97-Year-Old Woman Jailed For Expired Registration

nbc5i ^

[chance33_98]

97-Year-Old Woman Jailed For Expired Registration

HIGHLAND PARK, Texas -- Highland Park police handcuffed a 97-year-old woman and hauled her to jail last week for having an expired registration sticker.

Police said they have a no-exceptions policy. Everyone gets treated the same -- arrested, handcuffed, and taken to jail -- even on minor traffic warrants.

Dolly Kelton was driving herself to the beauty shop when she noticed the flashing red lights in her rearview mirror. Kelton was arrested after she neglected to pay a previous ticket for the same expired sticker.

"I just overlooked it, which I never should have done," Kelton said.

"They just clipped these things on me -- in front, not in back -- and when I got into the jail, they took them off," Kelton added. "I was really getting a little mad by that time because I thought it was so unnecessary and so ridiculous."

Inside, Police booked her into jail like any other criminal, Kelton said.

"They fingerprinted me and took all these pictures of me," she said.

Kelton said she has an unblemished 80-year driving record. She accepts the blame and doesn't fault the police for doing their duty.

"I think it's still stupid and uncalled for," she said. "They ought to be out on the street arresting criminals, not poor, aged ladies."

After a few hours in jail, Kelton was released. The Highland Park mayor sent her a letter, saying he was saddened by the unfortunate incident.

Since her arrest, Kelton has paid her fine in full and bought a new registration sticker.

[TomGuy]

Yeh, get those deadbeats off the roads so the illegal aliens can have the right of way.

[VRWC_minion]

This citizen feels safer knowing that this cop won't look the other way and give a warning and will follow the law to the letter. Yes, sir. The nation is safe.

[laotzu]

"hauled her to jail last week for having an expired registration sticker......Kelton was arrested after she neglected to pay a previous ticket.."

Which was it?

Was she arrested for no registration, or skipping out on paying a ticket?

[patriot_wes]

Another righteous bust....pass me a donut.

[TBall]

Common sense is becoming more and more scarce.

[nmh]

Geesh!

Instead of harassing this woman they ought to have Michael Jackson in jail! No, arrest little old ladies for stupid over sights.

[KJacob]

"Police said they have a no-exceptions policy"


I think such policies exist to eliminate the need to make decisions. This shows that increasing regulations and rules leads to the death of common sense.

[The_Victor]

A warrant would have been issued when she failed to pay the first ticket. Texas does not arrest people for expired registration. I have received an expired registration ticket, and was not arrested.

[VRWCmember]

Give the cops a break. They may have saved her from an embarrassing strip search at the airport.

[microgood]

Those cop(s) should be fired for lacking an IQ sufficient to be considered a human being. There has to be some minimum.

[tsali]

Barney Fife in action---- Onen can sleep well with such protection

[Blood of Tyrants]

She ought to be glad they didn;t beat her with a rubber hose.

[RGSpincich]

Was she arrested for no registration, or skipping out on paying a ticket?

Both, police just ticketed her the first time for an expired registration. She didn't take care of it and it went to a bench warrant, like they all do.

[kittymyrib]

I would be embarrassed to be a resident of Highland Park, knowing that people all over the country were thinking, "What kind of city would pay these jerks who have nothing better to do that haul 97 yr. olds to jail?" Obviously, they don't need a police force in that very old, rich area of Dallas if they have this much time on their hands. I'd fire at least half of them and vote the mayor out that would allow this embarrassing behavior on their part.

[Ancesthntr]

"Police said they have a no-exceptions policy"

"I think such policies exist to eliminate the need to make decisions. This shows that increasing regulations and rules leads to the death of common sense."

A "no exceptions" policy is the police equivalent of the "zero tolerance" policies in the schools. Both are really the government's way of making it easy for its $hit-for-brains bureaucratic employees to harass the citizenry without having to think or feel bad about it. Both policies are the product of our touchy-feely, PC society of the last generation, and both need to be eliminated, along with the responsibilities of all those who advocate them. Was the country really THAT bad off 50-100 years ago, when the teacher or the cop would either give you a stern warning or a bit of corporal punishment, followed by a lecture as to WHY you did wrong?

[rogator]

If she lived in Portland, Oregon they probably would have pepper sprayed and tasered her like they did the 71 year old woman.

[evets]

I wonder if her son will be the judge in her case:

David Kelton, is currently serving as State District Judge, 44th Judicial District Court.

http://www.keltonforjudge.com/about.html

[babyface00]

I certainly don't believe that police are saints, but the first line:

"Highland Park police handcuffed a 97-year-old woman and hauled her to jail last week for having an expired registration sticker"

is very misleading.

Later in the article, the real reason she was arrested is explained:

"Kelton was arrested after she neglected to pay a previous ticket for the same expired sticker."

In other words, she was pulled over before, issued a ticket which she presumably signed, promising to pay a fine and/or appear in court. She did neither, and a warrant was issued. When the police ran her licence after pulling her over again for the expired registration, the warrant came up and she was arrested.

Actions (or in this case inactions) have consequences. Certainly any adult who is driving should be expected to keep their registration current, especially after receiving a ticket for the expiration.

I'm not sure what we, as citizens, would expect the police to do in this case other than what they did. The court ordered her to be arrested based on her inaction - that's what a warrant means. If we're to have equal protection under the law, then police are duty bound to arrest motorists with outstanding warrants when the motorist is pulled over for a traffic infraction, whether the motorist is 97 or 17.

[kissmyconservativebutt]

Texas? She is lucky they didn't throw here on death row! :)