MI - Man, too poor to pay fishing fine, sent to jail

[Anti Federalist]

The law, in all it's majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor from begging in the streets, stealing bread and sleeping under bridges.



Man, too poor to pay fishing fine, sent to jail

http://boingboing.net/2011/08/09/man-too-poor-to-pay-fishing-fine-sent-to-jail.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+boingboing%2FiBag+%28Boing+Bo ing%29

Posted by Mark Frauenfelder on Tuesday, Aug 9th at 12:10pm
A story about a modern debtors' prison in Michigan.

Fish-FineKyle Dewitt spent three days in jail because he was too poor to pay a fishing fine. Last spring, Dewitt was ticketed and fined $215 for fishing smallmouth bass out of season (Dewitt disputes the charge).

But Dewitt, 19 years old with a fiancée and a nine-month-old son, lost his job at a grocery store in 2010 and has been out of work ever since. He couldn’t afford the $215 fine. Instead he offered to pay $100 up front, and repay the rest in a month. But Judge Raymond Voet of Ionia, Mich., refused. The judge sentenced Dewitt to three days in jail.

The American Civil Liberties Union paid to break Dewitt out. Now the group is suing on behalf of Dewitt and four others in Michigan who were jailed because they were too poor to pay misdemeanor fines.

“Long thought to be a relic of the 19th century, debtors’ prisons are still alive and well in Michigan,” Kary Moss, executive director of the Michigan ACLU, said in a press release. “Jailing our clients because they are poor is not only unconstitutional, it’s unconscionable and a shameful waste of resources.”

[Schiff_FTW]

I always thought the idea of requiring a license to fish was ridiculous. But people argue that the waterways are stocked. OK, so now apparently you need a license to fish in the ocean as well. Are they stocking the ocean too? :rolleyes:

[Icymudpuppy]

Subsistence hunting, trapping, wood gathering, fishing, etc should be legalized.

Of course private property owners have the right to allow such people on their land or not, but public land should be open.

Of course, to prevent abuse by people who may be just sport hunters or poachers... As long as there is public land, takers of said game should have to prove it is in fact for subsistence use.

[Anti Federalist]

I always thought the idea of requiring a license to fish was ridiculous. But people argue that the waterways are stocked. OK, so now apparently you need a license to fish in the ocean as well. Are they stocking the ocean too? :rolleyes:

Perfect example of incrementalism.

First it was commercial guys.

Then it was everybody.

Soon it will be nobody.

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

Going to jail for hunting for food in MY AMERICA? I guess the correct route was for him to go to Billy Jay's supermarket and buy some nice genetically altered salmon.

[V4Vendetta]

ataboy judge - teach that young father a lesson - JAIL TIME

[HOLLYWOOD]

Meanwhile massive "CRONE CORPORATE" commercial fisherman/fishing fleets are raping the seas of fish, crustaceans, Flipper and Shamu to extinction.

So, with all the ".gov time, resources, energy, transportation, police state, incarceration, yotta yotta, how much is this fishing violation going to cost the taxpayers?

Let me guess... at least 1,000x's more than the fine.

[AFPVet]

The government wants people to eat out of their hands and not fend for themselves—simply because when they control the food, the oil..., they control the people. Any ethical Judge would have seen that this person was fishing to eat... not fishing for sport—therefore nullifying the fine.

[VBRonPaulFan]

I always thought the idea of requiring a license to fish was ridiculous. But people argue that the waterways are stocked. OK, so now apparently you need a license to fish in the ocean as well. Are they stocking the ocean too? :rolleyes:

You, sir, misunderstand. You shall not hunt on the kings land without first paying your tithes!

[evilfunnystuff]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg-X8HWAB1M

[Rothbardian Girl]

When are they going to put the government in jail for not paying its bills? Still waiting on that... :rolleyes:

[John of Des Moines]

I don't care if they're stocked. The fish I'm after is a wild fish and not stocked fish.

And the judge is an fine example of what a judge should not be.

[Humanae Libertas]

When are they going to put the government in jail for not paying its bills? Still waiting on that... :rolleyes:

This and rep for you.

[GunnyFreedom]

Dammit :mad:

I'll be searching, but if anybody finds a better source than boingboing (better for sharing with blue-pillers, I don't mean better for reporting truth) let me know. This needs to go out to my 2061 Tweeps, 2268 FBers and 239 G+ ers as yet another demonstration of why government is bad.

[Anti Federalist]

Dammit :mad:

I'll be searching, but if anybody finds a better source than boingboing (better for sharing with blue-pillers, I don't mean better for reporting truth) let me know. This needs to go out to my 2061 Tweeps, 2268 FBers and 239 G+ ers as yet another demonstration of why government is bad.

ACLU press release seems to be the originator.

Don't know if that will help.

http://www.aclumich.org/issues/poverty/2011-08/1599

[GunnyFreedom]

http://www.sentinel-standard.com/features/x181931876/-Pay-or-stay-ACLU-fights-for-alternatives-for-poor

http://www.freep.com/article/20110811/OPINION01/108110415/Editorial-Pay-jail-sentencing-an-injustice-poor?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

http://www.detnews.com/article/20110804/METRO/108040463/1409/METRO

Some "newsy" links for sharing with those not yet broken free from the prison of status quo...

[GunnyFreedom]

ACLU press release seems to be the originator.

Don't know if that will help.

http://www.aclumich.org/issues/poverty/2011-08/1599

Ugh, yeah, that and the three links I just posted are more about ACLU presser for their activities than this poor guy's plight. :(

Major problem being that the ACLU is just as often on the wrong side of the fight as the right side, and most GOPers only see the one side and not the other. Inspiring knee-jerks will not help the cause. dammit.

[GunnyFreedom]

I was able to post the Detroit News article, and added the ACLU caveat that permits conservatives to digest it.

[Acala]

The permits required by the state having nothing whatsoever to do with managing game. It is ALL about control. Want proof?

Here in Arizona, there are several species of non-native animal considered to be invasive and destructive of native species. The bullfrog and the crayfish are two examples. Arizona sportsmen are warned at every turn about not spreading these unwanted invaders species into uncontaminated waters.

But to take bullfrog or crayfish you need a license. Hahahaha!

It is all about control.

[Carehn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg-X8HWAB1M
+ rep for posting a TRUE libertarian. Not family friendly, not sober, not in a tux. Just a real libertarian not using the word out of context.

[Carehn]

And i thought there where no debtor prisons any more.
http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/Archive/Images/Rake701.jpg

[ghengis86]

Meanwhile massive "CRONE CORPORATE" commercial fisherman/fishing fleets are raping the seas of fish, crustaceans, Flipper and Shamu to extinction.

So, with all the ".gov time, resources, energy, transportation, police state, incarceration, yotta yotta, how much is this fishing violation going to cost the taxpayers?

Let me guess... at least 1,000x's more than the fine.

same with fresh (raw) milk. same with alternative medicine. same with just about every foodstuff or natural supplement. you WILL eat our coporate buddies subsidized, CAFOed, genetically altered, hormone and antibiotic laced food and drugs. you WILL NOT eat anything that you grow, farm, raise, barter or trade for, for yourself. We will rape the earth a million times over and get a fat government subsidy to do it. if you can't pay off the government like we can, fuck you, go directly to jail. that one fish just cost you your freedom.

[moostraks]

The government wants people to eat out of their hands and not fend for themselves—simply because when they control the food, the oil..., they control the people. Any ethical Judge would have seen that this person was fishing to eat... not fishing for sport—therefore nullifying the fine.
my thoughts as well...how frustrating and depressing

[PreDeadMan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg-X8HWAB1M

damn you beat me to it i was going to post this video but yeah stanhope hits it out of the park in that video lol

[TexanRudeBoy]

When are they going to put the government in jail for not paying its bills? Still waiting on that... :rolleyes:

+fucking one

I'm still waiting for the state to repay me for the injuries I sustained when a wild deer injured me. They made me pay for killing a wild boar without permission once......

[Dark_Horse_Rider]

When are they going to put the government in jail for not paying its bills? Still waiting on that... :rolleyes:

Excellent insight.

And to think these guys are being paid fat salaries by us !!!

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

+fucking one

I'm still waiting for the state to repay me for the injuries I sustained when a wild deer injured me. They made me pay for killing a wild boar without permission once......

Yeah, if the FED owns the animals too now, they owe me about a dozen tomatoes, this chipmunk keeps eating mine. It's.... stealing! It didn't have a permit. But then again, I'll probably go to jail for not dusting my tomato plants with agent orange.

[Dark_Horse_Rider]

Yeah, if the FED owns the animals too now, they owe me about a dozen tomatoes, this chipmunk keeps eating mine. It's.... stealing! It didn't have a permit. But then again, I'll probably go to jail for not dusting my tomato plants with agent orange.

you guys got me laughing over here