In March 2003, he gets busted for driving on a suspended license in Howard County. In view of his sterling record, the judge grants a PBJ and suspends $900 of his $1,000 fine.
In January 2005, our friend is ticketed for going 65 in a 35. He's eligible for a fine of $270 for exceeding the limit by 30 mph, but the kindly Catonsville judge convicts him of going 64 and lowers the penalty to $170. One week after the speeding ticket, he's pulled over for driving on a suspended registration again. He's fined $275.
Here's where it gets really fun. In October 2005, this fellow is pulled over again - this time for doing 49 in a 30 zone. Does the judge take a look at his record - more than $1,200 in fines over four years - and hammer him with the full $140 penalty? No, this is Catonsville District Court. He gets a PBJ and pays $85. He also gets a PBJ on his violation of the state's seat belt law.
Fast-forward to January 2007. The guy gets pulled over for going 80 in a 45-mph zone in Baltimore. He's eligible for a $290 fine and five well-deserved points. But what happens when he goes to city District Court?
You guessed it: a PBJ. A $175 fine with court costs.
Now probation before judgment in traffic cases isn't a bad thing. I've been the beneficiary of one. Maybe you have, too.
But giving a break to a harried soccer mom who's caught doing 45 in a 30 zone is one thing. Handing out PBJs like Halloween candy to extreme speeders and serial violators is another. No wonder cops get discouraged.
So what can we do about this? We can't vote District Court judges off the bench, and they're almost impossible to fire. All we can do is draw attention to questionable decisions.
Judges have an important role in traffic safety. They have an opportunity no one else has to get through to people - especially young drivers - that extreme and repeated misbehavior behind the wheel is no small matter. When judges abdicate that responsibility, people die. And the most likely victims are the defendants standing before them.
I would hope the judges would discuss these issues among themselves. Maybe the serious judges on the District Court could stage an intervention with some of the more notorious cream puffs.
What it might take is a cadre of retirees with some time to spare and an interest in highway safety, sitting in on traffic court sessions and taking extensive notes on who's dispensing justice and who's trying to win popularity contests. If any readers are interested in being part-time judge baby sitters, drop me a line.
gettingthere@baltsun.com
