Many in U.S. (one third) Are Arrested by Age 23, Study Finds

NY Times ^ | 12/19/11 | ERICA GOODE

[Erasmus]

Thank goodness I’ve never been arrested.

(If you don’t count my development.)

[AndyJackson]

It used to be that one worried about traveling in some god-forsaken place in Africa or Serbo-Croatia where you could be put in prison on a caprice and never see the light of day. Now it is the good ol’ USA that has becoem the place where you worry about getting into a tangle with some power drunk statist polizei. Only it is worse because you don’t have the State Department backed by the US military trying to get you out. Instead you have the full power of the state trying to keep you in.

[CowboyJay]

"I can believe this. Cops in our town are chasing down 18 to 21 year olds on weekends for underage drinking. It’s a huge money maker."

Uh, yup. Nearly everything that passed for pretty average weekend fun for teenagers for most the last century will now get you picked up by the cops. More arrests = job security for cops, and kids are soft targets. DUA and DUI are the main focus of most police depts. DV cases are another boon to the system, although there is arguably some actual justice being served in cases where real violence is involved. As far as I'm concerned, a person shouldn't be subject to arrest for merely raising their voice in their own home.

Forget about getting the police to investigate and prosecute property crimes - which they basically refuse to do without at least one eye witness other than the victim.

[ml/nj]

arrested for an offense other than a minor traffic violation

Is anyone placed under arrest for a minor traffic violation?

ML/NJ