[00:00:09]
HELLO TODAY, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE TRAFFIC COURT AND THE TRAFFIC DIVISION FOR THE 19TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW ME, I'M JUDGE DONALD JOHNSON.
I'VE I PRESIDE OVER A CIVIL DIVISION FOR THE TRAFFIC COURT FOR THE DISTRICT COURT PRIMARILY, BUT I'M ALSO OVER THE TRAFFIC COURT.
AND JOINING ME TODAY IS OUR EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH DISTRICT ATTORNEY, UH, MR. HILL, YOU'RE MORE WELCOME TO THE SHOW, MR. MOORE.
HOW YOU DOING? I'M GLAD TO HAVE YOU GOTTA BE HERE.
UH, WE'RE HERE BECAUSE EARLIER THIS YEAR, UH, I WAS APPOINTED, UH, TO PRESIDE OVER THE 19TH DISTRICT JUDICIAL DISTRICT TRAFFIC COURT.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, ALL OF THE STATE TRAFFIC TICKETS COME IN TO OUR COURT HERE AND THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR.
AND PART OF LAST YEAR, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN WORKING WITH THE COURT TO DEVELOP A SYSTEM OF PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES THAT WE FOLLOW HERE.
AND PHILOSOPHICALLY, UH, THE DA IS, IS VERY, HAS BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL AND EVALUATING THE, THE TRAFFIC COURT AND THE CONCERNS OF CITIZENS IN OUR PARISH.
AND HE AND I BOTH RECOGNIZED THAT FOR THE MOST PART DA, MORE THAT THE PERSONS THAT COME IN AT TRAFFIC COURT ARE NOT HARD AND CRIMINAL, UH, REGULAR TAXPAYERS, THEY'RE VOTING CITIZENS AND, UM, HAVE FAMILIES AND OUR BYLAWS LAW LAW, ABIDING CITIZENS WHO JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE YOU HAVE A HEAVY FOOT AND SEE THE WAY IN COURT AND, AND THE DA.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT PRINCIPALLY YOU SHOULD NOT FEAR COMING IN THE TRAFFIC COURT.
UH, WE WOULD PREFER THAT YOU MAKE YOUR APPEARANCES AND THAT IF YOU HAVE AN EXPLANATION OR MITIGATION OR A DEFENSE THAT YOU WOULD LET US KNOW THAT I AM GOING TO MAKE A DECISION, WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE GUILTY OR NOT, THE DA WILL PROMOTE HIS INTEREST IN THE CASE, WHICH IS TO PROSECUTE THOSE CASES IN GOOD FAITH, THAT HE BELIEVES HE HAS EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT.
BUT FOR THE MOST PART, WE HAVE FOUND THAT A LOT OF CITIZENS DO NOT COME TO TRAFFIC COURT.
AND THAT'S THE CONCERN OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
AND IT'S ALSO THE CONCERN THAT THE COURT, BECAUSE YOUR OFFICERS, YOUR ADA'S DA MOORE ASKED THE COURT FOR PERMISSION TO ARREST INDIVIDUALS.
YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY WHEN SOMEONE DOES NOT COME TO COURT, IT COMPOUNDS THEIR PROBLEM.
AND WHEN YOU JUST STARTED WITH A TRAFFIC TICKET, IT'S ONE, AS YOU INDICATED, YOU SAYING THAT YOU DO DESIRE, GUILT OR INNOCENCE.
HOWEVER, AS YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO WORK OUT THESE MATTERS WITH EVERYBODY, AND THERE ARE VERY FEW TRIALS.
IT'S ONE THAT YOU REALLY HAVE TO JUDGE.
SO BY AND LARGE, WE JUST, SO SOME PEOPLE THAT COME IN, THEY RECEIVE A TRAFFIC TICKET AND LET US HANDLE YOUR TRAVEL.
TELL US WHAT YOUR EXPLANATION IS.
LET US LOOK AT YOUR DRIVING RECORD, TELL US WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND WE'LL TRY TO RESOLVE THE CASE SHORT OF A TRIAL, BUT IF YOU DON'T COME IN, WE'RE REQUIRED TO ASK FOR A WARRANT.
AND THEN YOU GENERALLY WOUND UP GETTING PICKED UP ON A FRIDAY EVENING.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THINGS GET A LITTLE HECTIC AROUND IT.
AND THE PROCESS, THE DA IS PRINCIPALLY TALKING ABOUT THE PROCESS.
IF YOU DON'T MAKE IT ONEROUS, UH, THE PROCESS IS VERY SIMPLE AND DA MO MORE, MOST OF OUR TICKETS, UH, LESS THAN $200, BUT WE REALIZE, I KNOW YOU DO AN, I DO THAT FOR SOME OF US.
THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY AND I'M WILLING TO WORK WITH THE PUBLIC.
I KNOW YOU ARE YOUR, YOUR STAFF AND THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS THAT YOU HAVE.
THE ADA, ADA SECTIONS ROUTINELY COME INTO COURT AND WORK WITH CITIZENS WHO HAVE TICKETS.
BUT WHEN YOU FAIL TO COME IN, THAT'S WHERE YOU COMPLICATE THE SYSTEM MORE, BECAUSE THEN NOT ONLY ARE YOU FACING THE TRAFFIC TICKET, BUT YOU'RE FACING A CRIMINAL CONTEMPT OF COURT CHARGE BECAUSE OF I GET THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU'RE INTENTIONALLY NOT COMING TO COURT.
AND THAT'S PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE BASICALLY YOU'RE GOING TO DOUBLE YOUR EXPOSURE FOR PUNISHMENT.
UM, UM, AND YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY THAT, IF SOMEONE DOES GET PICKED UP ON THAT WARRANT, NOW YOU HAVE A BOND THAT YOU POSSIBLY HAVE TO MAKE AND POTENTIALLY HIRING A LAWYER, WHICH YOU REALLY DON'T REALLY NEED UNLESS, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL CASES FOR TRAFFIC TICKETS.
SO NOW THE MONEY JUST GETS BIGGER AND BIGGER AND YOUR PROBLEMS GET BIGGER WHEN IT STARTED OFF AS JUST A REALLY SMALL HEADACHE.
AND IT'S ONE THAT WE CAN RESOLVE THE, THE PROCESS THAT YOU, UH, BY NOT COMING TO COURT IS WHAT IS SO CONSEQUENTIAL.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE ARRESTED MORE LIKELY THAN NOT AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
UM, THAT'S, WHAT'S, I'VE BEEN PROMOTING.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO A TICKET, I'VE ASKED THE VARIOUS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT SERVE THE STATE TO ARREST YOU OR TO NOTIFY YOU THAT YOU'RE SUBJECT TO BEING ARRESTED.
AND I REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
I REALLY DON'T LIKE DOING THAT, BUT THAT'S THE LAW THAT YOU GET EXPOSED TO BEING ARRESTED.
I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENED IS, UM,
[00:05:01]
YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS LONG WITH OTHERS.EVERYONE'S BECOME FRUSTRATED BECAUSE NOW WE DON'T JUST HAVE 10,000 OUTSTANDING WARRANTS.
WE HAVE OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND OUTSTANDING TRAFFIC WARRANTS WHERE PEOPLE JUST HAVE IGNORED COMING TO COURT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE WOULD JUST IGNORE COMING TO COURT, THEN YOU LOSE THE RULE OF LAW AND THE RESPECT FOR THE COURT.
SO WE, WE NEED PEOPLE TO COME TO COURT, TAKE CARE OF THEIR BUSINESS.
UH, BUT IT PUTS US IN A BAD POSITION.
AND I THINK YOU'VE EVEN TAKEN SOME STEPS HERE WITH THE COURT TO SEND NOTICES AHEAD OF TIME, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW, HEY, YOU HAVE AN OUTSTANDING WARRANT AND WE'VE MADE AVAILABLE.
I BELIEVE ON DIFFERENT WEBSITES, THE COURT, THE DA TO SHERIFF, THAT YOU HAVE AN OUTSTANDING TRAFFIC TICKET.
I WOULD SUGGEST IF YOU'RE A PARENT, HEY, TAKE A LOOK TO SEE IF YOUR CHILD HAS A TICKET AND IT'S EASY TO, EASY TO DO, AND IT COULD BE AN ERROR.
IF YOU PAID THE TICKET AND YOUR NAME'S ON THERE, WE WANT TO KNOW, WE WANT TO HELP YOU.
WE JUST WANT YOU TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR TRAFFIC TICKET.
IF YOU WANT TO CHECK, IF YOU WANT IT TO CHECK WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE A WARRANT, IT'S EASY TO DO SO.
UM, YOU HAVE, YOU CAN GO ON THE SHERIFF'S WEBSITE AND THAT'S AT WWW DOT, UH, EBR, S O E B R S.ORG.
AND ENTER YOUR NAME AND LOOK FOR A WARRANT.
YOU CAN ALSO GO ON THE COURT'S WEBSITE.
WE HAVE THAT ADDRESS ALL ALSO ON THE 19TH JDCS WEBSITE.
YOU CAN ALWAYS CHECK AND YOU SHOULD CHECK JUST IN CASE YOUR LOVED ONE OR SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY, OR YOU HAVE AN OUTSTANDING WARRANT.
I WANT YOU TO ASSIST THEM IN COMING TO COURT.
I WANT YOU TO GET THEM HERE, BE HERE, BECAUSE IF YOU VOLUNTARILY COME IN AND SHOW CONTRITION OR MITIGATE THE FAILURE TO APPEAR, THEN I CAN LISTEN TO THAT FACT AND MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.
SO JOE'S, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THAT, UH, AMNESTY DAY SEVERAL, MANY MONTHS, MAYBE EVEN A YEAR NOW AGO.
AND, UH, WE, UH, WE WERE REALLY SHOCKED, BUT SURPRISED THAT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT CAME OUT THAT RECOGNIZED THEY HAVE AN OBLIGATION, WE HELD THE COURT, HELD THE COURT OUTSIDE OF THE COURT, CORRECT? UH, ACTUALLY IN GUS YOUNG, CORRECT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE EXPECTING MAYBE A HUNDRED TO 200 PEOPLE.
WE HAD OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP AND THEY WERE THERE TO TRY TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR BUSINESS.
SO IT IS EASY WITH THAT NUMBER.
WE COULDN'T TAKE CARE OF THAT.
NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH DID GIVE THEM CARDS TO COME BACK TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
AND WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT, AND WE FOUND THAT MAYBE THE REASON A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO COME TO COURT IS THEY PROBABLY HAVE MORE THAN ONE OUTSTANDING TICKET AND IT COULD BE FOR MORE THAN ONE JURISDICTION.
AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE THOSE PEOPLE AS YOU KNOW, IF THEY DO HAVE ANOTHER TICKET AND JUST NOT THE ONE THAT YOU AND I MAY DEAL WITH, IF THERE'S ONE IN CITY COURT, ONE IN ANOTHER PARISH, COME TO US, LET US SEE WHAT YOUR TICKET WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DIRECT YOU TO THE RIGHT PLACE, TO TAKE CARE OF THAT OTHER TICKET.
AND BECAUSE OTHERWISE NOW YOU'VE REALLY COMPOUNDED PROBLEMS. AND THAT'S THAT I SAW THAT AS AN ISSUE.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I'VE NOTICED IS THAT A LOT OF US CITIZENS OR CITIZENS ARE CONFUSED ABOUT THE VARIOUS COURT SYSTEMS AND THEY'RE RUNNING FROM ONE COURT TO THE OTHER AND THEY GET, THEY GET SOMEHOW THIS CHANNEL BECAUSE THE KID FIGURE OUT IF THEY FORGET WHERE TO GO OR THEY DON'T KEEP THEIR TICKET, THAT'S A VALID POINT.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT VIOLATIONS, BUT BASIC IS.
SO IF YOU RECEIVED A TICKET BY THE CITY, POLICE, YOUR TICKET, EVERY CITY PLACE, YOUR TICKET WILL NOT BE HANDLED BY YOU AND I, IT WILL BE HANDLED IN THE BATON ROUGE CITY COURT, WHICH IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM WHERE WE ARE TWO, TWO, TWO OR TWO 21 ST.
AND IF THE SHERIFF, THE STATE POLICE LSU SOUTHERN, ANY TYPE OF STATE POLICE GAVE YOU A TICKET, THEN THEY'RE GOING TO SEE US, OR YOU COME TO THE 19TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT.
AND YOU CAN ALWAYS LOOK ON THAT WEBSITE.
IF YOU HAVE A WARRANT, THEY'RE GOING TO TELL YOU CITY COURT OR DISTRICT COURT ALWAYS CALL SOMEONE, WE WILLING TO HELP CALL OUR OFFICE.
THE DA'S OFFICE WILL TRY TO SEE IF WE CAN DO THAT, HELP YOU OUT ON THAT TICKET.
UM, SO I MEAN, IT, WE, WE WANT TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS YOU CAN, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THERE MAY BE SOME CONFUSION ON THE PART OF SOME FOLKS OUT THERE.
AND IF YOU AVOID COMING IN TO COURT AND YOU'RE ARRESTED, THEN THE FIRST THING THAT HAS TO OCCUR IS THE ARRESTING OFFICER HAS TO BOOK YOU AT THE PRISON.
AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR SCREENED.
AND THEN THE SYSTEM DETERMINES WHETHER YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE WARRANT FOR MORE THAN ONE COURT.
AND THAT'S DELAYED PROCESS BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO BE TAKEN ALL THESE DAYS.
AND AS YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BE TAKEN FROM ONE COURT TO THE OTHER AND YOU MAY NOT GET THERE ON THE SAME DAY.
AND THEN IF YOU COMPOUND THAT WITH MAYBE A DIFFERENT OUTSTANDING WARRANT OR HOLIDAY, YOU'VE GOT TO STAY THERE.
IT'S NOT UNLIKELY, CORRECT? IT'S NOT.
AND WE DON'T WANT TO PUT ANYONE IN JAIL.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE IN THIS PROGRAM.
THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO GET YOU TO COOPERATE WITH YOUR OBLIGATION.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE SITTING HERE HAVING IT, HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, I'M DELIGHTED THAT THE DA WOULD COME IN AND TALK TO YOU AND INVITE YOU IN.
UM, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN WE SPONSORED THE PROGRAM AT GUS YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, S W
[00:10:01]
SOMEONE WHO HAD, UH, UH, WARREN SAID TO ME, OH, WELL, JUDGE, I'M NOT GOING TO COME OUT THERE AND GET SET UP TO GET ARRESTED.AND I, I WANTED TO DIFFUSE THAT, BUT IT WAS CHALLENGING FOR ME TO CONVINCE A LOWERED SEGMENT THAT THEY WERE NOT BEING SET UP TO GET ARRESTED FOR OTHER THINGS.
SO THERE'S A TENDENCY, A LOT OF FEAR OR DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHAT WE SAY AND WHAT ACTUALLY DOES WELL.
SO IN THAT, THAT'S A GOOD, GOOD POINT.
SO IN, IN THAT, ON THAT DAY, AND THAT AMNESTY DAY, WE RE WE MADE IT CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT SEEKING TO ARREST.
NOW WE WOULD BE PROBABLY PUT IN A BIND.
IF SOMEONE SHOWED UP WITH A TRAFFIC TICKET AND THERE'S A WARRANT OUT FOR THEM, FOR HOMICIDE OR RAPE, THAT PERSON WOULD PROBABLY BE, WOULD, WOULD BE ARRESTED.
IF SOMEONE HAS AN OUTSTANDING BENCH WARRANT FOR A MISDEMEANOR IN CITY COURT, WE WERE THERE TO HANDLE IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME UNIQUE SITUATIONS WHERE SOME PERSON WAS A VIOLENT OFFENDER THAT PERSON'S GONNA GO TO JAIL AND HAVE TO ANSWER THAT CHARGE.
BUT WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT EVEN NEAR THAT, NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THAT.
UH, BUT PEOPLE ARE AFRAID IF THEY HAVE WARRANTS, WE, WE WANT, WE WANT TO KNOW, WE WANT TO HELP YOU.
WE WANT TO DECREASE OUR AMOUNT OF OUTSTANDING WARRANTS.
WE DON'T WANT ANYONE TO GO TO JAIL UNLESS THEY HAVE TO GO TO JAIL.
AND WE'VE RESERVED THAT FOR THE WORST OF THE WORST.
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAS BEEN PROMOTING THIS ISSUE OF INCREASING THE LEVEL OF TRUST AND CONFIDENCE BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND THAT'S BEEN A MAJOR ISSUE DURING YOUR ADMINISTRATION THAT YOU'VE SEEN AND WITNESS AND BEEN EXPOSED TO THIS HUGE DISCONNECT BETWEEN SEGMENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY, JUST DON'T TRUST LAW ENFORCEMENT, JUST DON'T TRUST LAW OFFICIALS AND NOT WILLING TO ACCEPT WHAT WE SAY IS THE TRUTH.
WHAT YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE A COMMENT ABOUT THAT.
AND SHE HAS SHARED WITH US, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU, YEAH, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S THE NATIONWIDE, UH, THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS NATIONWIDE.
IT'S JUST, IT'S A GOES BACK HISTORICALLY TO MISTRUST, AND IT GOES BACK MANY, MANY YEARS BEFORE YOU AND I WERE ANYWHERE AROUND.
AND IT JUST KIND OF BUILT IN AND INGRAINED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE DO.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE HARD WORK COMES IS REBUILDING TRUST AND RESPECT AND WHAT IT, WHAT IT'S CALLED, IT'S CALLED LEGITIMACY.
SO IF, IF THE PEOPLE THINK THAT YOU'RE LEGITIMATE AS A JUDGE, IF THEY THINK THAT THE POLICE IS LEGITIMATE AND GIVING THEM A TICKET OR THE DA'S LEGITIMATE OF DOING WHAT HE HAS TO DO, THEY'RE GOING TO COME, THEY CAN RESPECT.
THEY MAY NOT LIKE OR AGREE, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO COME AND RESPECT.
IF THEY DON'T THINK THAT YOU ARE, I ARE LEGITIMATE, THEN THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SHOW UP, NOT GOING TO RESPECT THIS.
SO WE HAVE TO REALLY WORK, NOT ONLY FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT, IT GOES BOTH WAYS.
AND WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO TREAT EACH OTHER DIFFERENTLY AND BETTER.
WE HAVE TO EARN, EARN THE RESPECT OF EACH OTHER.
AND IT'S NOT OVERNIGHT IS THROUGH COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS EVERY DAY, EVERY, EVERY WEEK.
IT'S A RESOLVING RACE PROBLEMS THAT WE SEEM TO IGNORE, UNLESS THERE'S A BIG EVENT ISSUE.
UH, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE A KILLER, JUST A REALLY BAD KILLER.
WHY IS THAT KILLER STOP AT A STOP SIGN, A RED LIGHT.
YOU THINK HE REALLY IS INTERESTED IN OBEYING THE LAW.
IT'S, HE'S GOT RESPECT AND RESPECT IS THAT IF HE RUNS THAT RED LIGHT AND STOPS, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, NOBODY'S GOING TO BE ARRESTED.
HE HAS RESPECT OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT ACTION.
SO ON A LESSER NOTE, WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE PEOPLE HAVE SOME CONSEQUENCES AND RESPECT FOR WHAT WE DO.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A VERY, VERY LOW LEVEL OFFENSE, WHICH IS A MISDEMEANOR TRAFFIC OFFENSE AND SORTA CRAZY, UH, CRIMINAL.
BUT NONETHELESS, THERE ARE CRIMINAL PENALTIES THAT COULD BE ASSOCIATED IF YOU'RE JUDICATED GUILTY, THE DA'S OFFICE AND THE COURT PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH TO YOU AS A DEFENDANT IS TO COME TO COURT AND OTHERWISE THAT OVER 30,000 STATE WARRANTS, AND THERE ARE MANY MUNICIPAL WARRANTS OUT FOR YOUR ARREST.
AND THEN, AND THEN WE, WE MAKE THE MATTER WORSE BY NOT COMING.
ONE OF THE DIRECT RESULTS, DA MORE IS THAT I AM REQUIRED TO NOTIFY OUR OFFICE OF VEHICLES THAT YOU'VE NOT COME TO COURT.
AND THAT TRIGGERS A SUSPENSION IS NOT THE CONVICTION, CORRECT.
AND THEN YOU, AND I KNOW THE, YOU CAN BE SUSPENDED FOR NOT COMING TO COURT AS WELL AS VARIOUS OTHER REASONS.
AND AS YOU AND I LEARNED THAT DAY OF THE AMNESTY DAY, THAT A BIG NUMBER OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE WAITING IN LINE THAT WRAPPED AROUND THE BUILDING AND WAITED FOR FOUR TO SIX HOURS.
MANY OF THEM, WE TOOK CARE OF THEIR UNDERLYING TRAFFIC TICKET, BUT WE COULD NOT TAKE CARE OF THEIR TRAVEL ON SUSPENSION MATTER, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT'S A STATE MATTER.
AND THAT'S ONE THAT NOW MORE MONEY IS ADDED TO THAT.
AND NOW, BECAUSE YOU MAY HAVE AN UNDERLYING CHILD, A CHILD PAYMENT, CHARLES SUPPORT, MAYBE YOU WERE IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT TAXING WITHOUT A LIGHT SWITCH, WITHOUT A LICENSE THAT TRIGGERS ME.
YOU COULD HOST SOME PENALTY SOMEWHERE, AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET YOUR LICENSE BACK UNLESS THE STATE SAYS
[00:15:01]
KNOWS THAT YOU HAVE COMPLIED.FORTUNATELY THROUGH SOME LEGISLATION THAT'S BEEN PASSED.
I THINK TED JAMES PASSED LEGISLATION A FEW YEARS AGO, THE STATE WILL NOW WORK WITH YOU ON YOUR DRIVING ON SUSPENSION.
THEY WILL GIVE YOU A LICENSE VERY QUICKLY, AS LONG AS YOU AGREE TO SIGN UP, TO DO SOME PARTIAL PAYMENTS ACT IN GOOD FAITH ACT IN GOOD FAITH, BECAUSE THEY WANT YOU TO GET BACK TO WORK, TO BE ABLE TO PAY YOUR CHILD SUPPORT OR YOUR UNDERLYING, UH, OBLIGATION THAT YOU HAD.
BUT BIG NUMBER OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE DIDN'T COME TO COURT.
AND BECAUSE YOU HAD TO SEND THAT LETTER NOW, THE HIPAA DRIVING UNDER SUSPENSION, BECAUSE OF THAT FAILURE TO APPEAR THAT ADDS MORE MONEY TO THEM.
IT HAS MORE PROBLEMS FOR THEM AS TO HOW TO GET THAT MATTER TAKEN CARE OF.
AND WE SAW THAT WAS THIS HUGE PROBLEM, BUT THANK THANKFULLY WITH THE NEW LEGISLATION, WE'RE GOT TO BE ABLE TO HELP THAT PERSON.
AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DIRECT THEM TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF EVERYBODY WINS IN THAT SITUATION.
W I'VE LISTENED A LOT LATELY ABOUT CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.
AND, AND IT MUST START AT THE MINIMUM LEVEL ALSO, WHICH IS HERE AT THE ONE OF THE BASIC LEVELS OF HOW TO TREAT THE PUBLIC FOR ISSUES THAT ARE BASIC TO MOST OF US WHO, WHO TRAVEL IN MIGRATE OUR ROADS.
THAT IF YOU RESPECT THIS MINOR MATTER, PERHAPS THAT WE COULD BUILD THIS TRUST AND BUILD THIS CONFIDENCE.
AND IF YOU TREAT IT RESPECTFULLY WITH THIS MATTER, YOUR CONFIDENCE MAY GROW.
AND YOUR APPRECIATION OF THE LEGITIMATE PROCESS HAS.
SO, UM, IT'S SOMEWHAT IN THE LINE OF BROKEN WINDOWS.
ALTHOUGH BROOKLYN WINDOWS HAS RECEIVED SOME BAD PRESS, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT SIDE AND WHO REALLY, UH, IS WRITING.
SO, YEAH, WITH BROKEN WINDOWS, IF YOU TAKE CARE OF SMALL THINGS, BIG THINGS DON'T HAPPEN.
IF YOU HAVE RESPECT FOR THE SMALL THINGS, LITTERING TRAFFIC TICKETS, BIG THINGS ARE NOT GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THE SMALL THINGS HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.
IT'S FUNNY, YOU MENTIONED THE BROKEN WINDOWS THEORY.
OF COURSE, THOSE THAT YOU STUDIED, CRIMINAL JUSTICE THEORIES.
THAT'S ONE OF THE BASIC PARAMETERS THAT'S OUT THERE THAT IF YOU DON'T TAKE CARE OF THE SMALL THINGS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU ALLOW THE WINDOWS BECOME BROKEN IN YOUR HOMES.
THEN SOMEONE SEES A DILAPIDATED OR DETERIORATED CONDITION AND THEY'RE BOUND TO JUMP ON IT AND MAKE IT WORSE.
YOU SEE ONE BROKEN WINDOW IN A HOME, UH, IN NO ONE'S TAKING CARE OF THAT BROKEN ONE THAT THROW A ROCK AND BREAK ANOTHER WINDOW OR TRASH FROM THE GROUND, INSTEAD OF PICKING IT UP.
WHY DON'T YOU JUST THROW MORE TRASH BECAUSE THERE'S TRASH HERE AND IT JUST LEADS TO BIGGER PROBLEMS. THEN THAT STREET CORNER BECOMES PROBLEMATIC.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE WE COVER THE NOTES THAT I HAVE.
SO IF, IF THOSE THAT ARE KEEPING UP WITH OUR TIME WOULD LET US KNOW HOW MUCH TIME THEN I CAN SORT OF, UH, PARTICULARLY RISE WHAT I WANT TO HAVE TO DISCUSS HERE.
W WE'VE GOT A FEW MORE MINUTES LEFT.
UM, LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THIS.
UM, A LOT OF OUR PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED THAT THEY PLEAD GUILTY TO A TRAFFIC TICKET, RIGHT? IT'S GOING TO ADVERSELY AFFECT THEIR INSURANCE.
WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE TO DO? AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT THAT? THERE'S A POTENTIAL THEY COULD.
UM, BUT WHAT WE DO IS WE TRY TO OFFER THOSE PEOPLE THAT COME IN THAT WANT TO ENTER A PLEA.
THEY CAN ENTER A PLEA UNDER A PROVISION OF THE LAW THAT ALLOWS THEM TO HAVE THEIR DISPOSITION SET ASIDE SO THAT IT WILL NOT AFFECT THEIR INTEREST.
AND THAT'S THAT ARTICLE AND THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, EIGHT 92.1 A THAT'S WHERE THE COURT DOES THE DISMISSAL AND, AND IT DOESN'T AFFECT THE, UH, IT'S NOT REPORTED TO, SO A PERSON WOULD COME IN TO A SPEEDING TICKET.
I WOULD PLEAD GUILTY TO THAT TICKET.
AND YOU WOULD, YOU AND I WILL CHECK THEIR RECORD AND WOULD SEE THAT THE RECORD IS CLEAN.
WE DON'T WANT TO HURT THAT PERSON.
WE DON'T WANT TO UNNECESSARILY MAKE MONEY FOR AN INSURANCE COMPANY.
AND SO YOU WOULD THEN SAY, OKAY, IF YOU TAKE A DRIVING SCHOOL, UH, I'M GOING TO CONSIDER YOUR RECORD.
AND I'M GOING TO DISMISS THE TICKET AFTER YOU DO WHAT I ASKED YOU TO DO.
AND IT'S AS IF NOTHING EVER HAPPENED.
AND YOUR OFFICE ALSO OPERATES THOUGH, AS SEPARATE A PRE-TRIAL PROGRAM, WHERE THE INDIVIDUALS CAN GO THROUGH A NON COURT, UH, TYPE OF, UH, RESOLUTION REGARDING THE TICKET.
JUST FOR HISTORICALLY HERE FOR YEARS, PEOPLE WILL CALL YOU AND SAY, I HAVE THIS TRAFFIC THING.
WHAT CAN I DO? SO INSTEAD OF JUST DISMISSING TICKETS THAT PEOPLE WOULD REQUEST, WE ASK PEOPLE TO TAKE A, A COURSE THAT IS UP TO DATE ON DRIVING, TEXTING, AND DRIVING, DRINKING, AND DRIVING, SPEEDING, UH, DISTRACTED DRIVING SM TO TAKE THIS COURSE.
AND IN RETURN FOR THE COURSE, WE WILL CONSIDER THE DISMISSAL OF THE CHARGE, SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU WOULD DO UNDER ARTICLE EIGHT 92.
THAT'S A PROGRAM THAT WE TRY NOT TO ADVERTISE, BUT WHAT WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME TO COURT, AND WE WANT THEM TO HANDLE THEIR BUSINESS IN COURT.
IT'S JUST A PRETRIAL DIVERSION ALTERNATIVE LIKE OFFERED ELSEWHERE.
SO IN ESSENCE, IF YOU HAVE A TRAFFIC TICKET AND LOUISIANA LAW PROVIDES THAT IF YOU WANT TO HAVE IT DISMISSED, UH, THERE, THERE YOU, YOU ARE SURFING TO COME INTO COURT AND, AND LETTING ME KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
THE ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR WHO'S
[00:20:01]
THERE WILL MAKE A RECOMMENDATION OR OBJECTIVE RECOMMENDATION, BUT NONETHELESS, IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD A TICKET THAT'S BEEN DISMISSED IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, THEN MORE LIKELY THAN NOT.I WILL ALLOW YOU TO GET THAT TICKET DISMISSED, UH, THAT I THINK THERE'S ONE EXCEPTION OR TWO.
ONE IS SPEEDING 25 MILES PER HOUR ABOVE THE SPEED ABOVE THE LIMIT OR MORE, WHICH IS EXEMPTED FROM THAT DISMISSAL.
BUT FOR THE LARGE CATEGORY OF TICKETS, YOU CAN HAVE IT DISMISSED BY UPGRADING YOUR KNOWLEDGE, SKILL, AND ABILITIES TO OPERATE A MOTOR VEHICLE.
AND THAT'S THE DRIVING SCHOOL PROGRAM OR AN IMPROVED SAFETY TRAINING COURSE.
WE DON'T COLLECT THAT MONEY HERE YET.
THAT'S BASICALLY PAID TO VENDORS WHO ARE PRIVATE AND THEN THEY CERTIFIED.
AND WE FOLLOW THAT AND THEN DISMISS THE TICKET AND ALLOW YOU TO GO ON YOUR WEIGHT.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND I BELIEVE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE ALSO STARTED SOME ONLINE STUFF THAT, WHERE PEOPLE CAN NOW EVENTUALLY COME ONLINE TO SECURE THEIR TICKETS.
THE COURT WILL BE SOON, I WOULD SAY WITHIN A DAY OR SO, UH, HAVING AN ONLINE SYSTEM WHERE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GO ONLINE AND TAKE A CLASS AND CERTIFIED US THAT YOU'VE IMPROVED YOUR DRIVING SKILLS AND HAVE A TICKET DISMISSED.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO GET COMPLIANT.
CORRECT? WE WANT YOU, IF YOU, AND I'LL SAY THIS, UH, I THINK I HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING ON THIS.
IF YOU HAVEN'T AN OBLIGATION OF A TICKET AND YOU DON'T, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU WERE TICKETED FOR DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE.
SO DRIVING WITH EXPIRED LICENSE, IF YOU WOULD GO GET RE-INSTATED OR GO, GO GET IT, YOUR PERMIT, WE'RE GONNA DISMISS THAT TICKET, BRING IT TO THE DA'S OFFICE AND LET THEM SEE THAT, OR TAKE, TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR NEW LICENSE OR YOUR INSPECTION STICKER.
YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THING WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT WAS POINT SYSTEMS THAT OTHER STATES HAVE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS HERE.
TELL US ABOUT THOUGH, THAT BASED ON YOUR INSURANCE IS BASED ON A POINT SYSTEM AND DEPENDING ON HOW MANY POINTS YOU HAVE OR DON'T HAVE, THAT'S HOW YOUR INSURANCE WILL BE A JUDGE.
AND SO IF YOU DON'T COME TO COURT, THE POINTS ARE GOING TO ADD UP IN ANOTHER STATE.
IF YOU GET A TICKET THERE, THOSE ARE THE STATES OF NOT QUITE AS FORGIVING AS WE ARE.
THEY ARE ONLINE A LOT MORE THAN WE ARE, BUT THEY ARE THE MONEY I'M ON OUR TECH, TRAFFIC TICKETS.
ALL THOSE, SOME PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD OR EXTREMELY REASONABLE COMPARED TO OTHER STATES THAT ARE 500, $600 FOR TRAFFIC.
WHEN, WHEN OUR COURT WAS ASSESSING, WHETHER WE SHOULD INCREASE OUR FIRES, IT COSTS, IT HAD BEEN YEARS AND YEARS AGO THAT WE EVEN HAD AN INCREASE AND WERE VERY LOW COMPARED TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN OUR OWN SYSTEM.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE, UH, DID NOT SPEAK ABOUT IT, I THINK IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT IS WHEN A PERSON IS INVOLVED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT, TELL US, SO YOU'RE INVOLVED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT AND LET'S, LET'S ASSUME THAT THERE'S NO DRINKING AND DRIVING, NO TEXTING, NO OTHER AGGRAVATING CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND NO ONE IS REALLY SERIOUSLY INJURED.
THAT WOULD TRIGGER A POTENTIAL CRIMINAL PROBLEM.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A TICKET THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OBVIOUSLY MORE SERIOUSLY.
DID YOU CAN HAVE TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF THIS.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE OTHER PARTY THAT'S THAT'S AGGRIEVED OR HURT.
WE'RE GOING TO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE INSURANCE.
WE WANT YOU TO COME TO COURT, PARTICULARLY ON THAT CASE.
OH, YOU SURELY CAN ISSUE A WARRANT IN THAT CASE.
AND WE WANT YOU TO BRING YOUR PROOF OF INSURANCE.
AND IF YOU HAVE A LETTER AT THAT POINT, INDICATING THAT DAMAGES HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF, OR THEY'VE BEEN ASSESSED AT THE TIME, WHETHER IT'S PROPERTY DAMAGE OR PERSONAL INJURY DAMAGES, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONSIDER.
WE MAY CONTINUE THAT CASE TO MAKE SURE THINGS ARE DONE.
UM, THAT'S ONE THAT MAYBE YOU ARE NOT GOING TO JUST PLEAD GUILTY AND IT'S GOING TO GO AWAY.
YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PLEAD NO CONTEST, WHICH MEANS IT WON'T AFFECT YOU IN A CIVIL SUIT AS YOU KNOW, BETTER THAN I DO, BUT THERE'S STILL A POTENTIAL ON THAT CASE THAT YOU COULD GET YOUR TICKET EVENTUALLY DISMISSED ON, ON UNDER ARTICLE EIGHT 92.1.
BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, YOU HAVE TO COME TO COURT.
SO WHAT THAT LEADS ME TO, TO CONCLUDE IS THIS, IF YOU HAVE A TRAFFIC TICKET AND YOU HAVE SOME WAY OF GETTING IT CORRECTED OR GET, GET YOUR DOCUMENTS IN ORDER, THEN GO AND DO THAT BEFORE COMING TO COURT, GO AHEAD AND GET ALL OF YOUR PAPER WERE CURRENT, AND THEN BRING ALL OF THAT INTO THE COURT SESSION.
OPEN-MINDED, THEY'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR TICKETS, BUT IF YOU DO NOT GET A TICKET, UH, AT THE STATE'S REQUEST, I'M DUTY BOUND TO ISSUE A WARRANT FOR YOUR ARREST.
AND I'M DUTY BOUND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ENFORCING THESE 30,000 ODD WARRANTS AND GETTING YOU ARRESTED ON THEM.
SO, ALTHOUGH I DON'T LIKE DOING THAT, IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
IF YOU DON'T COME IN DA MORE, I WANT TO REALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR OPEN MIND, OPEN MINDNESS, AND THEN YOUR ABILITY TO GO OUT AND COMMUNICATE THAT WITH CROSS SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY, RARELY DO WE SEE DA'S WHO ARE WILLING TO TAKE THE TIME TO EXPLAIN THEMSELVES AND TO OFFER THEMSELVES, UH, AND TO DISCUSS, UH, OPENLY THE ISSUES THAT ARE AFFECTING OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I THANK OUR DA FOR HIS TIME.
I THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND GOOD DAY.