unreasonable punishment?

[B5worker]

What is the name of your state? NC

A co-worker of mine tells me today that her son got a safety inspection ticket and went to court this week to show he had since got his vehicle inspected. He arrived 10 mins late and I'm assuming was slapped with contempt of court and was slapped with $15,000 secured bond and was classified as a flight risk.

I asked if he had any prior criminal background and was told he didn't even have a speeding ticket to his name. Even the bonding company was shocked at the situation.

What do you do in a situation like this?

 

[Just Blue]

What is the name of your state? NC

A co-worker of mine tells me today that her son got a safety inspection ticket and went to court this week to show he had since got his vehicle inspected. He arrived 10 mins late and I'm assuming was slapped with contempt of court and was slapped with $15,000 secured bond and was classified as a flight risk.

I asked if he had any prior criminal background and was told he didn't even have a speeding ticket to his name. Even the bonding company was shocked at the situation.

What do you do in a situation like this?

Based on the accuracy of your third hand information...The son should hire an attorney.

 

[Taxing Matters]

What is the name of your state? NC

A co-worker of mine tells me today that her son got a safety inspection ticket and went to court this week to show he had since got his vehicle inspected. He arrived 10 mins late and I'm assuming was slapped with contempt of court and was slapped with $15,000 secured bond and was classified as a flight risk.

Something more than just being 10 minutes late to the hearing was responsible for that. Her son may not have told her everything and in any event you are hearing the information third hand. Best thing he can do at this point is get a lawyer. If he or his family can post bond for him that would be helpful too. Of course, if he fails to appear at any other mandatory court appearances the property put up for the bond may be lost.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state? NC

A co-worker of mine tells me today that her son got a safety inspection ticket and went to court this week to show he had since got his vehicle inspected. He arrived 10 mins late and I'm assuming was slapped with contempt of court and was slapped with $15,000 secured bond and was classified as a flight risk.

I asked if he had any prior criminal background and was told he didn't even have a speeding ticket to his name. Even the bonding company was shocked at the situation.

What do you do in a situation like this?

Is there any chance that he is an undocumented immigrant?...or might have the same name as one? The way things are going these days that could possibly be an issue. Disgustingly so, but an issue.

 

[RJR]

The facts as simply stated would not warrant such a sanction, unless the Judge is a complete idiot. If the defendant was a flight risk, he most probably knew it due to the charges. Such a person is not likely to hand the court a key to his own cell by appearing.

 

[B5worker]

I'll ask some more questions but I told them that if he was rude or something more than this he would the result and I've met her son and I'm not saying its out of the question but I was shocked hes a good kid.

no hes not undocumented and is US born as is probably about 100 years worth of family.

 

[Just Blue]

I'll ask some more questions but I told them that if he was rude or something more than this he would the result and I've met her son and I'm not saying its out of the question but I was shocked hes a good kid.

no hes not undocumented and is US born as is probably about 100 years worth of family.

I read and reread this several times and still not sure what you were trying to say...Could you clarify please?

 

[Taxing Matters]

I'll ask some more questions but I told them that if he was rude or something more than this he would the result and I've met her son and I'm not saying its out of the question but I was shocked hes a good kid.

Being rude doesn't get a kid locked up on $15,000 bond. If he's rude to the judge, what generally happens is that the judge will give him a warning to be respectful or face contempt sanctions. If the kid was rude after that, the judge may slap him with a fine or lock him up for some specific period of time, like 24 hours or whatever. But none of that involves a bond. A bond occurs when the person is charged with a crime and the court needs to impose bond as a way to insure that the defendant will appear for future court proceedings.

He was going to court on an expired vehicle inspection from the sound of it. That's something that is generally handled in just one hearing. He shows up, argues his case, and either the judge upholds the charge and imposes the fine or the judge acquits him. So something else happened here. Either they found a warrant for his arrest on other charges or he did something in court other than just be rude that amounted to a crime.

You or his mother can go to the court and look up the case file and see what's there. You might end up surprised by what you find there. Some courts have access to that information online.

 

[NeilTheCop]

Judges are given guidelines for setting bond amounts depending on the severity of the crime and the potential length of incarceration upon conviction.
Pages 8 to 11 will give you an idea
https://www.nccourts.gov/assets/documents/local-rules-forms/1718.pdf?jj3ZzoH0CJdLqRL64YO1ynbENSdxR398

 

[justalayman]

Is it possible he did something really stupid like showed up to the courthouse with an illegal weapon or drugs on his person? He wouldn’t be the first person to not realize that might be an issue.


As the others have said, and especially since this was a fix it ticket for a safety issue with his car, the bond issue is way beyond being part of the original issue. There has to be more to the story. You need to ask what the kid is charged with.

 

[commentator]

Since this is pretty much third hand information, of course we can do very little with it. The mom, if she wants to help her son will get him an attorney. I will venture that in my life I have many times noticed that people who are hysterical and worried and not very good at math will hear something like $15,000 when it's really $1500. There is also an outstanding possibility that this son is attempting to extort money from his mother by flat out lying about what happened to him in court. In any case, OP and mom should do some research before they swallow this fish tale.