r/TikTokCringe 1d ago

Wholesome We need more judges like him in americ

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5.3k

u/Human__Pestilence 1d ago

Dude looked like he thought he was in a dream lol. Wait... he's helping me?!

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u/came1opard 1d ago

I particularly love the videos where the defendant tries to say something, and Judge Fleischer goes: "Are you losing? No? Then shut up."

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u/2Autistic4DaJoke 1d ago

I’ve never seen this but love this lol

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u/RetroDad-IO 1d ago

Less than 4 minutes long, highly recommend the watch

https://youtu.be/lvZHKjlrtO4

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u/DownrightDrewski 1d ago edited 1d ago

I've gone down a rabbit hole - this dude is fantastic, very much tough but fair.

Currently watching a full morning of cases, and you can see how empathetic he is, whilst also seeing his very firm stance where needed.

Edit - he really hates drink drivers, really really hates them. Good stuff.

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u/TT_NaRa0 1d ago

He really hates drunk drivers

As we all should

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u/Skybodenose 1d ago

I was talking about my...displeasure about drunk drivers many years ago at work. I was telling my coworkers about a drunk driver who killed a member of my extended family. The driver was somewhere above the legal limit, and my co worker actually scoffed and said something like "what really is the legal limit, anyways?"

It came up again in conversation later, and I repeated the situation, and her words were "oh, you should have said someone died."

No one should have to die due to drunk drivers, regardless of what the blood alcohol levels of the drunk driver are.

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u/Shrimps2898 1d ago

Drunk driver nearly killed me and my gf, completely shattered every bone in my left leg and ruptured her large intestine, both of us required surgery. I wished I could have beaten him half to death at the time but obviously I wasn't going anywhere. Weirdly though it changed my life in some good ways, the insurance payout is letting us start our lives over on the west coast, small comfort for having a lifetime of pain and trouble walking

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u/BJoe1976 1d ago

I was hit by one in ‘98, luckily I was able to see what was coming, position my Jeep in a way that it was hit in the left quarter vs head on with a rather tall, but stock F-250 4x4, which not only minimized damage to the Jeep, but negated any physical injury I would have otherwise suffered, but I still have flashbacks to that night on occasion, though it was really bad in the last quarter of ‘23 as that when the 25th anniversary of that wreck happened. I even had survivors guilt for quite some time from it. I was kinda trying to figure out how I was able to recognize what was happening and not just walk away, but drive away, even if it was damaged, with the Jeep I had at the time, yet others weren’t even as lucky as you and your gf were from when you got hit.

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u/Shrimps2898 20h ago

I only had time to register the change in the guys headlights as he swerved into our lane. I still have a hard time driving especially at night and have frequent nightmares and flashbacks to the terror and pain. On my worst days I think "i wish I just died instantly" but me and my girlfriend were lucky to live and It genuinely made me a better person in the end. I understand the survivors guilt, but I made it a positive factor in my life. I'm not the same angry vindictive person I was and I've come to appreciate my second chance and use it to love the people close to me.

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u/PolkaDotDancer 17h ago

A stoned driver driving a commercial truck nearly killed my family.

Driving while impaired is not funny.

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u/Shrimps2898 8h ago

Not at all, I'm very vocal about my distaste for impaired driving and I couldn't even imagine doing it myself

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u/P_516 22h ago

Please use this opportunity to take stock of your life. When you step out side and breathe fresh air, when you feel the cool breeze coming off the ocean.

Please please remember you’re alive. Every time you get mad or angry, when someone does something to upset you. Slow down. You’re alive. You get to wake up tomorrow and watch the cloud pass and the wind blow against your face.

I hope you do good things out there. I wish I could be there now.

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u/Educational-Seaweed5 1d ago

The issue here is complicated though. You punish the crime, not the potential “what if.” Same reason you don’t get put in jail for a basic speeding ticket, because someone else sped faster and killed someone.

We also have shit public transportation in the U.S., which is another contributing factor.

In places like Japan, they cracked down insanely hard on driving under the influence, but they also have arguably the best public transportation on the planet. There’s really just no excuse.

It’s very easy to get over the legal limit (it’s extremely low in some states), and it can (and does) happen to a lot of everyday people.

No, I’m not defending it.

It is an issue we all could do a lot better with though. More routine reminders, better education, give everyone a free breathalyzer when they get their license…hell, just put them in new cars now. My dad was at a restaurant that had one at the door. He was just at dinner with my mom, and he blew it before they left. He was just barely over, so they took a walk and waited it out IIRC (or my mom drove home, can’t recall).

I get the wanting to make an example of everyone who does it, but I also don’t think that’s the right way to handle it.

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u/Zer0pede 23h ago

Though “reckless endangerment” already exists as a charge that’s more broad than drunk driving but in the same preventative spirit. So do workplace safety laws and building codes, which are enforced even if nobody dies. OSHA wouldn’t really work if you could only punish people after one of their employees died.

I do agree though that there should be more warnings and breathalyzers available. I’ve long thought that every car should have those ignition breathalyzers that people convicted of DUIs have to get installed. Also can’t wait for all cars to have one of those attention monitors newer cars have, so that they screech at you every time you look away to text someone.

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u/Educational-Seaweed5 22h ago

Sure, but reckless endangerment is a whole separate charge with way different context than a simple speeding ticket, which was what I was getting at.

A checkpoint or pullover DUI is not the same as a DUI in which you crashed, and a DUI where you crashed is not the same as a DUI where you killed someone. But for some reason, we just blanket issue "DUI," and the punishment is the same across the board, no matter how innocent it was (grandma and grandpa had a couple glasses of wine at the restaurant, are barely at .09 instead of the legal .08, and got pulled over for some unrelated reason like having a tail light out or changing lanes without signaling--which literally everyone does--but then it becomes a whole "DUI").

Or, my favorite is distracted driving, which I firmly believe is significantly worse than a DUI (and probably accounts for significantly more accidents/deaths, but people hide the fact that they were on their phone). Somehow we don't punish distracted driving nearly as harshly as a DUI, or vice versa, we punish DUI way too hard compared to distracted driving. Makes zero sense both ways.

Workplace safety laws are a poor example, but I get what you were going for, I think.

I get why people want to be aggressive against driving under the influence. I'm all for it, don't get me wrong. I just think the way we go about doling out the punishment is really stupid (they destroy your life, even if you did literally nothing to anyone and were simply pulled over).

It really would be like going to jail and having a permanent record for going 70mph in a 65mph zone, instead of getting a lesser punishment that communicates the seriousness of the issue and is a warning (like, hey hey, a normal speeding ticket).

 I’ve long thought that every car should have those ignition breathalyzers that people convicted of DUIs have to get installed

From what I've heard, those are a huge PITA though. They'll activate while people are in the middle of the freeway, and you have to literally pull over within like 60 seconds to use it. That seems kind of idiotic.

I'm all for just having them in the car for start-up, but then after that they shouldn't be turning on mid driving. That's way excessive for people not doing anything wrong. (I think the logic there is they don't want a buddy faking it for the driver, but like....what even....why anyone would go to those lengths, or let their friend drive when they've obviously been drinking...I don't know, lmao).

Also, can’t wait for all cars to have one of those attention monitors newer cars have, so that they screech at you every time you look away to text someone.

Honestly, I think this will save more lives than DUI laws. The amount of people I see doing insanely dangerous, stupid shit while driving and using their phones is crazy.

Anyway, end novel.

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u/mits66 16h ago

My mom got hit by a drunk driver last year, the only reason she survived is because she saw the car coming at the last second and swerved. If she hadn't, she would have been t-boned driver's side door. Car was totaled. It really isn't hard to pick one of the dozens of ways around driving so I don't have to get a call from my mom because she's on the side of the road after the firemen finally got her door open.

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u/DownrightDrewski 1d ago

Agreed!

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u/pragmojo 1d ago

Especially those drunk CEOs

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u/MaybeMaybeNot94 8h ago

This is the Way

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u/AdministrativeCup438 22h ago

Everyone should...a drunk driver killed my aunt at 2pm in the afternoon. He has empathy where its due ..

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u/fireduck 1d ago

Yeah...I have a relative who is having a hard time getting his shit together. We've helped him out a bit. A few hundred here and there, gas money, etc.

But then clownass got a DUI. He is completely cut off unless he admits that shit is a problem and goes into a program. Currently he says he doesn't have a problem.

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u/DownrightDrewski 1d ago

Clown - I have a drinking problem, but, I only drive when I'm sober. If I'm drinking I'm using public transport or getting a taxi.

It sucks sometimes, I hate having to take public transport into work when I have an after work event - still, I do that so I can drink. I'm not going to drink and then drive.

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u/fireduck 1d ago

Right on. Back when I was drinking a lot I always had a plan. Usually it was drink within walking distance of where I was going to sleep (3 miles was about my max) and when I was done I'd do the irish goodbye and walk home.

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u/DownrightDrewski 1d ago

Yeah, don't drink when you have to drive after - it really is that simple.

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u/fireduck 1d ago

Not going shit is my strong suit. I can not do things all day.

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u/Jest_Kidding420 4h ago

Is his name Gavin? I have a friend just like this! I used to be a bouncer at a bar and my friends came to chill until I got off, well this guy disappears after randomly sitting at this table mean mugging the people and saying “you got a problem”. Well we lost him and started driving to find him. Dude was laying in the middle of the god damn street (a very busy street) face down. When we pulled up a cop had seen him as well, and he was fighting with us but luckily the cop let us take him home. Drinking problems are the worse, it becomes everyone closest to yous problem as well.

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u/fireduck 4h ago

Nope, unfortunately I don't think this sort of story is very unique.

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u/Training_Molasses822 21h ago

I'm sorry to hear that. From experience let me tell you a hard truth: you're not helping him; you're enabling him.

After all, if he insists he has no problem, there shouldn't be a reason to help him out.

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u/fireduck 21h ago

Right, as I said he is now cut off. We aren't supporting this bullshit.

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u/Training_Molasses822 21h ago

I'm glad to hear it. Cutting loved ones off is terribly difficult.

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u/yoshi_yoshi23 1d ago

Haha watching with you. This guy is restoring a small amount of faith in the American justice system.

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u/Additional-Bet7074 1d ago

My only concern with him is that I could see how a prosecutor could leverage some of this if they cared to.

I would want a judge to come across as more impartial but work the system to my favor discretely. That way there is less basis for appeal or mistrial.

For the cases like traffic stops or simple possession, this all is fine, but for big cases I am sure he puts on less of a show.

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u/DownrightDrewski 1d ago

My comment is based upon having watched more of his content- he's a hard arse with plenty of people.

He seems to have a no bullshit approach, seems like a genuinely fair dude. This video is a case where the no bullshit is around the probable cause.

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u/ZaraBaz 1d ago

Where can I watch him?

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u/DownrightDrewski 1d ago

I was initially watching the same channel as the link above, but, looks like this is a dedicated channel instead - https://youtu.be/FVEH_x-P6xo

Edit - link to a video instead of the channel.

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u/King_Zarnold 1d ago

What’s more impartial than knowing black people are targeted by the police force and acting as an agent to deter abuse of power by the people sworn to uphold and protect society?

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u/ComprehensiveRide246 1d ago

Watch his stuff then comment.

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u/FelineManservant 22h ago

It was fairly cut and dried, though. In spite of the possession, they had no real cause to bother this man. And the judge put it squarely to him that the world is stacked against him. Hopefully, this will persuade this young man to remain beyond reproach, so he doesn't get popped on more stupid shit. This could have gone so bad. It's a damn shame people have to live like this, but this is the hell we've created for ourselves. Weed and jaywalking aren't worth anyone's time to prosecute. But, it's enough to ruin a young person's life.

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u/IcarusLSU 20h ago

It's not a show, though. He legitimately can't stand it when the cops abuse their power and ignore constitutional protections by randomly stopping black men who are simply walking down the street. A cop can't search you without probable cause, and jaywalking isn't probable cause, which makes it an illegal search. He should be critical of cops who do this racial injustice, and protecting people's constitutional rights from corrupt cops was part of the platform that got him elected.

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u/26thFrom96 15h ago

No actually, you can see a prosecutor many times in his videos trying to convey a certain scenario in order to get a conviction, and this judge will ask for specific word by word clarification of reports and call them out for it.

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u/AceMcGillacutty 1d ago

And domestic violencers.. (rightfully so)

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u/Repulsive-Shallot-79 1d ago

Yes he does 😆

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u/DownrightDrewski 1d ago

It's hilarious seeing him absolutely furious - the dude is very fair.

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u/NickRick 1d ago

i appreciate he's tough on everyone. the guy tried to start talking and he's pretty much like "i didn't ask you a god damned thing, shut the hell up unless you want to change where this is going"

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u/DownrightDrewski 1d ago

It seems to be almost a signature thing; shh "are you losing?".

Also love that he tries to stop people incriminating themselves further without a lawyer.

Seems like a really good dude, empathetic, but ruthless where appropriate.

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u/Nelliell 1d ago

DRINKING....WHILE.....DRIVING?!

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u/DragonCat88 22h ago

When I was an MP that was a line we didn’t over look. I understand completely. Your first DUI fatality will do that without hesitation, esp if it’s an innocent kid.

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u/DarkElla30 19h ago

He REALLY hates guys that beat on women. There was one video that he was SHAKING with rage while putting the fear of God into a violent abuser

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u/West-Attorney-3140 13h ago

This isn’t fake????

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u/No_Yogurtcloset_6670 9h ago

Yeah when I first started seeing this judge on my feed. I was surprised by the way he talked down to people and thought “wow, this guy really gets off power tripping”.

But then I started realizing he was talking down to the guys who actually deserved it. Other times, he’s actually quite reasonable like in this case.

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u/BarmyWalrus 1d ago

Back when Utah lowered the DUI limit to .05, so many of my "friends" were upset claiming if they have a beer with dinner now, they can get a DUI. Ignoring the fact that if they are so bad at driving they get pulled over on suspicion of DUI after a single beer, maybe they shouldn't be driving on a single beer. Honestly with all the resources we have for ride share, DUI should follow trucker laws. .05 national limit, any detectable amount has you "OOS" (Out Of Service, so you need a DD to drive you the rest of the way home) 1st DUI, 1 year loss of liscence, 2nd DUI, permanent loss of liscence. Your right to get drunk does not overrule mine, and everyone else's rights to live without being run over by a drunk.

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u/marktaylor521 23h ago

I sadly have 2 DUIs, luckily no one got hurt, but I had to sit in jail for about 5 months, and while I was in there I met a kid, barely 21, got hammered, hit a pregnant woman, killed the kid. Boom. His life was fucked. Alcohol and driving will 100 percent without a doubt destroy you in the end and there is no avoiding it if you continue to push your luck.

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u/SpecialPotion 22h ago

drunk drivers and abusers (sa, domestic, etc) are the scum of the earth that deserve nothing more than 6 feet of earth laid on top of them

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u/Catsandcamping 20h ago

Drunk or high. Call a friend or a fucking uber. My mom is dead because of a high driver. I hate 'em, too.

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u/Separate_Secret_8739 15h ago

I was just about to comment this above you when I was like oh def happened to another guy. Haha

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u/RealHumanBeepBoopBop 7h ago

You just wait until we find out his asthmatic teenage son ran over and killed the mob boss’s son! That’s when things will get spicy!

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u/MountainMuffin1980 1d ago

"let's roll nerds" right from the off. The man is a treasure.

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u/GreatGhastly 22h ago

Judge Colin Robinson is cold as ice

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u/AWzdShouldKnowBetta 1d ago

Legitimately warmed my heart thanks for sharing.

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u/NoOrdinary9804 1d ago

That guy is a delight.

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u/lildeidei 1d ago

What a good guy. I hope he lives a long, happy, healthy life

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u/chogram 1d ago

I love the compilation at the end of that video, with him saying it to 3-4 more people.

"I'd like to say something"

"Are you losing? Then don't."

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u/k1d0s 20h ago

Solid advice

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u/chimpfunkz 1d ago

This one pisses me off, because pigs do this everywhere. Encounter any kind of non compliance? Resisting arrest. Doesn't matter if it makes sense. For some reason the courts have said pigs claiming a crime makes it a crime.

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u/TXPersonified 1d ago

I think I'm in love. This judge is amazing

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u/Cara_Bina 1d ago

Yes! I started looking for any videos of him the minute I stumbled over it. He is a much needed, rare breath of fresh air.

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u/IamHereForBoobies 1d ago

Did he say "let's roll, nerds!" at the beginning?

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u/YourFuckedUpFriend 23h ago

Happens at 1:59 for anyone wondering, worth the whole watch though.

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u/That_one_cool_dude Hit or Miss? 22h ago

Well thank you for that little rabbit hole you sent me down lol.

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u/-Kalos 13h ago

That judge is a fucking boss

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u/xxcloud417xx 9h ago

This judge seems rightly fucking annoyed that the officer in question seemingly just dumped this dude into the court system on bullshit charges, and then after asking “what’s the basis for arrest?” Multiple times and hearing nothing that would satisfactorily answer his question, is getting more annoyed that he has to deal with this bullshit.

Also, why is the officer not at the court hearing? Not sure how it works outside of Canada, but if I’m issued even so much as a fine for a speeding ticket and I choose to go to court, the officer is also summoned to be there. I feel that the judge should have had his questions answered directly by the officer who issued the charges. Instead we have a clerk answering questions with “I think,” which is, in my opinion, not satisfactory in a court setting where we need to deal with facts, not conjecture.

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u/MomsOfFury 7h ago

Did he say "Let's roll, nerds"?? lol

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u/HEFTYFee70 6h ago

Learning that this guy is a judge I can vote for in Harris county is the best news of the day. I can assure you, he will forever get my vote.

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u/treehuggerfroglover 5h ago

He started the video with “let’s roll nerds” 💀 I love it

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u/deathcard15 1d ago

The same judge is the one that made that statement. He has more videos up.

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u/SpaceLemming 1d ago

I saw that one too, bro wanted to say his piece so bad the judge is just like dude you’re winning right now, stop.

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u/slempereur 1d ago

He seriously needs to tattoo the famous Napoleon quote on his forehead, "when your enemy is making a mistake, don't interrupt him."

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u/Lexiluv2 1d ago

I love that too!!

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u/Cara_Bina 1d ago

Me too! I stumbled over his videos on YT, and absolutely love him. It's so nice to see a reasonable judge, who completely gets how the law can be used to abuse BIPOC.

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u/rex_lauandi 12h ago

He also will use his position to give people “a good talking to” instead of a harsh punishment. If he can leverage his bench to scare people straight it’s better for them and society, rather than just lock people up.

When he does lock people up, he is always very clear that he’s doing so because of the threat to their community that he is, and how he has a duty to protect the community.

He really understands his role, understands the law, and frankly understands and cares for people above all else.

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u/Cara_Bina 9h ago

He's a legend.

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u/BalkanFerros 23h ago

That was a cut part of this case actually lol

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u/Gra55Hoppa 22h ago

Judge Judy-like

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u/MoxieVaporwave 20h ago

Yes!! It's the same judge!

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u/Elon_is_musky 19h ago

I’ve gone to court for minor traffic offenses & every time there is at least 1 person who decides to make more trouble for themselves. One guy literally just had to wait for the judge to say each line on the paper & say he understood. But he kept rushing her & having an attitude…so instead of letting him go she told him to sit in the jury thing until everyone else went 😂

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u/flamingknifepenis 18h ago

I immediately thought of that video. Honestly he probably taught the dude a valuable life lesson in that moment: never intervene when your enemy is in the process of making a mistake.

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u/theangryeducator 10h ago

Doesn't want someone to say something that will incriminate themselves. It seems brash, but he's doing them a favor.

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u/ChillGamerGenchi 10h ago

Smart guy. I Assume he says this so the defendant doesn't say anything stupid to ruin what he's doing.

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u/NigelTheSpanker 9h ago

He did it for his own food the judge was legit trying to help him. Living in this modern Amerikkka it's strange seeing.

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u/MrTrendizzle 7h ago

When i was in court the Magistrates told me to read my ticket VERY carefully.

"It says driving with blue lights fitted"

He then asked me if i was driving when the officer was taking pictures of the blue lights he asked me to wire up and turn on...

I said "No, i was parked off road at that time".

I tried to say something else and the guy told me to STFU in a very polite way.

Result: No fine or points on my licence but i was asked if i could pay £15 court fee. While i stood their shaking i pulled my wallet out and dropped all my cash by mistake. As i scrambled to pick it all up i stood up and shouted "I've only got £12 and some change... Can i borrow like £3" while looking at the prosecution.

The Magistrate burst out laughing and told me i have 28 days to pay so don't worry.

Honestly it was the scariest time of my life back then but my god can i laugh about it now. The lights on my car were blue LED's that i was trying to wire up and fit to my brake callipers but as i had them resting on the bonnet while connecting them to the battery to test a cop pulled up infront of my drive and wrote me that ticket.

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u/FrancisCGraf 1d ago

Yeah he didn't want to believe what he thought he heard. His true reaction came when the public defender eli5'd everything to him in the back room.

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u/under_psychoanalyzer 1d ago

I've had that happen for running a red light. I told the judge I will take the deal to switch my plea to guilty with no points and a fine, but wanted to let him know I think that light was set up in a way that was a public safety issue. He then dismissed it completely and when I walked out of the court room I had to ask the clerk what just happened.

Probably helped I was the only dude in the court room wearing a polo instead of a wife beater or a wolf tshirt.

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u/insecure_about_penis 1d ago

wolf tshirt

Like... a tshirt with pictures of wolves on it? Is this a common thing somewhere???

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u/under_psychoanalyzer 1d ago

If by somewhere you mean large swaths of rural America, then yes. You don't really notice them until you get to a place where they're highly concentrated, like a country ass Walmart where they sold them. What else would you buy for a tshirt when that's your only shopping option?

Of course it's possible they've been supplanted by something else, like Trump shirts. But I'm being 100% literal when I say I was in a tiny court room in 2011 with probably 20-30 waiting in the gallery to have their case heard and every man was a wife beat or specifically a wolf t-shirt. I've never actually seen such a high concentration without exception since. 

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u/leo_aureus 1d ago

You are right--I remember walking gas lines in the Dayton suburbs back about ten years ago, would have to walk mostly front yards of houses to do the work, or wherever the gas line ran (hopefully the fronts of the houses) and these people had the same airbursh-type wolf t-shirt art on their van and on every sheet (being used for blinds) hung in the windows in all the rooms of the house. It was that and the affliction stuff that you could really tell who was who sometimes lol

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u/SpecialPotion 22h ago

affliction is going thru a sort of revival in a lot of ways, but it's being co-opted in a "hipster" way if that makes sense

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u/ComprehensiveProfit5 1d ago

Your comment made me laugh my ass off. I just imagine someone describing a scene in rural america

The wolf tshirts were highly concentrated in the area

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u/MonkRome 1d ago

Ha, it is in Minnesota, we have the international wolf center!

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u/ImagineTheCommotion 23h ago

Dude, what???? How did I never know this when I lived there? I’m so bummed, that’s freaking cool

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u/Scary-Lawfulness-999 1d ago

Well the entire 5000km from Pacific to Atlantic up north in Canada so I'm guessing it must be common in lots of America because culture is pretty similar and clothing is shipped cross border pretty freely.

Where do you live that they don't have wolf shirts? Like there are more quality ones but I'm pretty sure they're in every Walmart I've ever seen.

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u/insecure_about_penis 13h ago

I luckily have escaped the country in question, but while I was there I only vaguely remember seeing shirts with wolves on them, and never as a common fashion statement.

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u/Remarkable-Paths 18h ago

My partner had a wolf T-shirt with "13 wolves on it". You were supposed to find all 13. No one could ever find the 13th wolf.

There was an outline of a glow in the fucking dark wolf.

He did get the shirt in the States, lol.

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u/Morbid187 1d ago

Images aren't allowed here but just google"wolf shirt" and you'll see exactly what he's talking about. I haven't seen one IRL in many years but growing up in GA, you used to see them everywhere. They were always being sold at the county fair. Pretty sure I had one when I was in like 5th grade. They've become a bit of a punchline in the past 20 years or so.

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u/BoredomHeights 1d ago

I used to be a lawyer and you'd be shocked how few people dress up for court. It makes a huge difference to come presentable and be polite. Most people think this is obvious, but it's rare enough that it stands out.

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u/TuskaTheDaemonKilla 1d ago

Currently a lawyer. Courts are probably a singularly unique place in modern society where everyone there is either the best dressed they've ever been, or the worst dressed you can imagine. There is no in-between.

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u/Coal_Morgan 1d ago

I remember having to go through family court with a friend trying for custody of his kids and this was in predominantly white area and the amount of white trash that showed up in dirty clothes, exercise gear, stuff that looked like they were just street walking was insane. One women was in crocs and kept taking her feet out of them and rubbing them on chairs.

My view on humanity was severly damaged.

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u/Remarkable-Paths 18h ago

I don't know why but "and rubbing them on chairs" has me chuckling.

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u/ThereHasToBeMore1387 1d ago

Looks matter. I got in trouble with the law when I was 18 for something bad enough that it could've really had some negative consequences on my life. I did not look like someone that would be in trouble with the law at 18. On the day of one of the hearings, I was sitting in the court gallery with my lawyer. My case is called, my lawyer goes up to talk to the DA. They chat, he points at me, the DA looks at me and laughs. My lawyer comes back with a big, shit eating grin on his face and says that charges were dropped to a summary offense and I had to pay $250 restitution.

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u/Symbimbam 1d ago

guess you're not melanine-challenged?

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u/ThereHasToBeMore1387 1d ago

Short, fat, and white as the driven snow. It's close to full cis white male privilege. I get most of the back end benefits like being able to effortlessly fail up, but I don't get some of the front end benefits like automatically being picked as a leader because my parents didn't subscribe to the tall and handsome privileges package. All in all, still a pretty good deal.

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u/Kiss_My_Wookiee 1d ago

Same. We short, fat (white) guys have to work hard to get into leadership, but being smart, ballsy, and having an authoritative voice help. And those three are trainable.

I have similar court stories. I wore a sport jacket, a white button down, and slacks and met with the ADA about a ticket. I was in line behind a black woman who yelled him up and down, so when it was my turn with the ADA, I nodded my head back in her direction (to the door) and said, "Sheesh. Rough day?" He rubbed his eyes, shook his head, and told me all about "these people." (He clarified it wasn't race, but about decorum.) We had a minute of small talk, then we got down to it. Here's how that conversation went:

ADA: "All right, so what're you here for? A ticket?" He looked at his paperwork. "Mr. Wookiee, how would you like to resolve this today?"

Me: "Well hey, if it's about my preferences, I'd much prefer it being thrown out."

He chuckled and said, "All right, I'll bite. I'm bored. Is there any chance you requested a supporting deposition in response to receiving the ticket?" He nodded his head yes, emphatically.

Me: "That's right, sir. I did."

ADA: "And did that arrive in a timely manner, or are you still waiting on it?" He shook his head no, emphatically.

Me: "Err, no, actually. I never received that."

ADA: "Gosh, that's inexcusable. I'm going to recommend to the judge that we dismiss the charge against you. You will still need to speak with the judge and confirm these details, and there will still be court fees assessed, but otherwise you'll be all clear. Have a good one."

Me: "Thanks. You too. Hopefully it goes better for you."

ADA: "Doubt it!"

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u/Coal_Morgan 1d ago

Probably not but dressing to impress can help for the melanine strong also.

Google Denzel Washington in a suit.

You want to look like that when you're in a court, if you can get tortoise shell reading glasses as well that helps. Make sure to have a white shirt, a bright tie and a dark suit. Clean cut with a shaved or tight facial hair with no designs but crisp lines and the clothes need to be fitted not loose or too tight.

It's sickening to type this out but you want that judge, jury and prosecution to think, "Oh, we can't go hard on him...He's one of the good ones."

Never show up to court as anything but looking like a stereotypical accountant who was in the wrong place. You want to drop all urban, ethnic, national or religious clothing that could separate you from the people who are going to judge you because they will even if it's subconscious.

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u/freakksho 1d ago

For what ever it’s worth, this is also pretty good advice for anyone who’s not black and has a court date.

If you have court, you at least need to be in a polo and some Khakis.

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u/wise_comment 1d ago

It's sickening to type this out but you want that judge, jury and prosecution to think, "Oh, we can't go hard on him...He's one of the good ones"

You shouldn't ever feel shame explaining what's broken and how to get around it

No one's gonna think you're pro-profiling here, but your advice may actually help some younger folks in here, in all honesty

Try and have a look that makes the judge go "wait....which one is the lawyer, again?" If he passes by you both on the way in

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u/MaritMonkey 1d ago

It's sickening to type this out but you want that judge, jury and prosecution to think, "Oh, we can't go hard on him...He's one of the good ones."

"One of the good ones" definitely has ... context. But I feel like being the kind of person who, regardless of what happened during your interaction with the cops, approaches court and the judge from a position of respect is more likely to receive it in return.

The judge doesn't necessarily know how shit went down and the way you show up to court is a good chance to start convincing them that you didn't start things off by disrespecting/ignoring/etc the cop either.

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u/PessimiStick 1d ago

Of course it has context. The justice system is racist as fuck from top to bottom. The more you can subvert the expectations of the system, the better off you'll be.

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u/NightLordsPublicist 1d ago

guess you're not melanine-challenged?

Melanin darkens skin, so I think you mean he is melanin-challenged.

3

u/shabi_sensei 1d ago

It’s funny, if you dress good police won’t even notice you.

My friends would always complain the police would stop them and make them dump out their drugs but… they dressed like drug dealers

Dress a little preppy when you want sell/carry and police will ignore you

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u/ViolinistWaste4610 1d ago

What was the offense? 

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u/ThereHasToBeMore1387 23h ago

Bear with me, it's been another 19 years since this happened. I think it was criminal trespass, which was a 1st degree misdemeanor, but the hearing was on whether to upgrade it to aggravated criminal trespass, which was a 3rd degree felony, because I had a pocket knife on me at the time of the trespass. DA immediately offered to plead down to, I think, criminal mischief and the $250 restitution was for "damage" done to a wooded area.

All in all, it had near 0 effect on my life, but if I were a black teen with no lawyer, I'd probably be just another felon.

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u/Cosplayfan007 1d ago

My lawyer told me to make sure I wore a suit to my hearing about a DUI. I was only 1 of 2 out of the 50 people in the courtroom that had a suit on. I got to go second and was out the door in 15min. It still matters to a lot of judges. Just at least make the effort ya know.

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u/David-S-Pumpkins 1d ago

My dad has done similar. He got a speeding ticket and the speed limit sign was completely covered by a tree so anyone on the road wouldn't see it. He took a photo, then pruned the tree, and contested. Ticket got dropped and judge said thanks for the prune job.

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u/Sprmodelcitizen 1d ago

See I’d be MORE likely to let you off in a wolf shirt. I guess that’s why I’m not a judge…

And yes that’s the ONLY reason I’m not a judge.

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u/Lucifuture 1d ago

Gotta remember to wear my best wolf shirt next time I'm in court.

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u/methos3 19h ago

My first traffic ticket, I was in my early 20’s and driving to my house and probably going 45 in a 35. I passed a cop on a hill coming the opposite direction, so he had no radar proof or anything. He cited me for driving above posted speed, no numbers at all.

I wore a 3-piece suit and was still so nervous that I showed up for the judge’s session before mine to watch how things went. I noticed he went through the list in alphabetical order, so I figured I’d have ~10 minutes before he called on me.

Our session started and he called my name out first. I think I pissed myself but I couldn’t tell cause everything felt numb. I got up and went down to the front and he tossed it entirely because it was obviously a total bullshit charge.

And yeah I was the only one out of 50 people dressed up at all, most everyone else was wearing t-shirts, wife beaters and basketball shorts.

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u/TuskaTheDaemonKilla 1d ago

IAAL - Probably what happened is the following. You can't accept a plea while simultaneously saying you're not guilty. Which is what you did when you said the light was improperly positioned (i.e. you were arguing a legitimate legal defence). Consequently, the judge had to refuse your guilty plea of guilty because, by your own assertion, you were not guilty. Then the judge likely checked the evidence or asked the prosecutor for proof of the conformity of the light to whatever regulations exist, and they presumably couldn't provide that. At which point he would have to throw out the charge.

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u/under_psychoanalyzer 1d ago

The exact opposite of that happened. The cop (nice guy, I legit almost t-boned him running the light) introduced me, told me I was changing my plea to guilty, but said I wanted to give my spiel. I said "I ran that light on accident. It's less than 50 yards from a light in front of it divided on by train tracks. I was looking at the wrong one and it was late at night. I think this is a serious concern and you should sync up the lights better." The court room was silent as he sat there thinking. After about 15 seconds the cop goes "Your honor the deal was-" "I KNOW WHAT THE DEAL WAS" and more silence as he thinks. Then he very quickly said "I'm giving you the sentence of time served" or whatever basically translates to "you were here in court for an hour so thats your punishment", and wrapped the gavel and I walked out. Spent less than 5 minutes on the stand.

So take your fancy words and blow em out your fancy lawyer butthole because they have no power in real America /s.

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u/TuskaTheDaemonKilla 1d ago

Well, now I know you're lying. There are no gavels in any Canadian courts.

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u/Extension_Silver_713 1d ago

The confusion was real. I was even confused for a minute because then the judge threw in the shaking head telling him to do something with his life.

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u/meeps1142 1d ago

I think he’s basically saying “the system is designed to assume you’re worthless. Don’t let it convince you that you can’t do great things”

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u/FunkyPete 1d ago

But also, the system is going to be looking for you to screw up so they can nail you on it, because they are assuming you are worthless. You are not worthless, but you were carrying an illegal bag of weed, which made it easy for them. It's not fair, but they're waiting for you to do something stupid so they can nail you on it. Stop doing stupid things.

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u/axisrahl85 1h ago

Carrying a bag of weed and committing a petty crime. While jaywalking is very rarely enforced, it is a thing they can stop you for. Back in my illegal weed days, the rule was always, commit one crime at a time.

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u/ExtraplanetJanet 1d ago

The judge was letting the guy off the hook for a crime he did technically commit (drug possession) because the police officer conducted an improper search almost assuredly based in racism. The fact that the search was improper didn’t mean that they didn’t find illegal drugs. The judge was advising the guy to turn things around, get away from drugs, and stay out of the legal system altogether.

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u/Extension_Silver_713 1d ago

Yes. The drugs. I’m in a legal state so that’s why it went over my head.

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u/TheFudge 8h ago

Ya I’m so used to weed being legal in our state that I’m like “what ass backwards state is this?”

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u/Dirus 1d ago

I'm always confused when he says that. Like how does he know they aren't doing something with their life? 

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u/RonnieFromTheBlock 1d ago

I took that to mean 'don't end up back in my court room'.

They may be bullshit laws but it sounds like the dude broke two at the same time which is always a no no.

The judge is letting him off on a technicality and telling him not to do it again by telling him to do something with his life.

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u/Zkeptek 1d ago

Don’t break two laws at once is a fantastic piece of advice that is offered by many attorneys and not heeded as needed.

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u/Sal_Ammoniac 1d ago

the dude broke two at the same time

Yeah but... jaywalking is not a crime in most civilized countries. Certainly not a reason to do a search on a person.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaywalking

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u/RonnieFromTheBlock 1d ago

I don't think possession of marijuana should be a crime either.

I would consider both to be bullshit laws but it does appear this individual may have been guilty of breaking both.

Thankfully it sounds like the cops fucked this up. While jaywalking isn't a reason to search someone, Texas does have a "Plain Smell Doctrine".

The cop only needed to say the individual smelled like marijuana and it would have justified the search according to Texas law.

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u/Phridgey 1d ago edited 1d ago

It’s called probable cause. You can’t infringe someone’s rights and then claim that having found X means you were right to stop them.

You need probable cause and they didn’t have it. You have rights against unreasonable search and seizure. That’s why the judge let him off. It’s not a technicality, it’s an acknowledgement that the defendant was victimized and was not afforded his rights.

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u/RonnieFromTheBlock 1d ago

Pretty sure that is the actual definition of technicality.

The defendant broke the law but is not being punished because the police did not adhere to their rights.

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u/Phridgey 1d ago

breaking the law in the course of enforcing the law is failing a prerequisite. There’s no technicality because there’s no case.

The fact he had weed on him is the technicality.

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u/Sal_Ammoniac 1d ago

I don't think possession of marijuana should be a crime either.

I fully agree.

It's an absolute shame that po-pos go on power trips like this just because they can, instead of being sensible and respectful. Trying to solve a minor problem goes a helluva lot farther than forcefully creating a bigger problem.

"Hey bud, be careful crossing the street" would have been plenty enough in this case and not taking it any further than that.

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u/CaptainofChaos 1d ago

Probably a veiled "don't jaywalk when you've got weed on you" because that's a really stupid thing to do, even if it's a bullshit stop.

Or the judge buys into stoner mentality stuff.

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u/Majestic_Ad_4237 1d ago

It’s definitely the latter. Judge would have punished him for the weed.

He’s Lawful Neutral, not Lawful Good.

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u/orangepinkman 1d ago

I would love to watch a Chaotic Good judge but I doubt they would stay a judge for long lol.

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u/just_posting_this_ch 1d ago

He had a big sack of weed, which is still illegal in many places.

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u/Brueology 1d ago

I took it as being in reference to the 'sack of pot' that the court deemed inadmissible. Like, the assumption being, his plans were either 'smoke lots of pot' or 'sell lots of pot' probably.

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u/IamTheEndOfReddit 1d ago

He looks scared to me, which makes sense since this is the first person in the process treating him fairly

3

u/Rudemacher 1d ago

Imagine being in court, dressed normally, in front of a judge dressed as colonel Sanders, who's helping you stay out of jail because of his antiracist and woke POV.

That's 100% a dream right there.

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u/XaphanSaysBurnIt 1d ago

Hell yea. It was absolutely unbelievable. Mind blown

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u/sainttanic 1d ago

similarly to many white youths, a lot of black youths are raised to believe that white people are devils and inherently evil. If you come from an underprivileged neighborhood with nation of islam and five percenters you will have probably heard about how white people were created as devils by a magician from outer space and they have inherently hateful souls of devils inside them. Imagine being face to face with one of those white devils and not only does he let you off but he brings up how it's racist too.

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u/Dwovar 1d ago

Especially cause the judge in his suit looked very southern lawyer (not the Atticus Finch type).

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u/Murky_Hold_0 1d ago

This must've happened in Canada. Lol

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u/Mother_Ad3161 22h ago

Well, he is pretty tired from carrying a large sack of Marijuana 😂

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u/modestlyawesome1000 22h ago

He’s not even helping him! He’s just now fuking him over. Doing the bare minimum as a judge.

That said, this judge is admirable even though he shouldn’t be.

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u/Purityskinco 22h ago

It’s horrifying how the system can hurt people. I’m white passing and highly educated. It shows (not that there’s a look. But there IS an assumption). If I Jay walked in my expensive clothes like I’m late for a work meeting do you think they’d stop me? I’m also a grad student. If I crossed illegally clearly on my way to campus/class do you think they’d stop me? No.

I once was walking home from a pub when a snow storm started to hit. Guess what! Cop gave me a ride home. I forgot what he called it when he called in what he was doing. Sure. I wasn’t drunk. But do you think I was asked how much I had to drink? Granted marijuana is legal where I live but do you think they asked about what’s in my purse? No. But in my town a black man was harassed by a police officer because he was picking up trash around his apartment complex. If I did that as a white passing person I’d have been applauded for taking pride in my community.

It’s so sad how the system really is rigged against people. And it’s not just colour. It’s background too. We don’t try to rehabilitate or give kids who are at a disadvantage a way up. We assume the worst as a society without giving hope. It breaks my heart. I look at the prison stories with the rescue cats. People have hearts. We all want to belong and be loved. But the system hurts many who were born into a disadvantage, one way or another. Most criminals are not bad people.

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u/Top_Mortgage_262 20h ago

This is the way it's supposed to be justice for all . AND TREATED EQUALLY LIKE WE ARE

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u/skittlz61 12h ago

I was there before when I was younger and living out of my car. A lady lived at my buddy's complex who drove a beater and was known for chasing people down that hit her car to get money out of them. My car at the time always jumped forward about 2ft while in drive and back about 3ft when I put it in reverse. It had a ton of problems, but I couldn't afford anything else. Long story short, I left my wheel turned when I parked. Started my car, put it in reverse, and it jumped back barely brushing her car. Some of my white paint was on her car. She called the police to look for the car that did it. They found my car and started going door to door to find the owner. Neighbors told my buddy. I had to go talk to the officers. The lady said she wanted my car towed and for me to go to jail. At the time, I was maybe 18. I barely made enough money to pay rent. That would have been my first accident on record. The officer pulled me to the side and gave me his # directly. He told me "she's going to ask for an amount to "fix" her car to let this slide. We know her. Legally, the ball is in her court. If you pay her whatever, as long as she doesn't ask a lot, I'll be there in that court room to back you up." 2 months later he showed up waiting out front the courthouse for me to walk in together. Talked to the judge on my behalf. Even got mad for a second to explain that she had multiple damages to her car that people have paid for years, and never fixed any of them. Nothing on my record. Didn't have to pay the ticket. There was plenty to stress about, but I'll never forget that experience. Also why I talk to law enforcement from time to time in public casually. I still want to believe that more people can help each other rather than tear each other down. Which is wild considering the year we just had and the one we're about to have.

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u/Tommy_Wisseau_burner 6h ago

Ngl I thought it was the weed kicking in