Local Lawyers?

[1_T_Submariner]

Just pack up and move, no one really want's to live in MA anyway...the Bahama's sounds nice, I don't think they will Extradite you from there for a traffic ticket.

 

[ItsBruce]

Bruce, in Massachusetts you do not go to court initially. You go to a hearing (ok, it's in a court-room), where *a* cop is present, but not necessarily *the* cop. You sit before a magistrate, not a judge. The cop reads or recalls their side of what happened and then you tell your story. The magistrate then makes a decision. If you are unhappy with the decision, then you can appeal it, pay a non-recoverable $25 fee and go to court. I have never appealed a decision, but I would assume that once you get to the actual court, the cop would be required to be present.

This sounds somewhat like what we call an arraignment.

If the cop who gave the ticket is not present, cross-examine the heck out of whomever is there. Ask everything and anything relevant you can think of... where were you when you first saw me, what were you doing when you first saw me, what other vehicles were around, what were they doing, etc. If you can establish that no one can contradict you, then assert your defense.

 

[Soggy]

If the cop who gave the ticket is not present, cross-examine the heck out of whomever is there. Ask everything and anything relevant you can think of... where were you when you first saw me, what were you doing when you first saw me, what other vehicles were around, what were they doing, etc. If you can establish that no one can contradict you, then assert your defense.

Unfortunately, that type of 2-way communication is not allowed. You go up, cop tells their story, you tell your story, then a decision is made. To get anything more, you would have to appeal and go to trial. It's a weird system, I agree, but it is Massachusetts.

 

[LobstaMan]

My Lord, you've been pm'd from me.

LobstaMan

 

[gmbaker]

so when Leo goes to jail can we have his gear then?

 

[lord1234]

Leo is not going to jail....and even if I did, you couldn't have my gear...Lobstaman thanks for the pm

 

[ItsBruce]

Jail nothing...isn't that where they burn people at the stake?

 

[paulthenurse]

It's a weird system, I agree, but it is Massachusetts.

Ya, Massachusetts. The home of political schizophrenia, where it's only been legal to buy beer on Sunday for the past couple of years, and even then only for a few hours a day, but if you are gay it's ok to get married.

PTN

(In no way am I commenting on the rightness or wrongness of gay marrage. I'm all for equality. Hell, let them get married and be just a miserable as married heterosexuals. My comment was directed towards the Great and General Court of the Commonwealth and all the crazyness that they represent.)

 

[RIOceanographer]

Jail nothing...isn't that where they burn people at the stake?

You may joke, but that tough policy really has gotten the witchcraft problem under control. Used to be a guy couldn't walk down the street at night without risking being hexed by roaming covens of witches.

 

[paulthenurse]

Used to be a guy couldn't walk down the street at night without risking being hexed by roaming covens of witches.

I go to bed and dream of being hexed by roaming covens of witches. But that's just me.

Paul