It Happened In City Court! Again!

On Tuesday, in Judge Connor's City Court, a few puzzling things took place.  The court is always scheduled to begin at 9 am, but Judge Connor is rarely ever close to starting on time.  Tuesday's court did not begin until 9:22, with a fairly packed courtroom waiting patiently and quietly for things to begin so they could all get the hell out of there and get on with their days.  Last Tuesday, court proceedings also began at 9:22, with (by my count) 17 defendants and 8 attorneys waiting.  A few weeks ago, Connor didn't show up until well after 9:30.  Judge Cheryl Roberts, presiding on Thursdays, almost always starts on time.  If she starts late, it is never by more than a few minutes, as was the case today.  I digress.

At 9:40 on Tuesday, a defendant came in front of Judge Connor with a Failure To Stop At A Stop Sign ticket, as well as an Uninspected Vehicle ticket.  He waited 30 days for his court appearance after being issued the ticket, then 40 minutes sitting in court for his chance to resolve the ticket, only to be handed a piece of paper with instructions on how to apply for a reduced charge (plea deal) from the DA's office.  Connor told the defendant "The DA's office does not offer plea deals in court anymore," then rescheduled his court date for May 17th, over 6 weeks later.  Out the guy went with the piece of paper in his hand, like so many others.  

Apparently, when HPD officers and State troopers issue traffic tickets, they do not inform drivers of their ability to get a reduced charge through the DA's website.  For that bit of helpful information you must show up to your court date weeks later (if you can), wait your turn, only to be handed a piece of paper and told to come back another day a month or two later to hopefully resolve your ticket(s).   This is the best process the court can manage. 

Later on in court, a defendant came before Judge Connor with "a few traffic tickets, including No Headlight and No Seat Belt."  The tickets were two years old, according to Judge Connor.  The defendant just wanted to "take care of them now," so he pled guilty to 3 charges, without a plea deal.  The total was over $200, which the defendant said he would pay right away, and out he went. 

At 10:00, after waiting for one hour, a defendant approached the bench with a 6 point ticket for Speeding In A Zone - doing 42 mph  in a 20 mph zone -- as well as an Uninspected Vehicle ticket.  These 2 tickets, according to the judge, were also 2 years old.  Connor instructed the speeder to "contact the DA's office to make a plea deal for a reduced charge."  The public defender handed the defendant the piece of paper with the instructions to apply for a plea deal on the County DA's website, and out of court he went to try to resolve his tickets elsewhere.  For the DA's office to consider reducing his charges, the speeder will have to send the DA's office, via the internet, among other things, a copy of each of his tickets and his DMV abstract --  2 years after being pulled over for running a stop sign. 

How many other simple traffic tickets in Hudson City Court are  unresolved years after they were issued?  Can anyone wait 5 years to ask the DA's office to reduce the charge on a traffic violation?  How about 10 years?  How about "this is friggin' ridiculous!"