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Pubdate: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 Source: Robson Valley Times (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 Miro International Pty Ltd. Contact: http://www.robsonvalleytimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4087 Author: Andru McCracken UTOPIA NOW! At this week's council meeting Valemount Mayor Jeannette Townsend suggested (again) that people convicted of crimes should pay for the court costs. She brought the same resolution to last year's Union of BC Municipalities' annual general meeting, and is wondering why it has been dropped. The idea is this: Convicts should pay for the Crown prosecutors, the time taken for the investigation, the police car, fuel, the judge, the clerk, and likely even the cost of keeping the courthouse in good trim. It's a clever idea in a way. Why should taxpayers like you and I have to pay for the actions of criminals? When the idea was last presented to the public at Tuesday's council meeting, the example was given of a Valemount resident who grew marijuana plants in their home. According to the story, the court found them guilty and handed them a $250 fine. The local sergeant at the time felt it wasn't enough; the mayor felt likewise. In my mind we're missing a major piece of the puzzle here. Why did the judge give such a light sentence? Perhaps the plants were for personal use, or the individual didn't present a threat to the community. Maybe their crime just doesn't warrant a huge bill from police and the judges. I encourage council to give this idea some more thought before taking this proposal back to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities this fall. What if someone was involved in a lengthy trial and later found to be innocent, except for some minor charge? Does the 'convict' have to pay for the whole deal? If you were charged with shoplifting, would you have to pay $2000 for shoplifting a bag of peanuts? Imagine what a speeding ticket would cost. What about young offenders who really are guilty? Would they pay the Judge's salary back at $8.00 per hour, or would they do it on the training wage? Could they make the money back by working on someone's farm as a landless labourer, a modern serf? That people convicted of crimes should pay to keep judges in their mansions, police in their RCMP owned homes, and Crown prosecutors in flowing robes is asinine. However this grand idea doesn't stop there. We hear that the criminal's assets should be seized. What happens to a young family? Should we pay our police officers by confiscating the family's mini-van? Television? How about the baby carriage? This idea is a clever one indeed. It's also one of the most thoughtless ones that I've ever heard of. The reason WE pay for policing is because WE want to be safe. The reason WE pay for the courts, the clerks, judges and Crown prosecutors is because WE believe in Justice. In the spirit of this new law, council might consider making the trek to UBCM on their own dime. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek