{"id":1265,"date":"2019-10-16T19:52:25","date_gmt":"2019-10-16T19:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/?p=1265"},"modified":"2023-03-27T15:52:47","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T15:52:47","slug":"a-courthouse-moment-nobody-takes-this-court-seriously-nobody","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/2019\/10\/16\/a-courthouse-moment-nobody-takes-this-court-seriously-nobody\/","title":{"rendered":"A courthouse moment: ‘Nobody takes this court seriously. Nobody.’"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Feb. 23, Vi Ong was charged with felony larceny. He was ordered to pay $149 in restitution to Target and complete community service.<\/span><\/p>\n

He\u2019s also on the hook for an additional $200 of \u201ccourt costs\u201d: $147.50 for the \u201cgeneral court of justice\u201d fee, $12 for the facilities fee, $2 for the DNA fee, and several others. Five dollars will go to an ambiguous \u201cservice\u201d fee.<\/span><\/p>\n

Twenty dollars of his court costs \u2014 10% \u2014 go toward just setting up an installment plan for his payments.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once he makes those payments and completes community service, his case can be dismissed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, Ong is in court for a compliance hearing. Judge Pat Evans will be checking on his progress.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ong tells the court he recently faced an unexpected expense; his car broke down, forcing him to pay for repairs. He asks Judge Pat Evans for an extension on his court payments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Already that day, Judge Evans had postponed hearings and, in one case, dismissed a judgement entirely. When younger defendants say they\u2019ll represent themselves, she provides a motherly nudge and recommends that they apply for court-appointed counsel.<\/span><\/p>\n

But she doesn\u2019t have that kind of patience for Ong.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When Judge Evans flips over the envelope with Ong\u2019s file, she makes no effort to put on a poker face \u2014 her eyes widen when she realizes his case has been carried over since February.<\/span><\/p>\n

She orders him to pay the entire amount \u2014 all $249 \u2014 by the end of the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNobody takes this court seriously,\u201d she says. \u201cNobody.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The courtroom is silent, save the low mutter of \u201cShe\u2019s not playing\u201d from someone in the back.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ong heads out of the courtroom, down four floors to the cashier\u2019s office, where\u2019s he\u2019s expected to make a payment that he cannot afford.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a little bit confused,\u201d he says, \u201cbecause the last time, the judge told me that I have up to a year to do the community service and to pay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Just that morning, Ong says, the clerk reassured him that he would qualify for an extension and that he shouldn\u2019t worry about having to pay yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ong says that he doesn\u2019t know if Judge Evans even remembers his case or what she told him at his previous hearing. He uses a credit card but says he doesn\u2019t know how he\u2019s going to be able to find the money this month to pay down the balance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo now,\u201d he says, \u201cI have to scramble to make up the difference.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Feb. 23, Vi Ong was charged with felony larceny. He was ordered to pay $149 in restitution to Target and complete community service. He\u2019s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[20,91,141],"class_list":["post-1265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-courthouse-project","tag-a-courthouse-moment","tag-district-court","tag-fees-and-fines","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nA courthouse moment: 'Nobody takes this court seriously. 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