Going down

Believe it or not but I know of at least one court where they have disabled the voice in the lift that says 'going down' for fear of upsetting anyone.

Concurrent probation?

Lad leaves court and is asked how it went.
"got 6 months probation, to run concurrently with the six months probation for the other thing. So not bad really". Says the lad.

A Dad is in court with his son as the defendant. Dad asks the Usher how long it might take because he has Community Service to do. Good to see a parent being such a good role model.

A young man is found guilty of assaulting a Police Officer by spitting, but hang on a minute, new sentencing guidelines have recently been published so he will have to come back another day for sentencing. The prisons are full and in the words of the Court Clerk "assualt police has been downgraded."

Edit 25 Feb. 2009
Bloke who spat in the Coppers face avoided prison, whereas in the not so distant past he would have been sent down. I wonder if a defendant would be sent down for spitting at a Magistrate?

Mental note to self

If I ever get bailled by the police remember to get my solicitor to ring the OIC to double check whether they intend to rebail me.

Just overheard a conversation where someone was made to travel from London only to be re-bailled.

Not exactly good 'customer service' is it?!?

Is this proper?

Take one teenager armed robber with the mental age of a four year old, a Dad you seems to ooze 'that's my boy' and probably has the mental age of a 13 year old himself and one social worker who likes to give the lad a farewell hug outside the courtroom and ask yourself - what will become of it all??

Increase in burglaries

So Jacqui Smith the Home Secretary says that we the public have reason to be worried as figures are published that show an increase in burlgary in the last part of 2008. Some commentators are blaming the recession however it's not because criminals are 'feeling the pinch'. Repeat offenders, that is those people who commit the majority of crime are insulated from recession because their benefits remain constant.

If the recession is to blame then it must be a case of an increase in the demand for stolen goods.