I just got a court summons

[many a good man]

About two months ago on a Friday afternoon I was leaving work and discovered that someone had stolen BOTH of my license plates.

We have a lot of red light cameras around here so I made a police report on the spot. The next Monday went down to the DMV and coughed up $20 bucks for new tags. I also bought locking tag fasteners.

Lo and behold, yesterday I get a call from the police: they caught the moron who stole my tags. Now I have to appear in court to testify that those were my tags that he stole. Isn't that ridiculous?

I guess pretty soon he'll be making license plates instead of stealing them.

[Reciprocity]

1. Not if you don't want him to steal anyone else's.

Without you testifying he may get away with it.

[DarkTirade]

2. ... wait... so they have the tags that they use to identify what car it is...

and they keep track of who owns what car, and what said tag is...
and they need you to testify that they're yours?

[treestar]

3. NO.

They need the chain of custody or the court will say they haven't proved the case.

Why is this so hard to do? I'll never get why people expect the justice system to operate in the ether, and you'd complain if he were let go, right?

I had a client who was like this recently - never wanted to go, the defendant was acquited because client had better things to do, and client complained!

I bet you don't like jury service either.

The problem is that this is like voting - what we have to give back to have justice in a society.

People hate participating in it, but what's the alternative? Only a police state. They wouldn't need testimony or jurors, now would they?

[many a good man]

4. Seems like a no brainer to me

The tag was licensed by the state in my name and registered to my car. Defendant is not me and his car is not my car. I signed a police report stating they were stolen. It seems to me they don't really require any more proof than this and my testimony is just creme.

I do plan to show up for the trial and testify. Luckily the court house is just a few miles from my office. Luckily I will still get paid for missing work. It just makes me think about people who are not so fortunate. Why overburden people who are merely victims if it is not necessary? For some people it would mean lost wages not to mention the possibility of retribution.

For the record I always serve jury duty and I always vote, even in local elections. I understand your frustration, but don't paint with such a broad brush.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. It might be stupid, but...

where do you draw the line?

Let's say the defendant says you sold him the plates and made a false report about them being stolen. This would have to be dealt with, as would any possible cross examination of any testimony you make.

If this prick just pleads guilty to stealing the plates and gets his time it all should just go away as far as you are concerned, but this is far from a perfect world.

[many a good man]

7. But that's the point

It's a license plate. Nobody can buy or sell their license plates. Ignorance of the law is no defense. Does his lawyer want ME arrested for allegedly selling him my tags?

I would think the state COULD bust him without my testimony and my being there would just be icing on the cake to seal the case.

But maybe I'm wrong. The cop on the phone did say something about proving "chain of custody." But I can't think of anything that could get him off the hook except maybe him saying that somebody stole HIS tags and put mine on his car.

[Deja Q]

5. That happened to me, about 15 years ago...

It's not ridiculous. If the bastard who took my plates got caught, I'd love to glare at his pathetic ass before the bailiff drags him to the jail cell.

You at least get to confront the filth.