasons I see for these changes are first of all Apathy by Folks who think that it will always happen to someone else, and that as long as they are respectable and upright citizens, they will be protected and treated with dignity

The recent TV coverage of the guy on Water street who was on the ground and being punched by a cop should have resulted in total outrage by the citizenry. The cop doing the punching was a sadistic coward, but because the "cops" say it is proper procedure -- and the average citizen thinks it can't happen to them, the controversy went away.

Many Supreme Court cases over the past few years have been eating away at basic rights and dignities --- but people feel it won't happen to them, so they just don't care.

The Supreme Court decided that an American Citizen can be put into MILITARY custody, sent to Gitmo, be denied legal representation, and has no right to a trial of his peers. In the name of National Security --- Makes the McCarthy Red Scare seem tame.

The Supreme Court has decided that Anyone who is locked up in jail for ANY reason --- unpaid parking ticket --- is subject to a Cavity Search !

Contrary to popular belief and TV shows --- you are NOT entitled to a phone call upon arrest !!

These are just a few examples --- there are many more.

@Greg Does that mean you don't mind cops breaking the law --- or cops making up rules of conduct that are ridiculous --- that coward cop beating that guys head while he is subdued is somehow proper procedure --- yeah I know, sometimes a cop might get wound up, and I certainly don't believe they should be micro-managed, but when something like beating in a guy's head is "justified" there is a limit to which citizens should say -- BS ..... just saying it is proper procedure does not make it right.

Guys like that cop are often the kind that use their power on helpless victims ..... instead of condoning his conduct, the People,the Chief and the Other Cops should tell him to Man Up.

@Greg I understand it is not new and I enjoyed the article -- I did read much of it before ---

I think what is new is that the police and prosecutors and legislators have become so overhanded in meting out punishment, that when confronted with one of their own, they realize how much it will F up his or her life and career, and all of a sudden they back off.

The days of a cop pulling over someone with a minor want or warrant and warning them to get it taken care of are over --- an overdue library fine and all of a sudden in Milwaukee you are in jail !!! In the burbs, they will let you call and try to get it paid ---

What is ironic is that I run a service company, and my clients would NOT allow me to hire someone with some of the records those cops have --- because their insurance companies won't allow it !!!

Remember that kid that the Shorewood HS tried to have arrested and tried for $2.70 worth of chicken nuggets, that he may or may not have had legally --- if he had been convicted of that --- believe it or not, my clients would say I could not hire him ....... No Mercy for Citizens --- but Cops and Supreme Court Justices can get away with a lot !!!

Get used to it. This is what you get when you stop challenging or promote the militarist police state. The bullet ballot is what is coming next if things are to change. One size fits all. I LMAO when I read the postings of the AA's, the JRH's and all the rest of the widdle "conservatives" that tell us that Walker and his ilk are our "saviours and heros". Reap what you sow. When you let the cops and their unions get a free pass from the voter, expect more of this crap. But you feel safe don't you? Hey, if you didn't do nothing wrong, you don’t mind being stopped, frisked (TSA style) or letting them in your house without a warrant?

No, Greg, if you are leveling at me. It is YOU and all the rest of the US allowing the Doyle's, McCallum's, Kohl's, Sensennbrenners, Obama's, Bush's etc., etc. etc. to get away with their Patriot Acts, federal reserve, attacks on home rule, etc. etc. that are delusional. But you come across as the young crowd that thinks that a conservative is a republican and nothing more. News flash, you don't have it Jr.

Oh, so the status quo is fine with you? My vote and voice has been against all this. Enjoy your police state junior. Mere mention of the architects of the present makes one a fossil? History isn’t your strong point? Read up on what pissed off the American colonists that lead to a revolution and founding of our Constitution and MAYBE YOU MAY GET A CLUE!! Did you even finish high school? Hopefully not college because you are an embarrassment to the rest of us that finished either.

Excellent. Then I am accurate on both. Thanks for setting that straight. Regarding the moron thing, I was young and stupid once too like too like you so I deserve that comment. You are just a few decades short of my gaining a lot of experience and wisdom in the meantime. Good luck with that. Time is a bitch.

Take the night off Jr. Some of us have to go to work tomorrow. You think on the "facts" that are a problem for you or how old you are (though you should know your own birthday). You know Dr. Seuss? "Ask me tomorrow, but not today". Let's trade words then, OK? This will give your "conservative" friends time to weigh in as well.

@ Old/Grumpy -- Young/Snippy -------- after reading your tete a tete I really did LOL as I don't think you are very far apart philosophically but just had to find something to argue about ............

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening

David

Old/Grumpy means either you, Greg, Bren or CowDung. Who is it?

i think we need to temper a over-active police force with the fact that they deal with problems that are wholly new or at least the size and scale of which are. do you listen to the scanners in Racine? do you realize what these guys put up with. There may be a couple bad eggs, but every org has that - your fear and loathing of authority has got to have some deeper roots. were you embarrassed by a cop? popped for possession? were you over 18 and your girlfriend wasn't? I'm not fan of unabated authority run amuck by any means, but MOST police officers will show you respect if you show it first.

if you broke the law, you broke the law. a lenient judge or officer is all that lets you avoid the actual statutory penalties, never forget that...

AND WE ARE A NATION OF LAWS, no matter how much the current or past admins want to ignore that

Lets see, the point is the cops should just ignore an outstanding warrant? She thought she had gotten away with it. She didn't.

I come and go as I please and have absolutely no fear of the police because I have a clean record. Know what the best part of having a clean record? You can take the cops to task without consequence, which I have done many times.

Try to find something that will get some traction. This isn't it.