If you are accused of driving with a suspended license, you probably shouldn't show up to a virtual court hearing while driving.
  • gregorum@lemm.eeEnglish
    674·
    6 months ago

    On one hand, yes this was terribly stupid.

    One the other, I understand why people are forced to drive under desperate circumstances to get to work, doctors appointments, etc. because public transit in most places is so bad it’s worthless.

    • nocturneEnglish
      171·
      6 months ago

      I lost my license years ago because I could not pay my child support because of a work injury. I had no option but to continue driving. Then almost did not get a new job because I did not have a license. It was a vicious circle. 11 years after no longer having child support it is still effecting me, one state suspended my license because I was driving on a suspended license (but I was never notified) and even though another state gave me a license when I moved, they also suspended my license (again without notification).

      • Today@lemmy.worldEnglish
        9·
        6 months ago

        My daughter went through this - Lost her license at 17, continued to drive, and each year got caught resulting in another year of suspended license. This went on for about 7 years. She finally went to the court and asked for a hardship license. It was a pain in the ass because she had to keep a log with her that documented every trip and her insurance was crazy expensive, but after a year of that, she got her license back. It sucks, but in the end paying a couple hundred dollars and going through the real process with the courts for a year was much cheaper than continuing to pay bail and tow fees.

            • BorgDrone@lemmy.oneEnglish
              21·
              6 months ago

              Here everyone just uses a bicycle. We don’t even let children drive and it’s a non-issue.

              • Today@lemmy.worldEnglish
                5·
                6 months ago

                That’s not really an option here because of distance, weather, and infrastructure. You could do it, but it would mean riding in a regular traffic lane. It’s more common in urban areas or small towns. We have bike paths in my suburban area, but they’re mostly used for fun (behind houses, around a lake, through a park, …). We sometimes ride to get a coffee or to the library, but it’s mostly a fun afternoon activity, not a quick way to run errands or get to work/school.

                • BorgDrone@lemmy.oneEnglish
                  2·
                  6 months ago

                  As a Dutch person I can’t imagine how you can live like that. My bike is my primary mode of transportation and it’s infinitely more convenient than using my car. It’s faster to get around, you can actually ride into the city center and park your bike right outside any shops you need to go to. With a car you need to park it at the edge of the shopping district and walk everywhere (while paying an absolute fortune for parking).

                  Even when the car is a little faster, I go by bike anyway. My parents live one city over and while it’s 20 minutes by car and 40 by bike, I’d rather cycle. Instead of sitting in a stuffy car on a boring road breathing in the exhaust fumes of the guy in front of me, I can ride my bike through the fields and woods, enjoy the fresh air and the sounds of nature. I go months between uses of my car.

          • tonarinokanasan@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
            2·
            6 months ago

            In many parts of the US it’s typical to start driving several years earlier than that, and realistically there is no way to get anywhere other than by car. Until kids can drive, they might quite literally be unable to go anywhere or do anything without an adult to drive them. It’s sprawl to an absurd degree.

            Even where bikes could theoretically be used from a distance perspective, it would likely be way more dangerous and way less practical (no bike lanes and every road is full of cars, no bike parking, you’re never getting to a bike shop for repairs without a car, …)

  • ryathal@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    35·
    6 months ago

    This might be a dumber move than the guy facing domestic violence charges calling in from the same house as the defendant.

  • Gigan@lemmy.worldEnglish
    322·
    6 months ago

    Yeah, that was a dumb move but it shows how unreasonable driving alternatives are. People have to drive in the US

  • jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    27·
    6 months ago

    I’m sure every attorney has stories about clients where they’ve wondered, “how can you be this fucking stupid?”

    But at what level do you go, “you know what? I’m done practicing law. I didn’t go to law school and pass the bar so I could manage a fucking circus. I’m going to be a sheep farmer because sheep might be dumb but at least they don’t show up virtually to their hearing for driving on a suspended license WHILE DRIVING ON A SUSPENDED LICENSE!” Angrily swipes everything off the desk

  • paddirn@lemmy.worldEnglish
    282·
    6 months ago

    “Yo, Judge, is this gonna—man, fuck you bitch, I got the right of way motherfucker!—Sorry, like I was saying, is this gonna take a long time? I got places I got to be man, I mean, you’re honorific, sir—Man, fuck off cunt, you ain’t got no room to fit that shit here, wait your turn bitch!—Excuse that, I uhh, I rest my case, thank you.”