[Zipperfish]

The Truth in Sentencing Act--man, there's an Orwellian title right there.

AS fort the surcharge--you can't squeeze blood from a rock. Most of these people are impoverished anyways. Doesn't matter if you add a surcharge of a dollar or a million dollars--they ain't going to pay it. COuld bring back the debtor's prisons I guess.

[andyt]

IT already has, as one judge sentenced a guy to a day in jail for not immediately paying the fine - so you don't pay you go to jail. the judge tho made the sentence concurrent with the week the guy got in jail for doing the crime, so it's no further skin off his back. But the victims get nothing.

[Xort]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

I guess we'll just differ on the latter point. I think if you commit a crime and are convicted, the Judge determines what restitution society demands of the accused. I don't think government should make it a tax grab at the same time.

Judges have to apply the law that the government creates. Judges don't create law and can not change laws outside of the scope of the laws that let them challenge laws which maybe in violation of other laws.

It's not a tax grab, I'd say it mostly a fairness issue. When you hurt someone having to directly pay to help the people you hurt seems fair.

~

I think some of the judges should be looking forward to their day in court, as well as being fired, barred from government employment and having their pension contributions returned.