He wasn’t driving drunk, he didn’t hit anyone, but he might still go to jail

[DogPoundPup]

It was only months later, when Ritter-Clark got a summons in the mail, that he realized he was in any trouble.

He was so confused that he actually went down to the Mesa Police Department and looked at a copy of the police report. It was then that he realized he'd become a criminal defendant in the very case in which he had turned around to call 911.

And never mind what you heard in school about "innocent until proven guilty." From that point, it was up to Jacob Ritter-Clark to prove himself innocent.
http://phoenixnewtimes.com/2008-07-10/news/he-wasn-t-driving-drunk-he-didn-t-hit-anyone-but-he-might-still-go-to-jail/full

:wtf:

[Clark2008]

1. Racing? In a Toyota Corolla?

Not to make light of this story, but :rofl:

That alone should clear him. New rims do not horsepower make.

[gatorboy]

Never seen those Toyota Corolla drift races?

A thing of beauty! :)

[opihimoimoi]

2. The System Gone BONKERS......Its all fucked up...good is evil and evil wins

Its a sucky world alright

[Captain Angry]

3. Hopefully this gets enough notice that a real lawyer gets involved pro bono.

That's insane.

[jmowreader]

4. A few weeks ago, I asked you guys what was the most important downticket race in America

My answer was, Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona. This poor guy just happens to have the extreme misfortune of living in Joe Arpaio's county.

You remember Joe: the man who says he wants the fullest jails in America, who runs a fucking tent city prison, who treats his charges...well, I was going to say "like cattle" but there are laws preventing people from treating cattle the way Arpaio treats prisoners.

They're going to railroad Jacob Ritter-Clark to satisfy Arpaio's weird sexual urges. His ass needs to be removed from office--whether it's because Saban trounces his sorry ass in November or President Obama opens an investigation against the MCSO is immaterial.

[Truth4Justice]

11. Joe Arpaio is a piece of shit who never read the Constitution. Put 50 year old people out in 130F

degree heat. Thats cruel and unusual punishment, plain and simple.

[Romulox]

27. Sheriffs don't decide whether or not to charge someone or prosecute cases. nt

[Indenturedebtor]

5. I got a DUI here in Tucson last year.

My designated driver who I knew from work dissapeared when I came out of the bathroom. Had only had 3 beers (scouts honor) and was .01 over the legal limit. Made an "illegal merge" by shifting into the left lane a hundred yards beyond the light.

Wanted to take the plea right away and move on with my life. Couldn't afford to miss a hundred work days to mess with it. Judge basically forced me to get a public defender, told me that I might not have to pay for it, but I couldn't get assurances that I wouldn't have to... couldn't afford it. No one would answer me as to the criteria for deciding whether or not I could afford it, but the judge insisted repeatedly that I get one.

Went through 4 public defenders in 2 months as they kept on switching offices/divisions/etc. Not one showed up for any appearances, I finally had one meeting with my "lawyer" and she basically told me to accept the plea.

They added 800 dollars onto my fines for my public "defense".

The system is broken.

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. My eyes bleed for you.

I'm disgusted with the entire legal system. They're allowing entire communities to go crooked.

[Marrah_G]

16. Maybe you should have waited until driving then

I lost 2 friends as a teen to dd. I had a 14 year old cousin run down on his bike and killed by one a few years back. I myself was almost killed by one who left me to die as he ran from the scene. I have permanent injuries.

Just wait an hour or two next time. Most people who drive drunk think they are fine, until something happens.

Okay lecture over.

[Indenturedebtor]

22. Well I should hve gotten a cab. They get you here for sleeping in your car so that's not an

option. I'm sorry for all of that trauma in your life. I really wasn't anything more than buzzed - matter of fact I was well below the old legal limit which should tell you something.

[Marrah_G]

24. I know, and I was't trying to be bitchy, just want you to be careful

It is absurd that they would hassle someone for drinking off a buzz instead of driving. What a stupid rule.

[Indenturedebtor]

25. Lol now you're just being sarcastic :P

Or you meant to say sleeping off a buzz, but that was really funny.

I don't go out anymore period hehe. Money is too tight and the bars down here suck anyways!

[Marrah_G]

26. oops!

I totally meant sleeping off a buzz.

[Indenturedebtor]

30. It was pretty damn funny though "Drinking off a buzz" lol... I thought bush stole your avatar n/t

[Regret My New Name]

36. Get you for sleeping in your car?

What is the reasoning behind that?

[fishwax]

6. k/r

:wtf:

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

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[BreweryYardRat]

8. Fucking charming.

The phrase "gross miscarriage of justice" springs to mind.

These officials (judge, cops, prosecutors, public defender) need to be shit-canned. And I wouldn't shed a fucking tear if concerned citizens strung them up.

Edit: How many people -- from now on -- are going to die in accidents when they might have lived, because witnesses were too scared of getting railroaded like this to call 911?

[Dr.Phool]

18. Shit Canned?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

With talent like this, they'll be in Congress next year. 2010 at the latest.

[Truth4Justice]

10. Maricopa County, AZ: Home of Sadist-Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his woman chain gangs and 130F Tent City!

Glad I don't live anywhere near that unjust freak of nature, wearing a badge.

[lala_rawraw]

13. this happened to my cousin

she reported a fire she saw while driving my other cousin home from a party. she pulled over and called the fire dept. she even waited for them to arrive. next thing she knows she is arrested. the fire dept found gasoline all over the building. strangely, they did not find any on my cousin, my other cousin, or their car, considering the amount of gasoline on the building. they also seemed to not care much that at the time of the fire, the cousin they were charging was with the other cousin that they were not charging, and both were no where near the building, but in fact at a party where lots of people saw them.

the DA offered her a deal. she said nope, did not do it and won't take the plea. i am not sure how the jury was instructed, but my cousin was found guilty and went to prison. nearly 20 years later, after she had already served time for a crime she did not commit, she was kidnapped by ICE and held for days while we were frantically looking for her. she did not get a lawyer or a phone call. she did not commit a crime. she is being targeted for committing a felony some 20 years ago, for which she served time (for a crime she did not commit). in a messed up legal disaster, because she is a legal resident, she is subject to deportation retroactively... mkay? she is now being deported, even though she has lived in the US for 30 years. all this because she saw a fire and called the authorities. so you see a fire? keep on fucking driving.

[EFerrari]

14. That's so crazy. And I bet it happens all the time.

Once my ex was so out of it during one of his bouts, he fell and cut his head. I called 9/11 because he was bleeding really good and, they arrested me. Charming. I had to call in "sick" to my section at Berkeley from the lockup.

And, the best part is if they decide they made a booboo, there is no apology, nothing. In fact, they make you sign a paper that says you were never arrested.

Here in San Francisco, they have an office at the Hall of Justice dedicated to fixing these bad arrests and they spend most of their time telling people they can't help them. :crazy:

[DCKit]

15. Wow!!! Sounds like you guys are saying "Don't Snitch".

I had my own revelation in January and, now, the arrest record to prove it.

1) Don't call the police
2) Don't talk to the police
3) Don't stare at the police
4) Don't get caught taking pictures of the police
5) Repeat steps 1-4

But it's not fascism yet. :sarcasm:

[erpowers]

19. Don't Like the Thug Comment

I will not try to dispute that the guy who police are claiming Ritter-Clark assaulted was a thug. However, at the end of the article it seems the author is trying to claim that the guy does not deserve justice because he was a thug. I am not trying to say Ritter-Clark in guilty; I think he is innocent. However, everyone deserves a chance at justice. The real problem in this case are the lawyers. Any lawyer with a brain would have known that the lawyer for the county office needed to be asked about whether he had had in dealings with this case. If you take a simple paralegal or law class that is one of the things you learn; what can cause a conflict of interest. It was foolish for the Franklin lawyer to not make sure that the lawyer from the County Office had not dealt with the case. In addition, something needs to be done about the public defender system. Some of these lawyers do not seem to care and others seem to be swamped with too many cases to be able to do a good job on them.

Finally, I contend we need better laws dealing with driving rights. There is no reason that Hernandez guy should have been driving. He should have had his license revoked for at least a few years. Hopefully we can get some stricter driving laws throughout this country.

[MindPilot]

29. Stricter driving laws?!

We already have a guy here who is accused of racing because he happened to be on the same street as some dumbass who crashed.

Hell, you can hardly back out of your driveway without breaking some kind of traffic law. What more do you want?

[snappyturtle]

20. Very scary. I guess Ritter-Clark should have just driven on down

the road. Is that the lesson we're supposed to learn from this?

[Blue_Tires]

21. lol at this comment:

"So let me see if I read this right, Ms. Fenske (your so called diligent reporter) seems to feel that Mr Ritter Clark is getting railroaded by the judicial system. Ignoring the fact that the police usually don't waste time assigning blame to the not guilty, that Ritter-Clark had a tricked out Toyota Corolla that could probably do 150 miles per hour. That he very likely was guilty of drag racing and that the other person suffered very real very serious injuries???? Please ... next try to get me to believe in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. And then the defendant has the audacity to blame the public defenders office because Attorney Smiley (whom is sound like had just been assigend the case VERY RECENTLY) didn't call him back. I am sure that this twenty-something person has been molly coddled all his life by his very liberal parents and is now being given a very hard lesson in the realities of PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. This article made my blood boil. First off it is apparent that the journalist Ms. Fenske did not do her homework. Secondly she was mislead by this Ritter-Clark and was sold a major bill of goods. I cannot believe the editors of the NEW TIMES let this article make it to print let alone on the internet.
Meanwhile a very decent attorney is not given any recourse, and I am sure when all the facts are finally put out, that this rag will print a very small apology on the same page where they run the advertisements for "Adult Entertainment".
Mr. Smiley is owed a major apology, and this Ritter-Clark should be given a cell with a very large, very angry male...
If there is any justice in Arizona, that is exactly what will happen.
Ritter Clark I get a feeling you need to worry about the honeymoon ... after your honeymoon.
What a pathetic loser. If Ritter-Clark had involved my child in such a drag race incident, it isn't the court of law he would have to be worrying about
Sincerely
Tyler Durden"

=================
=================

usually the general public are much more sympathetic when it is a white person wronged by the legal system, but this guy is so far off the map it is laughable....

[lolly]

23. He signed his name "Tyler Durden?"

Another Fight Club wannabee--yeah, I'd expect rational argument from that!

[Romulox]

28. Any (remote?) chance that the kid was indeed drag racing?

If so, is the issue with making drag racing a crime in general? :shrug:

[MindPilot]

31. It's tough to say from the article.

The initial description of the incident makes it seem like the crash took place as soon as Hernandez left the intersection. But then there are witness who claim Ritter was "way over the speed limit" and that Hernandez car was weaving through traffic.

Without any physical evidence like skid marks or vehicle damage, they got nothing.

They are are jacking this guy for three reasons, he has a hot car, he is Hispanic and he is young. That makes him a criminal in the eyes of the pigs.

[Romulox]

32. "there are witness who claim Ritter was 'way over the speed limit'"...

That is some evidence that a crime has been committed. Whether it is enough or not, I cannot say.

But I don't see how one can categorically claim this guy to be innocent, and the prosecution racially motivated, based on the facts that we have. :shrug:

"They are are jacking this guy for three reasons, he has a hot car, he is Hispanic and he is young."

Flip that around for the sake of argument: being young, hispanic, and having a "hot car" isn't a defense to any crime...

[Greyhound]

33. Justice, health care, and education, are essential to the function of our nation and,

therefore, should not be profit driven. this is a minor, though very common, result of the injustice that is absolutely rampant here.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

34. Drag racing is a crime but this kid is being railroaded b/c he won't plead guilty like a good boy

The Maricopa County court system is majorly fucked up. The County Attorney is a moran named Andrew Thomas. They have this idiotic plea bargain policy where they won't compromise on anything so a large percentage defendents end up going to trial. The court system is, not surprisingly, logjammed. On top of that, he treats his prosecutors like shit so they are quitting in droves. Thomas' office has a staggering 40% acquittal rate in trials. That's practically unheard of for a prosecutor.

In the case of the article in the OP, the kid is probably innocent but that won't stop "Candy Andy" from trying to make an example, hence the prospect of a longer jail term than the drunk driving perp.

[Romulox]

35. Thanks for the insight.

I couldn't see any basis from the OP for everyone to categorically declare this kid "not guilty".