Prosecutors say they can avoid court trials by paying $355 to a private company for an educational program. The irony is not lost on the anti-corporate activists, who see it as patronizing.
Many Occupy L.A. protesters arrested during demonstrations in recent months are being offered a unique chance to avoid court trials: pay $355 to a private company for a lesson in free speech.
Los Angeles Chief Deputy City Atty. William Carter said the city won't press charges against protesters who complete the educational program offered by American Justice Associates.Read the rest at The Los Angeles Times
By Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times
Incredible but true. Qualifies for Ripley's "Believe It Or Not."
Jumping the shark wrt privatization? This is just feeding the fire of rebellion.
TPTB also don't seem to get that they are turning Bradley Manning and Julian Assange into a cause celebré.
TPTB also don't seem to get that they are turning Bradley Manning and Julian Assange into a cause celebré.
Ran into similar situation last year while helping someone with a mistakenly bounced check for $89. Seems that these "educational institutions" send out letters on the District Attorney's letterhead offering to forego prosection for the misdemeanor of writing a check with NSF, in exchange for paying the company several hundred dollars and attending a class.
ReplyDeleteThe recipient of the letter naturally assumes it came from the District Attorney, which it did not, it's just on the DA's letterhead. The threat of a misdemeanor conviction is bogus as well, as the DA has not even reviewed the case. In California the crime of bouncing a check requires that the DA demonstrate intent to defraud, a very difficult standard to meet. Something you would generally prove by a pattern bounced check writing. The remedy for accidentally writing a bounced check in California is a civil penalty which a merchant would usually pursue in small claims court.
Anyway, the educational institution gives a kick back, on the fraud they've committed, to the DA so everybody is happy. Here's a link: http://goo.gl/NQb36