Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Thanks to Judge Wilbrandt

When I visited the traffic court of Associate Judge Robert A. Wilbrandt, Jr. this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my hearing must have been miraculously restored. I could hear!

When Judge Wilbrandt addressed those present in his courtroom, he spoke clearly and loudly enough to be heard throughout the courtroom, and he did so throughout the cases he called. Some of the attorneys mumbled and the Assistant State's Attorney was often hard to hear, but the judge's voice was clear throughout the court call.

He was at times humorous, but he always made his point. If you pled guilty, you knew it was no laughing matter. One woman, a senior citizen there on her very first ticket, got a "good driver discount", as the judge called it, and he fined her only $10.00. Of course, she probably had a heart attack when she got to the payment window. I almost followed her out, so I could call the paramedics quickly, if she keeled over after hearing how much the court costs would be.

One man had gotten pulled over while driving a car to a lot to sell it. He got tickets for no license plates and no insurance. He was ready to plead guilty; but when he told Judge Wilbrandt that he had a Commercial Driver's License (CDL), the judge recommended he talk to a lawyer and come back in August. Now, that's what I call considerate!

Judge Wilbrandt warned everyone about the court costs. He explained that he and the cashiers do not set them. If you have a complaint, you should call your state legislator. He agrees with you that court costs are (too) high!

No comments: