When Mistaken Identity Helps in Court

[@michman2]

Meanwhile, the poor kid whose dad has never owned a suit gets hammered.

[@JTA1961]

Law~suit

[@nunyabidness3075]

Yeah. Life’s not fair. Any system I’ve ever heard to try to solve that becomes obviously unfair to most everyone. Most every parent will do what they can to get what they think is best for their kid. There’s a strong societal interest in keeping it that way. There’s really nothing to be done about it except have informed judges and let them use discretion. We no longer do that because it seems our judges have messed up incentives.

[@ADHJkvsNgsMBbTQe]

I had something adjacent to this happen to me. After a double shift at work I drove through a blinking red traffic signal and stop sign (same intersection, one infraction); the sign and light had not been there when I went to work going the opposite direction, the sun was setting, and I was exhausted. I went to the law library (pre Internet), looked up my options, and made a few photocopies. I showed up in court wearing a suit and tie, carrying my briefcase with the photocopies and my notes. At some point the judge addressed me asking “will your client be coming?” I answered that I was not an attorney, and that I was there to answer for my ticket. The judge asked me to show him my notes. He saw that I had found that failure to obey one traffic control was a lesser offense than the other (sign vs light). He immediately offered me a deal to just pay the nominal court fees and promise to get more sleep. My suit paid for itself that day. And I learned that justice can be merciful, at least sometimes.

[@stephanreiken9912]

There's an inherent injustice when the fact that one has an attorney they aren't paying, or when just being related to someone gets you a deal. Or just having an attorney gets you a better deal. Then the judgement isn't about what is just but that you had money

[@TheRealScooterGuy]

This is why the ultra-wealthy people don't have to post bond when they get arrested (and they rarely ever have those surprise visits that result in arrest -- if the cops have a warrant for the uber-rich, they find out who the person's attorney is and make arrangements.)

[@AzraelThanatos]

@@TheRealScooterGuy A lot of that is because it would be easier to find them than someone who isn't as a lot of the richer people are more recognizable

[@DonFahquidmi]

I had a very different experience and I consider myself extremely lucky. Because of a conflict of interest the public pretender recused the office from my case and I had a court appointed lawyer who was being paid pennies for the services rendered. In the initial interview it was established that I would not plea bargain and was steadfast regarding my right to a trial by jury. He accepted my case and stood by me for almost a year. And it wasn't just legal support. He also gave me emotional support. He said he took the case because my account was consistent and my accuser's story was... let's just say fluid. He wasn't even a trial lawyer. His specialty was business law. He had never been the defending lawyer at a jury trial but was willing to defend me because he believed in me. His name is Gerard Lee Loy. I am forever grateful. There is no way I could ever afford what he did for me.

[@ricksturdevant2901]

​@jodyfulford8215 great life story I'm glad you shared that with me/us. Enjoyed it

[@PrezVeto]

​@@TheRealScooterGuyA couple things to keep in mind: 1. Bond isn't the only way to pay bail (unless the judge requires it to be). Wealthy people can often afford to just pay the bail in cash. There's nothing wrong with that. 2. The purpose of bail is to ensure appearance with the least infringement of liberty consistent with protecting the public. If it happens that wealth correlates with being less likely to disappear, so they're more likely to get bail, then do be it. That's not the system preferring wealth. It's the system preferring likelihood of appearance.

[@sharonobryan9713]

That mindset in the judicial system that hired legal help should justify more slack or leniency is part of the problem. It's OK when it helps, but it's a problem for any poor person facing charges, especially when they may not be guilty. It also calls into question the true worth of the actions of court appointed attorneys. Understandably, some will do a good job because they value the work they do, but some do not.

[@wjf0ne]

@sharonobryan9713 I agree. I'm from the other side of the pond and notice the same here, if you've paid for a lawyer the fee is unofficially taken in consideration as part of the fine. This is despicable, the fine should be what is considered as appropriate punishment for the offense you've committed and not on the price of your lawyer.

[@ricksturdevant2901]

​@wjf0ne - - - I totally agree with your point

[@eugenetswong]

Yeah, I'm disappointed that Steve looks so supportive of this, even though he never said so.

[@theprof73]

As soon as the asst DA saw I was pro se, she immediately tried to railroad me. Fortunately, the judge wasn't having it.

[@jamesodell3064]

Good thing the prosecutor like the other attorney Lehto. I know a retired prosecutor who told me after retiring he started to do some criminal defense work and the first time he was in court he said "the people are ready" and the judge had a good laugh and reminded him he was working on the other side.

[@mxplixic]

"Hey, me and my client are people, too." 😊

[@vernowen2083]

I remember the day my dad let me know, he knew, I had been drinking over the weekend. I was only 16 at the time. But it was what he said after that that made me think, and I quote, "You're old enough to get in real trouble now and I want to let you know. Don't waste your one and only call on me."

[@nukarr]

Mine said your gonna get beat like a man & pow knocked me down straddled me & wham wham wham- ex hvy weight 2xs golden gloves state boxing champ...only my lil brother running in his underwear screaming your killing him as the blows rained down broke dad out of his killer rage - he took me to bathroom tried to clean the blood off - luckily it was just bruises & scrapes no ripped open skin cuts That's when I signed up for Night Kung Fu self defense class only boy 15yrs old in class of all women. Of course they made me the dummy In school beat up Daily by huge 6'5" locker mate At home by dad & at night by women . My life was HELL. It all came in handy few yrs later when ol boxer dad came at me again & I trashed him - cops were impressed asked how I got out of rear naked choke hold - Finger marks on neck indicated a death grip. Showed them the Ballet move I integrated into Kung fu Asked them why? Cuz inmates attack is like this - they said their going to add it to their training. Then 10 yrs later dad tried again - BAM wiped out , evil that men do Charles Bronson film Ball snatch & crush scene , he limped for a month. At age 70 he wanted to go again Told him to shut up sit down & act his age - he retorted ill fight ya I'm not afraid. Crap these old boxers never learn. R.I.P. dad

[@roadmonkeytj]

I have had similar experiences. I should clarify that I am not a licensed attorney but I have studied Law previously. The first time it happened was in a little small town that I had been driving through at the time. I was stopped for no front plate (my state doesn't require it but the one I was driving through did.) As it turned out my insurance card expired the week before although the policy was still active I just didn't have an updated card with me. So a court date was scheduled. I show up with a copy of my states license plate requirements and a letter from my insurance stating I had an active policy at that time as well as an updated card. So I go to the courthouse and through security where the officer hands me my leather note pad and my phone after the metal detector and asks me to remember to turn it to silent. While putting my belt and shoes back on I hear the same officer assign a cubby and issue a claim card to the next two peoples phones. So after asking directions to the court room I approach the bailiff and say I'm on the 9 o'clock docket and then point to my name on his clipboard. As I'm standing there waiting for the doors to be opened for the gallery I'm looking around and only two other people are wearing suits. One of those is with his client who's wearing a shirt and tie, the other is the county prosecutor. Shortly after the prosecutor comes to discuss the case I explain to him what I plan to submit to the court and he asks if my client is present, taken by surprise I say no I'm representing myself. So I go into the gallery and listen to the 830 dockets get called and heard. The judge returns to chambers for a recess before hearing the 9 o'clocks. The bailiff brings in the remaining people in the hallway and explains that they will be hearing the cases being represented by attorneys then alphabetically after that. The judge returns and calls the first case and an attorney appears from the hallway grabbing a client from the gallery. The second was the attorney with the client dressed for court. Then they called my case ... I was confused because my name is in the middle of the alphabet but proceeded towards the bench. The judge then asks me as we approach the bench if my client will be here, the prosecutor interjects that I'm representing myself. The judge pauses then looks me over before continuing. He reads the case and I submit my evidence to the judge and a copy to prosecution. Before I can speak up the prosecution says Your honor I move to dismiss this as is not worth the states time to pursue. The judge smirks and looks to me asking any objections? So he stated everything for the record and I put my evidence back in my notebook. As I began to walk away the judge asks if I am a lawyer at that point which I responded "no your honor" the biggest grin came to his face and he said its refreshing to see people dressed for court. He then as I'm walking out addresses the gallery stating let this gentleman be an example of how to come dressed for court. As I walked out I couldn't help but notice the amount of pajama pants, messy hair, t shirt and hoodie wearing individuals all looking at me. When I got to the hallway I actually got asked by one young man if I had a card.

[@juanengelaar7069]

What your telling us here just shows us, (once more), how corrupted this legal system is. WTF does paying a lawyer, or having a family member as your lawyer, has to do with justice and a justified conviction.?

[@geraldtakala1721]

I guess AI should be used then

[@jbc175]

@@geraldtakala1721 I suspect this is more about being unsatisfied with a failure of the legal system to treat people equally based on what laws were broken. People could do better, they often don’t.

[@martenkahr3365]

Exactly. It goes directly in the face of the courts insistence that the process of litigation isn't a punishment in itself.

[@thea_therian]

@@geraldtakala1721are you trying to argue AI is neutral or something? AI is fundamentally unjust because of the amount of stolen work they used to train their models

[@goldenhate6649]

Ai is fundamentally unjust because it is made by people who are fundamentally unjust. Do you really think a company would make a fair AI? No, AI would be used to railroad political enemies into prison.

[@lasentinal]

I recall several years ago, when computers were physically large, I was what was known as a field service engineer. My boss at the time, asked me to attend a new customer with him as a customer relations exercise. I attended with him, dressed in a tie and three piece suit and my boss was dressed with a tie and a two piece suit and not as well groomed as I was. The customer talked with me as if I was the boss.

[@melodyyeager6076]

When my kids were little...if I ever needed to take them to the Dr or take them to have tests done. I would wear my white lab coat and id from work. People treat you differently when they think you are a health care provider. I'm just a dental lab technician. The difference between being treated as a poor single mother or a lab coat wearing professional...is crazy.

[@briangarrow448]

I had a similar experience, only in a negative case when I was looking at purchasing a piece of property. I was dressed in my work clothes- I was working in construction and had just gotten off work, and I went to the realtor to get some info about the property. The staffer who dealt with me treated me like a penniless vagrant when I walked into the agency office. At that time I was working in a union construction craft shop, and was working 60+ hours per week. I also was getting paid double time and a foreman scale at this job. I was working so much overtime that I had uncashed paychecks sitting on my desk at home because I couldn’t get to the bank to cash them. My income level was six figures annually and this was the early 80’s. Basically I was making more money than everyone in that office except maybe the owner of the agency. And this receptionist was rude and condescending to me because of my bib overalls and my other work attire. I walked out of that office and left a message with the owner about judging and book covers. She had lost a sale because of her employee’s behavior towards me. I ended up buying another parcel of rural property and building a home and shop there. I told this story to my in-laws who owned another realty company in another market and they were horrified by the lack of respect by the receptionist.

[@willmcgo8288]

You are not "just" a dental lab technician. You are a dental lab technician. You can be proud of that.

[@wrongmouse1658]

Decades ago, my office landlord told me a story about a gentleman that walk into his store (auto parts) and bought something. After he left, he told his salesclerk that this guy who look grimy and poor was a farmer that could have bought this place out of pocket change. Never judge a book by its cover.

[@scotthultin7769]

I rode with a friend of mine the speed limit was 35 miles an hour he was clocked at 165 mph We pulled into a gas station and we both got out of the car and went in the store and when we come back out he toss me the keys and I let him bounced off my chest and I kept on walking down the street I never got back in the car and the cops come walking up to him and he's as I seen you throw the keys to that other guy he's a smart man for walking off and he got handcuffs and they told his car and I walked home

[@Fireguy97]

I'm sure that you have an interesting story, but I have absolutely no idea of what it was with your description. 🤷

[@j.f.christ8421]

@@Fireguy97 "Needs a better class of friend" was my take. Note it was "a friend", not "an ex-friend", some people are slow learners.

[@tomhenry897]

Knew his friend was going to blame him Must have pulled this trick before

[@mxplixic]

A friend will bail you out of jail, a good friend will be in the cell with you. I'm your passenger. 😊

[@davidhansen4270]

Years ago I was a police officer & I received a speeding ticket on the way to work. (No professional courtesy) On my court date, I showed up in uniform with all my gear. After a laugh with the clerk over his thinking I was the arresting officer, I sat down up front. Later, the prosecutor approached me, asked which case I was there for (apparently missing my name badge) then asked for facts of the case. After giving the honest facts about the ticket & conditions of the evening he mentioned that the defendant had not yet checked in, which is when I informed him that I was the defendant. He went pale, mentioned that he shouldn't be speaking with me & excused himself. The officer did not show up, the motion to reschedule was denied & the ticket thrown out.

[@stargateproductions]

It's not what you know, it's who you know. Tale old as time. Great video Steve!

[@RobDeHaven]

Cool story. Hearing things like this though just makes it worse for my view of the judicial system. When it is a pay to play system, that means the lower income people are more harshly convicted and that really rubs me the wrong way. I think any DA that has these views should be sanctioned and/or disbarred if they continue to cut deals in this manner. It makes organizations like the Institute for Justice have an even more uphill battle if the prosecution has the attitude they will not budge and even work harder because the defendant isn't paying for their services. That in my opinion is the epitome of corruption and a two tiered legal system.

[@j.f.christ8421]

As the saying goes, it's expensive to be poor.

[@kurtvanluven9351]

Does not always work. They treated me worse as my step-father was a judge.

[@TheOrangeRoad]

Our DA's here in California agree with you! That's why anyone poor or violent gets off the hook! They don't have to pay fines, or even spend more than a few hours in jail. And California has never been better!

[@eugenetswong]

Yeah, I have a dimmer view of the system after watching the video. The exception should be cutting deals in familiar types of cases.

[@eugenetswong]

Yeah, I have a dimmer view of the system after watching the video.

[@rationalbushcraft]

My former boss had something up with his hand and needed an MRI. So he called around to get the best price and scheduled an MRI without a prescription. He showed up in his well worn suite and proceeded to get the MRI not ordered by any doctor. When he was done they said Dr would you like to see the results? He said sure and they proceeded to show him the images and said as you know this is just a (whatever medical term it was) so likely you won't have to do anything for it to go away. Even the insurance company didn't catch that it was not from a doctors recommendation.

[@rogerszmodis]

So he didn’t actually need an mri.

[@Olivia-W]

​​​@@rogerszmodisIt's kind of hard to know if it'll show something useful beforehand, even if there are good reasons to do one for a lot of things.

[@tiffanysandmeier4753]

​@rogerszmodis6913 it was likely he did, but he didn't go through the step of visiting his doctor to get the referral

[@tiffanysandmeier4753]

@@mayshack right, if insurance paid, they would require the referral

[@MonkeyJedi99]

Wow. Even doctors fall for the "appeal to authority" problem.

[@RottenRogerDM]

My car was stolen recently. I had to go to court. Both times I have been asked if I am the lawyer. No. The second time the cop on duty said. "You have business dress and a briefcase. I thought you were a lawyer." I leave from work and go to the courthouse. And the briefcase contains my case notes and book to read.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

I have always wanted to bring a briefcase to court with a sandwich and a bottle of water inside.

[@patriayvida6850]

Money first, eh? Best justice system that money can buy.

[@jonanderson4280]

So this story confirms the theory I've had for a long time. Attorneys representing cliets pro bono don't usually get the best deals from prosecutors.

[@Bbergley]

I used the "cut him a break, he is already paying for this" arguement with the Department of Revenue regarding sales tax penalties. The business was being sold, and we were asking for them to waive the penalties. In that case, I was arguing that the professionals who were helping put together the deal that was getting the State paid off weren't going to get paid without the waiver. I wasn't disrespectful, but I did say that I didn't know why I was speaking with the Revenue officer if the State wasn't willing to grant the waiver. He did agree to the waiver, but did want us agreeing that the ownership was not going to get any cash out of the deal.

[@ronnydowdy7432]

❤ This story has a lot of un just in it. Shows some people are getting a better deal in courts because of who they are or presumably know.

[@bobwatson8754]

Some 25 years ago I was in court representing myself in a "final" child support hearing. My son had just turned 18 and my support was due to end. Anyway, I went to court in a sport coat, tie, and slacks...my normal work attire...and the judge mistook me for an attorney. That was sort of understandable given what everyone else was wearing, but still...

[@jesstreloar7706]

I was going through my last security screening before getting discharged. The DIA agent looked at his file and told me I had lied about certain things in my past. I asked "what things?" He started relating events that had not happened to me. "That is not me." He looked at my ID again and moved files around, found mine and said "oh, you are good to go." I like to think the lack of any follow up questions may have been because of the mistaken identity.

[@thedesertwarrior7447]

It also sounds like the DIA agent was inept, and could have landed you in the "Obstructing, Resisting, and Beaten To A Pulp" file. I'm glad you made it out alive, and in one piece.

[@ernesthiscox2252]

Steve, some background on my email "I became an attorney." We lived in Middlesex County in Massachusetts that has two courthouses, Lowell and Cambridge, and the incident happened in Essex County with only one courthouse. While some attorneys in the Cambridge might appear in the Essex courthouse, the probability of a Lowell attorney appear in Essex is very small. I enjoy your videos. Ernie

[@kenyattaclay7666]

I actually get confused with being an attorney quite often even from some people who aren't in my section but work in my agency. I even have to remind some friends that know I'm not an attorney that I can give an opinion but that I cannot give actual legal advice & they need to speak to an actual lawyer. However it's a natural mistake because a major part of my job is legal research and my masters degree is in political science with a concentration in legal studies which means that I have to know the laws, codes & regulations in order to do my job. My uncle was also a criminal defense attorney & law professor so I kind of got an education from him when discussing high profile cases which is why I guess some people assume I'm an attorney.

[@TheRealScooterGuy]

With that kind of knowledge, you might try taking the bar exam (if they will let you).

[@CrankyBeach]

Yeah, I have a friend who actually IS an attorney (although she's out on disability, but that's another story). Her field is intellectual property. But every single time someone asks her a question that has even the slightest whiff of legal matters of any kind, she will always say, "This is NOT to be construed as legal advice..." and then go on from there.

[@fortune00011]

I had a very similar thing happen to me. I got a ticket while on a road trip 2 counties over and when I showed up for my first hearing I met with the DA and he thought I was an attorney because of how I was dressed and some filings I had already made on the case. Most pro se defendants don't dress or act like that and aren't that well prepared. The DA was definitely treating me differently. By the time I clarified I was representing myself (and I did make sure to clarify that), it was too late to walk back on the things he was saying to me. He dismissed the case on the spot.

[@gerardwall5847]

Assumptions about identity can cut both ways. When my first child was born, the chief of medicine at the hospital had the same last name as mine. The nurses acted terrified of me and did their best to avoid us ( which meant that treatment protocols were not followed possibly to my wife’s detriment ). I found out later that the chief of medicine had a reputation of being very hard on the nurses when they made mistakes

[@bdp4]

So their solution was to make more mistakes? Sounds like the chief is too lenient if they are going to endanger patients like that.

[@arcturuslight_]

@@bdp4 wow, youtube really be trippin today. I am seeing this comment three times over

[@chrisl4999]

I’ve done something similar on two different occasions for my kids. First one was calling his place of employment to work out a paycheck issue - my son tried for weeks to get it handled. I solved it in one call to the right person saying the right things. No threats just a “how can we resolve this to avoid any escalation”. The second was with an apartment. Being very calm, confident, and straightforward works

[@CrankyBeach]

My sister was going to look at an apartment for rent for herself and her young daughter. As the apartment was in a desirable location and likely had lots of applicants, she wanted to "stack the deck" a bit. She dressed her daughter in a cute flowered dress and herself in business clothes (skirt, blouse, blazer, heels, hair upswept). I lent her a briefcase. She got the apartment.

[@Ratzfourtyfour]

'Nice suit, in a little rough shape but it looked kinda expensive' is probably the most authentic Lawyer outfit you can have.

[@bipolarbear722-vn4fn]

This is exactly what is wrong with the judicial system.

[@JTA1961]

Athefumen

[@RangerBob2541]

Steve, interesting story regarding my brother (who can be a little bit of a wise ass). So he owns a Mustang GT, and he sometimes like to wring it out. So he's driving home and is taking a highway on ramp way way over the speed limit. As he rounds the curve before entering the highway, there is a patrol officer standing in the road signaling him to pull over behind a line of cars. The officer walks over and says 'sir, do you know why I pulled you over?' My brother decides to stash his wise ass and tells the officer 'yes I know. I was speeding. I just wanted to wring out the engine a little.' The officer says 'yeah, its a Mustang GT. I get it. License and registration please.'. So my brother is doing a quick calculation in his head about how big the fine is going to be, when the officer comes back over. The officer says to him, 'sir you see all those cars in front of you, none of them were speeding according to the drivers. But we clocked them on radar going just as fast as you were. But you are the only one who was speeding, who admitted it.' So here is you ticket. When my brother looked at the ticket, the citation was not for speeding, but for taking a ramp curve to fast. The difference in dollars between speeding and his citation was $700 (his fine was for $50 and no points). Honesty pays. Of course, he was civil to the officer, as always.

[@erictaylor5462]

I was working in a hospital as a security guard in a hospital in San Francisco, Ca. This was the early 1990's for some historical context. It was about 3am and everything was quiet. I did know better than to point that out even then. I was walking from my duty station to the cafeteria for my lunch break when I saw a black man in a white coat knocking on a door. This door was was suppose to be locked, and the only way to get into the hospital from outside was through the ER, witch was quite a long walk (like maybe 3 blocks). In the day time hospital staff would go out this door for a smoke break, but at night the door is locked. The guy was black, but this means nothing to me, as a man's skin color has nothing to do with his character as a person, and he was clean and well kempt. I just assumed he was a doctor who'd gone out for a smoke forgetting that door was locked. It was a *HUGE* no-no to let anyone into the hospital through this door. I would probably have lost my job if anything happened, but as I said he looked like a doctor to me, and I really hate being a dick to people so I decided to let him in. I really wish I had been a dick. I certainly didn't lose my job over it because nothing really happened. But it was clear at once that this guy was no doctor. In fact, he was deeply delusional and having a real mental health crisis. I ended up walking the guy to the ER and handing him off to a medical staff. They asked me where he'd come from and I said I'd seen him outside and I could see he needed help, so I let him in a locked door. It wasn't a total lie. Only the part about letting him in after seeing he needed emergency medical care was a lie. I let him in before I saw he needed help, and I got him to agree with that little lie. I told him, "Man, I can lose my job for letting you in. Can you tell them I called you to me when I saw you needed help. He agreed to that. Even crazy people can be reasonable. I'm glad I was able to help him get the help he needed, and frankly he was so bad off that I'm not sure he could have gotten to the ER on his own. But the next time someone wanted me to break the rules to get into the hospital, I was a dick. I hate being a dick and not long after this, I found I was not suited to be a security guard. At least not in a hospital. Making assumptions based on how someone looks can get you into trouble.

[@madmaximilian5783]

Hey Steve you are definitely correct on this being a great story. I just had a great big smile on my unshaven face this morning...this unnamed guy is just genius.

[@jeromethiel4323]

I have driven "a lot over the speed limit." But i always made sure it was an area where there was little to no danger to others. I know you cannot make the risk to others zero, but you can do what you can to minimize the risks to others. Driving 30 over in a residential area is WAY different than driving 30 over in the desert of Nevada with no other cars in visible range. That is, unless the police are just there to get revenue. Which has also happened to me (not at 30 over, but still more than 10).

[@joshuaharmon7411]

This is a very nice "Fish Tail" yes I totally Believe it, and appreciate the effort and the story line. One of the coolest behind the scenes stories you have shared to date. Peace

[@AustinPinheiro_uniquetexthere]

i did not expect that mike twist. that was a doubly funny story. what if you setup a meeting of all the lehtos

[@basara5496]

Back in 1991, I was working for the State of Kentucky as a toll plaza attendant. I was on duty when I got a call from my dad that my brother had been arrested for drag racing on a highway, doing 125 in a 55 zone. He'd given MY NAME to the cops, and my dad (ever the one to try to cover for my addict brother, while leaving me out to twist in the wind) want me to JUST LET HIM DO IT, thinking he could get the charge reduced for me, but not for my brother (whose record was already 10 pages long in just that one county of the three counties that made up our home area). I said not only no, but HELL no, as my dad seemed to not care that my job depended on having a driver's license and a relatively clean driving record. I got on the old KATS phone system to call the KSP post in London (all the state offices had a single phone exchange that crisscrossed the state, that worked like pre-1980s phone systems where we only had to call the last 4 digits). I got the number for the Harlan post from them (as the offense was in that post's jurisdiction, and they made the collar). I told them who I was, that I was a fellow state employee that had been on the clock since 3PM, and that I couldn't be the one they'd taken to the Knox County Jail. They'd had some suspicions (wrong height, weight, and lack of prescription glasses), but couldn't prove anything at the time (this being before the cruisers had onboard computers). However, they immediately called the jail and had them make my brother give his real name, and got the documentation fixed before the court got it the next morning.

[@floridaliving4900]

Judicial crime syndicate. This is a great example of how this system works for them and not us.

[@osmanvincent1975]

I remember reading about a twin who was identified for a criminal activity. The witness could not identify which twin, and apparently the twins kept silent

[@JC_Chappy]

When I was in college (early 2000's) I had several classes with an older lady. She looked just like Sissy Spacek. Could've been twins. (Google her, Zoomers.) She told me about a time she and her husband went to a really expensive restaurant. She said when they came in, the manager was absolutely fawning over them, excited they were there, asked how her family was doing, all of it. He moved them to a secluded table and brought out an expensive wine with their meal. After dinner the chef comes out and serves them a cake for dessert, and the manager offers to comp all of it. Turns out Sissy Spacek was a regular there and they happened to be there on her birthday. Of course, they explained the situation and the manager graciously comped everything anyway. 😂

[@gavnonadoroge3092]

@JC_Chappy there has to be more to that story, because if she was a regular, then manager would know her from a lookalike

[@JC_Chappy]

@@gavnonadoroge3092maybe, but I'm sure that a celebrity coming a few times a year is much more memorable than a normal person on a regular basis. So what you and I think being a regular means might be different than what the manager and chef thinks. Just my thoughts.

[@e-curb]

Mistaken identity got me a really deep discount on an old car part I was looking for. I called the local Ford dealer to ask if they had a certain part. Nope. Called the next, then the next. Finally, one parts guy at one dealer said that he could see all of the inquiries from the other dealers earlier that day in their computer system. So he decided to really help me out by doing a deeper search. He found the part at another dealer a thousand miles away and gave me their ph number. When I called, I just started talking to the parts guy about what I knew already, that the system says they have this part in stock and could he verify it was actually there. It was, so I said I wanted it and had my CC ready. I asked what the price was. His answer was, "cost plus 10". Not knowing what that was, I asked again. He repeated it. I had to ask again. It was then that he realized that I wasn't a parts guy from a Ford dealership!

[@susanohnhaus611]

Many, like fifty, years ago my husband was in college and I got a job in the parts department of the local Ford dealership. One of my jobs was to answer calls inquiring about cost of parts and repairs. At that time Ford had two parts pricing books. One was for the shop and customers, and the other was for everybody else. It was called the Good Book. I got in trouble for accidentally quoting a regular price book cost to someone who came in to buy a part. I had quoted it over the phone and they had to give him the cheaper price. I guess the reasoning was that the dealership made labor on jobs done there and the true cost reflected that. But they didn't make any labor on the parts that people, or other dealers or garages or mechanics bought, so the Good Book price was higher.

[@roadmonkeytj]

@@susanohnhaus611 yep the shop I apprenticed in kept a small stock of napa oil filters and air cleaners ... once a month we had to settle up with napa for what we sold or didn't sell and we had our cost and retail cost which was charged to the customer

[@Bobs-Wrigles5555]

Ben staring at us over Steve's right shoulder

[@michaelmoorrees3585]

First thing I noticed. Right out in the open. Sometimes he throws us a softball.

[@Bobs-Wrigles5555]

@@michaelmoorrees3585 I think Steve does that for the mobile viewers, a bit hard to miss😎

[@user-no1cares]

I think Steve takes pity on me every now & then. G’nite Bob.

[@GhostDrummer]

Ben’s actually staring at the books…😂

[@Bobs-Wrigles5555]

@@GhostDrummer But he's got his binoculars on us (001)

[@lambastepirate]

LOL you must be really busy if you carry a suitcase to court HAHAHA that was a good laugh the image that brought to mind.

[@stevelehto]

I have one that's really beat up but it's just for show.

[@timclark7507]

Somewhat confirms my belief that prosecutors and defense attorneys are more coworkers than adversaries. I had personal experience where friends of mine had better deals using out of town lawyers than those who hired local.

[@JasonW.]

A wise woman once said, It is better to know your purpose for being born, Than to know how you were made to be born.

[@bleebu5448]

The innocent must pay and pay and pay to prove their innocence!

[@ningayeti]

Steve always has a funny story to brighten my day.

[@jickjackyou]

The system is so messed up. People get off for knowing the right people, being famous, etc and yet others get convicted for laws they didn't even violate. Have an unpopular religious or political view? Guilty. The evidence proving your innocence means little so long as the prosecutor tells a good story. I see it again and again and again. I report on trials (state house hearings and similar as well) in New Hampshire and it's absolutely disgusting. Same thing at the federal level. It's even worse at the federal level. Almost everyone accused of a crime pleads guilty even when many didn't commit or do anything wrong. We got a problem.

[@highpath4776]

IF the "is he related to" question is asked , surely the response at first should be "does it matter if he is ?"

[@ClutchCarson]

Listing to you videos on a daily basis bring my much entertainment. Thank you so much for sharing them.

[@KM-zu9we]

What I discovered dealing with defense attorneys representing clients. They either don’t want points on their record so they are willing to pay way more OR, they don’t care about the points but can’t afford all the fines, time or other things associated with a specific charge.

[@ryuuguu01]

How times change. In Iceland around the year 1,000 it was illegal to pay someone to argue the law for you. Only friends and relatives were supposed to argue for you. There is a saga where, the man who argued the law was wearing a new gold armband that came from his client, is a major point. I don't think this a better system than we have now, just different.

[@gvweeda]

I enjoyed both of these stories 😂. Really emphases how not talking too much is often the best course in life.

[@peridianejones3859]

I went to court as a defendant for a traffic offense without an attorney, but I was dressed in a nice suit with my leather laptop bag, which looked like a nice case... and security didn't want to screen me and just waved me through.

[@tsherwoodrzero]

I had that happen too. 3-button suit, tie, black briefcase and a confident aura

[@bradb7060]

It's not a justice system, it's a "just-us" system.

[@idristaylor5093]

Ben giving his backing to the Italian Hall wood block.

[@LMacNeill]

So -- *TWO* lessons of "the less said, the better." Let them make their assumptions and DO NOT correct them unless it becomes 100% necessary to avoid a lie. Excellent advice.

[@JohnMcClain-p9t]

Somehow I've fallen to searching for the century note as first thing at each viewing, and today has been the easiest to see. Regarding the ticket, I once got a ticket for more than double the speed limit, while I was active duty recruiting for the Marines out of Richmond, Virginia and living in North Carolina. I tried to deal with it on my own for a couple months and the D.A. kept doing continuances and someone finally told me "they obviously expect you to get an attorney" so I did. It was a very expensive ticket in the end, but I was gratified to have it over with, and was quite pleased with the outcome as I managed to keep my license, probably because of my status as an "active duty recruiter". I work very hard to never get tickets since a couple thousand for speeding changed my perspective enormously. John McClain, GySgt, USMC ret.

[@mikmik9034]

Many Decades ago, I knew of a cop who said to Me, "I don't care if the ticket get thrown out, as long as the guy shows with an attorney. That need to hire, will be 'fine' enough for me."

[@darkwing3713]

So it's standard to discriminate against people who can't afford an attorney. What a surprise.

[@AeroGuy07]

The only other Lehto I'm familiar with is JJ Lehto, the Finnish race car driver. In his case, Lehto is a shortened version of his full last name, which wasn't easy to pronounce, especially for the English speaking race commentators.

[@lrmackmcbride7498]

One thing not covered is that a parent can act as a legal representative of a minor child in most states. Since the kid didn't know how to drive, I am assuming he is a minor.

[@mattcero1]

5:45 Steve nailed it! If you have money, the system is on your side. MONEY MONEY MONEY! It's almost unconstitutional as Pro Se is now proven a worthless effort and absolutely unfair according to Steve.

[@ti.mythril]

So.. you're saying justice is blind as long as you pay for it. Or... that the court will make a 'better, more beneficial deal' .. if the accused payes legal counsel lots of money? This does not sound like a very just system.

[@j.f.christ8421]

Justice isn't deaf, she hears the gold jingling as well as the rest of us.

[@lilsuzq32]

Ben Hundo's below the Hillsborough book, tucked behind the small wooden plaque (2nd shelf down)

[@dwayne7356]

This works in many business dealings, dressing professionally and talk calmy, it confuses many people in the world of "Karen's".

[@nemesis851_]

Bet that the Viper could do ”a lot over the speed limit” If it were unleashed

[@edwardmiessner6502]

Steve can take it onto the Chrysler proving grounds if the corporation would permit him

[@robertsinclair]

Videos like these are why I watch/listen to the Steve Lehto show. love it

[@FINNIUSORION]

if our justice system was a truly just system it wouldn't matter who was related to who or if they like you or not. that's not supposed to be how any of this works.

[@roberthuron9160]

I was on jury duty,and one of the empaneling lawyers,was someone I knew from,literally his babyhood! Basically said"hello",and recused myself,so that was one panel,I didn't serve on! Since they now have changed the law,now lawyers can serve on juries,as there are no exemptions! Definitely,the court system gets interesting 🤔 ! Thank you 😇 😊!!

[@geraldpatrick9463]

I was once stopped for doing 80+ in 60 in a 1951 Plymouth. It so happened that my speedometer needle stuck at 40 MPH. I I was polite, cooperated with the officer and I pointed out that my speedometer had become faulty and In that old car, I really didn't have any idea just how fast I was going. The officer who followed me for 20+ miles trying to get a clock on me, allowed that I did slow down for the corners nicely. As soon as I got home, I wrote the court and told my story about the speedometer breakdown on that trip and pointed out that the officer had seen the needle stuck at 40MPH. I didn't send in the ticket, or post bond, I just referenced the ticket number. The Judge wrote back and said that regardless, I was going 80+ in a 60. I wrote back explaining that I was in the Job Corp and only had a $20 a week stipend and that the required bond was more than that . The judge wrote back and said, "I'll reduce the charge to inoperative equipment and fine you $5. I couldn't write the check fast enough.

[@RambozoClown]

My attorney has the same first and last name as I do, but is unrelated to me. Loads of fun at the deposition.

[@jess_o]

Awesome story, good for him!

[@philcamp8621]

And that is another way to describe what is known as the "Good Ole Buddy" system. So basically sometimes your punishment has to do with who you know and therefore justice is not fair across the board. So if you have no money or you do not know somebody you will get a worse penalty..

[@jonwinter8618]

I was pulled over for 102 in a 55 zone (rural highway with no one but me and the officer around). Went to court and dressed in a suit and tie. I pleaded guilty and said I could pay the fine and asked not to lose my license (which was an option for the judge). After a "talking to about excessive speed" the judge asked if I could pay the fine in full that day and I said yes. He let me off with only the fine and points. I'm not sure if the judge remembered but he had previously been my dad's attorney for business matters. I think dressing up for court also made a difference.

[@xenaguy01]

Steve, please don't tell us that some prosecutors will cut deals with suspects who are related to people they know!😲😲😲

[@jstaff8027]

Great stories, both of them.

[@iggystim]

Great admirer of your diecast car and microphone 🎙️ collection.✨

[@edcrichton9457]

From chatting with a Finnish person the surname Lehto is fairly common in Finland and could translate as "grove" although you could also translate it as "woods".

[@rogerszmodis]

Prosecutors there openly admit being corrupt to the defence lawyers and defendant? How is that not a problem?

[@neruneri]

Because it happens in every single court, and the implicit nature of it is hard to actually stop.

[@rogerszmodis]

@@neruneri that actually sounds like a huge problem. Did you mot understand the question.

[@gthornton3]

Good morning from San Antonio

[@keithe2150]

I love the Riverwalk and there was a place I don’t know how Siri’s gonna spell it called the Mercado where are you could buy some really great stuff especially Zuni bolo ties OK there’s lots of things here to mess up but it’s a great town

[@ARockRaider]

i know they say justice is blind, apparently what they didn't say was she is blind drunk. i know it's a funny story but it's actually really disturbing how much the prosecution will flex based on their opinion of you or your client.

[@ethansdad3d]

Awesome story! This might be my favorite story of yours so far.

[@StandUpChuck]

more like Judges and attorneys making sure that other attorneys stay in business and force people to pay attorney fees.

[@thattinawoman5119]

Back in college, I had an accident in Springfield IL (minor fender bender), but I was at fault (I rear-ended someone). It was my first ever traffic incident, and I never filed a report or sent in what I should have, I can't remember. Anyway, I got arrested by some local cops months later coming home from college, since there was a warrant out for my arrest, and I lost my license temporarily until the court date. I dressed professionally (a dress suit, nice professional outfit), and I sat in the courtroom with my Dad while everyone else was called before the judge...when I was the only one left, my Dad spoke with the prosecutor and found out they thought I was a lawyer (!) and wondered why I was there...I did end up getting the charges dropped to a misdemeanor, not sure if it was the dress or the screw up...

[@briangarrow448]

That’s one really great friend who tries to put the blame for the accident on his innocent passenger. With friends like him…

[@spacemissing]

The only way in which laws and their enforcement can be fair is if everyone gets the same deal for the same offense.

[@shadmtmtn1603]

It is said the doubt should always benefit the defendant, very good it did, DA shouldn't assume anything ! And the guy was in the clear, never said he was someone he was not, glorious ❤👍🖖

[@stephenbenner4353]

I got pulled over late at night once back in my early 20s. When the cop saw my ID, he asked if I have a cousin named Chris. I said yes I did, and he didn’t give me a ticket. Only later as I thought about it is my cousin does not have the same last name as me. In the years since then I’ve heard of this Chris several more times, but I’ve yet to meet him.

[@terrybritton1355]

Did I just here you describe the corruption allowing some from paying as much on their speeding taxes? This is no different than stealing from the cash register. If everyone (police too) paid speeding or traffic rule tax for every infraction, we could eliminate all other taxes and payoff the countries debt.

[@j.f.christ8421]

Soft corruption doesn't count as corruption apparently.

[@neruneri]

@@j.f.christ8421 Problem is mainly that it's implicit and that it's so hard to actually stop, without a strong incentive to stop it. You're not gonna raise a stink if a collegue of yours on the other side decides to play nice because he sees you every week at work. Simultaneously, that guy on the other side would also not like to be thrown the whole book and have a stink raised at him over other stuff that's not extremely serious. It is corruption, absolutely. But it's also workplace politics. Your job becomes infinitely harder if everybody dislikes you for being a hardass.

[@markcentral]

Thanks for the Nice story But it remains frustrating that being related to an attorney should afford some people more slack than others 🙁

[@robertobrien4799]

I have done it! Reading a Black s law dictionary or holding those 11x14 court Manila folders helps too!

[@additudeobx]

I always thought paying for an attorney for related car tickets was called, "Supporting the Economy and the Profession." It' amounts to like paying less overall, than pain for court costs plus points and increased insurance rates. But the stipulation was always 1 year of probation.

[@demar1496]

A lot of folks here bemoan the fact that hiring an attorney might sway one's case, even a smidge. But there are other factors: * being on time, * dressing cleanly, * being well-groomed/neat, * being polite, eg: saying "yes sir" or "yes ma'am" instead of "uh huh" * getting directly to one's point without extraneous information or emotional reactiveness * paying attention and refraining from talking, gesturing, rolling eyes ...when another party speaks If you can't afford an attorney, do all of the other things. You will still likely find some favor, or avoid disfavor. Many folks in traffic court or small claims (the instances I think about when going lawyer-less) don't do any of the above, so you will stand out, in a positive way.

[@miketrissel5494]

I was told 20 years ago that judicial decisions were made, even before you see the judge. You just confirmed that for me. I am deeply disappointed. My disabled brother's PARKED car was destroyed by a 17-year-old with no insurance. My brother was dirt poor, and his wife was dying. The owner of the car was in prison and the car was not insured. He sat in the court, hearing fine after fine in the hundreds of dollars with suspended sentences. When this kid and his father got called, he pleaded 'poverty' , paid the $95 court costs ... (they got theirs), and got a "don't do it again." My brother got nothing, but the $300 scrap price, after his not at fault insurance, took the $1000 deductible out. JUSTICE IS BLIND ALRIGHT, AND DEAF, BUT SURE HAS BIG POCKETS!☹

[@augggie]

A Good Lawyer knows the Law, a Great Lawyer knows the Judge 😂😂😂

[@HH-ru4bj]

I've heard stories like this before, but they were reddit so take it with a grain of salt. Anyway, one story was so much mistaken identity, it was that the defense lawyer from some kind a suit was in a grocery store speaking loudly about the case to his wife, and revealing things in front of the plaintiffs lawyer that weren't known to them, and since they had never met before they didn't know what each other looked like and stuff, but they could recognize it was his case by what was said. Any way, forgotten details and more forgotten details, the defences side did settle after the plaintiffs side made some requests for info with that overheard conversation.

[@kens.3729]

Now we can Better Understand 🤔 Why Many Deals are Made. Former St. Louis City Prosecutor, Kim Gardner, Refused to Prosecute and was Forced to Resign🤪👎

[@Inquisitor6321]

Ben is standing in front of the blue legal volumes with his back to us.

[@socialanarchy081]

Our justice system is ridiculous.

[@the_once-and-future_king.]

OK that's genuinely disturbing. 1, DAs are basically imposing punitive measures based on the suspect paying attorney fees or not. 2, cutting deals based on who you know, and not the case notes. And there are those who say the law is impartial...