making donation to charity to get off the hook in court

Andy From Sligo

I follow the court notes in the local paper every now and again and a lot of the time an awful lot of people are spared a custodial sentence or fine if the perpetrator agrees to pay an amount of money to a charity - what are your views on it?
Here's prime example of our local judge dishing out his verdicts on some cases:
http://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligochampion/news/driver-caught-speeding-three-times-in-one-night-30769570.html

Tombi!

Someone once offered to donate five euro to the Santa Strike Force if Gordon unbanned him.
My views are: they're eejits and have no character.
Wait, I misread.

Seems fair if it's on a case byy case basis

Tony Beetroot

money talks

byhookorbycrook

At least we are spared the prison costs.

silverfeather

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

I follow the court notes in the local paper every now and again and a lot of the time an awful lot of people are spared a custodial sentence or fine if the perpetrator agrees to pay an amount of money to a charity - what are your views on it?
Here's prime example of our local judge dishing out his verdicts on some cases:
http://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligochampion/news/driver-caught-speeding-three-times-in-one-night-30769570.html

Doing good does not make you a good person but doing bad makes you a bad person. Sucky.

They should be given a huge fine which actually goes to charity .Charity and speeding are separate. The donation does not make them a safer driver. They could really hurt someone. And it's actually for their own benefit they could hurt themselves.

blatantrereg

It's an expression of contrition.

Only glanced at the link, but prison for 83kmph in a 60kmph zone or for robbing a packet of biscuits might be excessive anyway.

Andy From Sligo

any deterrent? - if others read this in the papers and think "ah well sure if i get caught for something like speeding or no nct/tax i will more than likely get off with paying a donation" - then is this sending out the right messages. Also if paying out a small fine is 'cheaper' than say getting tax insurance or nct on your car isnt that going to cause people to take chances? - shouldnt it be a huge fine so that it would look more appealing for people to keep on the right side of the law?

Tony Beetroot

You need to look at the bigger picture Andy, when murderers and rapists are only getting petite sentences how can one get punished big for not paying a tax fine or speeding fine?

harry Bailey esq

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

any deterrent? - if others read this in the papers and think "ah well sure if i get caught for something like speeding or no nct/tax i will more than likely get off with paying a donation" - then is this sending out the right messages. Also if paying out a small fine is 'cheaper' than say getting tax insurance or nct on your car isnt that going to cause people to take chances? - shouldnt it be a huge fine so that it would look more appealing for people to keep on the right side of the law?

Charitable donations don't really apply in road traffic offences like the ones you mention above,you get fined for those,and if you do it again you'll certainly be convicted. Monies paid to the court 'poor box' are not fines.No blemish on your record.The get handed out by judges for minor public order offences mainly, where he or she deems the defendant unlikely to re-offend.

Andy From Sligo

its strange - you would think the judge would throw the 2euro stolen pack of biscuits case out of court but he adjourned it to another date!

Tony Beetroot

Milkado's biscuits theft is serious.

Collie D

I like the speeder saying she didn't know the speed camera van was there.

Andy From Sligo

Tony Beetroot wrote: »

Milkado's biscuits theft is serious.

mikado's are Sh*te

Andy From Sligo

so, some bloke got a fine of €100 euro for having no tax .... in that case its cheaper his fine was cheaper than if he had to get tax? (presuming he was driver around for a year or more without vehicle tax)

Atlantic Dawn

It's either a charity contribution if you have cash or a violin story of drug or alcohol addiction to get you off if you don't, both work equally well.

Atlantic Dawn

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

It's either a charity contribution if you have cash or a violin story of drug or alcohol addiction to get you off if you don't, both work equally well.

Drug or alcohol addiction not a great defence for the speeding type offences!

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

Someone once offered to donate five euro to the Santa Strike Force if Gordon unbanned him.

It was €188 and fcuk me did that backfire on him. Taking the pish out of a worthwhile cause that's close to the hearts of the people who run this site wasn't the wisest move anyone's ever made.

Emsloe

If it's for a sort of 'victimless crime' then why not. If it's for burglary, assault etc. then go ahead, once it's in tandem with a custodial sentence or similar.

LDN_Irish

Flicking through that court section of the Indo and a chap got fined 500 euro for breaking 2 car windows and a sitting room window and threatening to kill the occupants of the house. Another chap was fined 300 euro for having a tenners worth of weed on him.

Irish justice.

Special Circumstances

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Drug or alcohol addiction not a great defence for the speeding type offences!

I don't think they are offered as a defence, it's more of an endorsement of the defendants ability to become a regular cash cow of the justice system.

"Here judge, don't go too hard on this fella and we can each get 4 more pay cheques out of him this year, no point in giving a sentence or fine that might make him follow through on this miraculous turning over a new leaf story I've spun, slap on the wrist you know yourself. See you at the 19th hole?"

captainfrost

It should be part of their punishment for tax crime.

Depraved

Could someone do me a favour please and drop down to the courthouse? And when the option if donating to charity comes up, please mention www.gofundme.com/nathanialsurgery

smash

It's a load of bollox. Caught with weed or coke? Donation gets you off without a conviction! Don't pay a parking ticket or TV license? Fine plus possible prison time.

You only get off with a donation if the state aren't losing out.