Waverly DUI suspects free to go after $1000 donations to police

WWW.Cleveland.com ^ | 9/9/2007, 1:31 p.m. EDT | The Associated Press

[VRing]

WAVERLY, Ohio (AP) — Nearly 100 drunken-driving suspects in this southern Ohio town avoided convictions or jail time last year after making voluntary $1,000 donations to the police department, county records show.

More than a third of the drunken-driving cases filed by Waverly police in Pike County Court last year were dismissed, according to a report published Sunday in The Columbus Dispatch.

[VRing]

Sounds like it should be Waverly, Mexico.

[T.Smith]

A fine is simply an involuntary donation to the police department. They’re going to get your money either way, you might as well get a tax deduction out of it.

[mvpel]

They put so many other words in quotes, why not the word “voluntary” here?

One form of justice for the rich, another for the poor, it would seem.

[clamper1797]

This is not America ... it is some banana republic poorly disguised as America

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

In Mexico, that would be called “bribery”.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Hmmmm.............sounds fair............ :-)

[American_Centurion]

At least these cops aren’t trying to hide the fact that they really are just a bunch of over-empowered meter maid revenuers.

That’s about as nice as I can make it.

[Pilsner]

So where was the DA, or Prosecuting Attorney as they call them in Ohio? If the PA signed off on these deals, it is bad. If the police just filed lesser charges in Municipal Court, so as to deprive the County Court, and the PA, of jurisdiction, it is worse.

Unless he was OK with the deal, the local elected prosecutor who never got a chance to prosecute these DUI cases in County Court because the City PD was paid off and filed them in Municipal Court, ought to be investigating this practice.

[VRing]

“At least these cops aren’t trying to hide the fact that they really are just a bunch of over-empowered meter maid revenuers.”

They’ve probably been corrupt for so long they see nothing wrong with it.

[VRing]

“In Mexico, that would be called “bribery”.”

But not in Ohio, apparently.

[VRing]

Ping

[Dr.Deth]

What would it be called in Nottingham Forest?

[hophead]

The family of someone killed by a drunk driver in that town should keep this in mind!

[MEGoody]

Nearly 100 drunken-driving suspects in this southern Ohio town avoided convictions or jail time last year after making voluntary $1,000 donations to the police department, county records show.

Heads should roll.

[CGTRWK]

I can’t even remember the last time I drove a significant distance without passing at least a couple policemen taking donations while camped out behind billboards and under overpasses.

From the victim’s perspective, whether that donation goes to the officer making the stop, the police department, the county court, or their insurance company is a distinction without difference.

[PAR35]

From the victim’s perspective, whether that donation goes to the officer making the stop, the police department, the county court, or their insurance company is a distinction without difference.

No, there is a big difference. This payoff system keeps the points off your license, and keeps you from having to pay many times that in higher insurance premiums.

[HIDEK6]

Isn’t Pike a blue county?

[Scythian]

Nearly 100 drunken-driving suspects ...

Ya, and there are only 102 people in the whole county ....

[HIDEK6]

Please tell me the other 2 are the cop and the judge.