Thread by @ScottHech

Right now: Man stands before judge. 3d time arrested for driving on suspended license. Held since yesterday. Hands cuffed behind back. Trouble affording DMV fines. Mom in audience. Says she can pay. He's ordered back to cells til she does. This is poverty. Should not be a crime.

Now: Man arrested on 2 warrants from 2016 for not doing community service after arrests for not paying subway fare he couldnt then afford. Asked judge to just resentence him to time he served since arrest yesterday. Wouldn’t. 3 days of community service ahead. $240 in court fees.

Now: 66 y/o man whose home was invaded at 6am by warrant officers looking for someone else. Broke door. Ransacked house. Found small amt of crack. Not his. Arrested him/wife. Would’ve been released from precinct. BUT: 2 warrants from yrs ago for not paying court fees held him.

Now: A young man on way home arrested for going thru exit gate in subway station. No money. Processed, fingerprinted, slept on cell floor overnight, hauled out to judge, retinas scanned. Prosecutor offers ACD. Case dismissed in 6 months. Painful waste. Why charge in 1st place?

Now: Delivery driver stopped. Riding bicycle on sidewalk. Hard of hearing. Fears hell get hit on street. Officers claim wrongly hes in gang. Find work knife. Charged w/ weapon possession. Pleads guilty to non-criminal violation. Now owes $120 court fee hes not sure he can afford.

Now: Another arrest for driving on suspended license. Spoke no English. Terrified. Never before arrested. Prosecution offered a traffic infraction w/ a $100 fine. Asked if they’d consent to $75 minimum. Me: “$25 is a lot to him.” Them: “Come on. It’s a really good offer.” Next.

Now: A man at least 70 y/o standing in front of judge. Starts shaking uncontrollably. Looks like he's having seizure. Officers run to grab chair. Slowly sit him down. But will not remove handcuffs. Hands are back-cuffed. There are 3 officers behind him. Why is he cuffed at all?

Now: Met a young man who police found after he finished shooting up heroin. Extend a helping hand? Refer him to a voluntary drug treatment program? Of course not. Arrest him. Charge him w/ drug possession & trespass. Throw him in a cell overnight while he painfully withdraws.

Now: Another man arrested for jumping subway turnstile. DA declined to prosecute. Good. But still held overnight. Why? A 2 yearold warrant for failure to pay automatic court fee of $250 after plea to petit larceny. Has to go to Manhattan court tomorrow. Ask for more time to pay.