[giantg2]

I don't know anyone who has. I've sort of considered it. The cost in money and time for law school seems like it's not worth it.

And while I like to know and understand the law, I'm finding that more and more of the system is a sham. I've witnessed a trooper commit misconduct, like lying to a magistrate, and so many mistakes that his actions should be considered negligence. I have also witnessed 2 magistrates lack even a basic understanding of legal principles, like dismissing with prejudice or that a summary offense is a grading of a criminal offense. I even contacted a civil rights lawyer over some violations. He said there were rights violations, but without substantial financial impact the courts don't want to hear about it.

So I like the understanding the "code" of the legal system, but it seems like it isn't followed and that it's all double speak - rules for thee but not for me.

[burntoutfire]

That's my impression as well. The system is so flawed that I try to stay away from it as much as possible. In the civil system, you can probably eventually get justice if you spend a lot of money on lawyers and wait for months/years. The criminal branch seems way more random and with any bad luck (being in a wrong place at the wrong time) you can go to jail while being completely innocent, and even the best lawyers won't help you. So, my strategy is to avoid risky behaviors (incl. starting businesses) to minimize my contact surface with the justice system.

[giantg2]

I see them both as bad. Even before the pandemic, many criminal cases were taking 18 months to get to a jury trial in my area. Speedy trial my ass!

The issue I'm dealing with is just a summary offense. It would have been cheaper just to pay the $50 fine and avoid going to court. Unfortunately the trooper wrote it up wrong so we were forced to go to court, which costs way more ($300 fine + $100 court costs, not to mention time off, lost wages, certified postage, and mileage). It's pretty much the definition of a racket if costs more to defend your innocence than to just pay the fine. That's all they care about - the money.