This story is about an Alabama city contracting out to a private probation service to collect late fines for something as innocuous as expired license plate tags. In some states, like Alabama, they have debtor’s jails for offenses such as these, even though the high court ruled that illegal a while ago. The interesting thing here is the couple with the expired tags were initially found not guilty by the court after it found out that the couple’s late son, then living, was in the hospital and that they frequently were visiting him — so circumstances were shown to be dire. However, the probation service levied fines at them anyway (the court said money was owed but they were found not guilty, wtf) as a pair since they’re married. After paying some of the fines, the couple sued the private probation service and since then have not been contacted by the service.
I wonder if my old bank will ever go after me for the money I owe them for accidentally charging one too many items on debit a few times. This is Oregon, that’ll never happen I say. During tough times you never know what they’ll do to make a buck, or settle some score..
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/without-funds-pay-fines-minor-incidents-can-mean-jail-time/
nickwinlund 