Originally Posted by
Upgraded!
Now, I think municipalities issuing things like jaywalking tickets (like LA) is akin to armed robbery and I find the practice disgusting but I still don't think that jury trials in such cases are the solution.
Originally Posted by
T.J. Bender
All criminal defendants should have the right to trial by jury. People pulled over for speeding, stopped for jaywalking, or given some other non-criminal citation still get their trial, but it's in front of a judge, which saves time and money.
Couldn't agree more. Violations/infractions aren't considered criminal. Defendants (at least, in California) are still entitled to have their case heard by a judge. (Whether that results in justice is a separate debate.)
Industry would come to a stand-still if anybody with a lead foot could summon a jury of their peers to hear their case of why they weren't doing 72 in a 65. I have better things to do with my time. The LA jaywalking racket and the SF carpool lane racket may be a sham in their own right, but the notion of a jury trial for every minor infraction is just downright ridiculous.