jennings rampage

An update on legal action against me.

May 3rd, 2006 | by Scott Jennings |

In the State of North Carolina vs. Scott Jennings:

• A couple of days after Christmas, I got tagged for speeding on the 15-501 out by Southern Village. It was bad bad speeding — late at night all by myself at the end of the month on a highway where construction just ended — every rule of speeding broken. He said he tagged me for 59 in a 35, which is bullshit, because the speed limit there is 45, and if there’s such a thing as an illegal speed limit (which I think there is), a 35 there would be one. He wrote me up for 55 in a 45 though, to “give me a break.” The trial was set for April, and I got a continuance until yesterday. I showed up at 8am (since long-time readers will recall that I now represent myself in court at all times), and the prosecutor’s intern who checked me in was none other than DSI favorite DJ PJ, who seems to be a law student by day. Anyhow, the prosecutor offered to reduce the charge to “improper equipment,” which is an imaginary bullshit charge designed for just this case. The bad news: the fine for improper equipment is actually higher than the fine for speeding. The good news: it’s not a moving violation, so no points. DJ PJ came by after I sat down in the courtroom to make sure I was taken care of, and I asked him quietly how I could find out if the cop who tagged me was here to point the finger (which is why I got a continuance in the first place). He told me that if I wanted a trial, they’d call the police station, and he’d just come right over. Fuck. I forget I live in Mayberry sometimes. DJ PJ made like he’d go make the call if I wanted, probably because it’d be the most fun he’d have all day, but I said I’d take my plea arrangement. $160 in idiot tax, and now I’m done with it.
• When I fell into the roadblock in Greenville and got tagged for expired registration and inspection, I thought I was pretty well fucked. The cop who wrote me up said that if I got it all taken care of and took my receipts to the Pitt County DA, they’d probably drop it entirely. Yeah right. So the night before my court date, I realize that my court date is the next day in Greenville, and I’ve done nothing to take care of anything. I call the court the next morning, invent a story about throwing out my back (inviting my ironically-detached God to take care of that for me), and they tell me no problem, just come in when I can to reschedule. Do they even need my name? Nope. So I spend the day paying taxes and getting new stickers and getting an inspection done, and go to Greenville two days later armed with a short stack of receipts. Up to the office, the prosecutor sighed a little when she saw that my court date came and went, but took my receipts, photocopied them, handed them back, and said, “have a nice weekend.” I’m all set? “I said, have a nice weekend.” Done and done.

Not bad, all considered. Thanks, justice system!