Florida Traffic Court Fiasco

In court to contest my ticket, it took two mornings to be heard and for Magistrate Acosta-Castriz to rule on the evidence or lack of it. That... more

by Shirl Solomon

Title

Florida Traffic Court Fiasco

Artist

Shirl Solomon

Medium

Digital Art - Ink Drawing & Digital Color

Description

In court to contest my ticket, it took two mornings to be heard and for Magistrate Acosta-Castriz to rule on the evidence or lack of it. That gave me time to pen this scene on the back of my folder.
Officer Croucher, who had ticketed me for traveling 40 mph in the 25 mph speed limit in the Village of Palm Springs, appeared in court to testify against me. He, along with other officers waiting for their cases against traffic violators to be heard, chatted among themselves until court was dismissed about noon. Cases not heard, of which I was one, were to be continued the following morning. That gave another free day to many of Palm Beach County�s finest�on taxpayers� money.
Magistrate Acosta-Castriz was cool. If unsure about how to rule on a case, she announced that she would consider the facts and render her decision at a later time in writing. My case disconcerted her in that I had asked Officer Croucher for radar proof of my speeding, which he did not have. The Magistrate would reflect on the case and notify me by mail of her decision.
It came. �Guilty.� No reason for her decision was given nor a response to my numerous phone calls. Clerks answering for the Magistrate announced that she had not received my certified letter requesting an explanation They conjectured that it had gotten lost. I paid the fine of $256., took the safety driving course and went on with my life. How are traffic laws in your part of the country?

Uploaded

July 24th, 2016