this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2023
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Fenton, population 226, brings in over $1 million per year through its mayor’s court, an unusual justice system in which the mayor can serve as judge even though he’s responsible for town finances.

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[–] Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world 169 points 1 year ago (20 children)

We held a hearing about whether or not the mayor should also be the Judge. The mayor has decided that the mayor runs the court impartially and there is no need for a 3rd party magistrate.

“I’m the mayor after all”

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[–] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 71 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'm generally for local control over local matters, but this shit should be illegal at the federal level. The right to due process is impossible to implement when the executive and judicial branches are run by the same person.

[–] thedirtyknapkin@lemmy.world 37 points 1 year ago (2 children)

the most, worst, and most blatant corruption is usually in local government. it's just so much harder to get people to notice or care until it's like Flint Michigan water levels of bad.

[–] dag__@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Flint's still fucked I believe.

[–] elbarto777@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

Case in point.

[–] Thrashy@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It's also much harder to investigate and shine a spotlight on it, since local news sources have been in decline for years. For many smaller metros, the only local news source may be a weekly newsletter or NPR affiliate, and those rarely have the investigative impact that an old-school local paper would have had, and small-town corruption has flourished like fungus in the dark.

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[–] roofuskit@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago

This is the exact all powerful executive situation the foundation intended to stop from ever happening.

[–] awnery@lemmy.world 50 points 1 year ago (1 children)

in ohio ... and

seems like a clear conflict of interest to have a mayor adjudicating

[–] Salamendacious@lemmy.world 67 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I found this telling (emphasis mine):

Mayor’s courts operate in a gray area of Louisiana law. Like municipal courts, they handle violations of local ordinances. Municipal judges must hold a law degree and pass the bar; a mayor can preside over court without meeting any qualifications. Yet, like a municipal judge, a mayor can impose fines or sentence people to jail.

Mayor’s courts must ensure defendants have fair trials. But unlike other courts in the state, they aren’t subject to rules like the Code of Criminal Procedure that are supposed to ensure courts are run fairly and properly.

[–] angelsomething@lemmy.one 36 points 1 year ago (7 children)

Wow. Truly land of the free. /s How is this permitted to go without consequences?

[–] ozmot@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago

In The United States we believe in freedom in the abstract and only the abstract.

[–] andrewta@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

My guess is no one has taken it to the Supreme Court.

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[–] MycoBro@lemmy.world 44 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’m from this area. A mayor got in trouble for embezzlement a few year ago. Look it up.

[–] Salamendacious@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Does this town have a reputation?

[–] MycoBro@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Yep. Do not speed. You go 50.

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[–] pan_troglodytes@programming.dev 36 points 1 year ago (15 children)

the most expedient solution would be to drive nowhere near Fenton, LA

[–] MycoBro@lemmy.world 29 points 1 year ago

This is impossible. You have no choice but to drive through Fenton to get to lake Charles without at least an hour detour through moss bluff. I live in this area and my in-laws live in Fenton (it’s bigger than it seems. The town itself is small but the surrounding area has lots of home. A lot more than 225 people in the town too.) You just don’t speed. You get a warning sign about it changing to 50. Go 50. I used to pick up my buddy in kinder, one town over heading to lake Charles for work, and we would wait to light the blunt till we passed though.

[–] Hnazant@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I've seen this movie. Stars dan Aykroyd and John candy.

[–] xX_fnord_Xx@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Nothing But Trouble is the movie for those curious.

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[–] fireweed@lemmy.world 34 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Reading the article, there is obviously there's some shady-ass conflict-of-interest shit going down in this specific case.

However.

Literally any municipality in America could make bank if they enforced the traffic laws to the letter. Conditions permitting, most drivers regularly go 5-10mph over the speed limit. Distracted driving is common, and evolving (apparently the new things is people watching streaming videos while driving). In certain areas drivers leave their cars parked on sidewalks, blocking crosswalks, inside bike lanes, etc. Laws about stopping for pedestrians waiting to cross the street may as well not exist. Buzzed (and more recently, mildly-stoned) driving is socially acceptable. My local municipality could probably fund itself exclusively off tickets from drivers who don't have their lights on in the rain.

To be very clear: enforcement is a terrible way to get people to follow traffic laws (an outsized number of encounters that end in police violence started with a traffic stop, traffic stops are disproportionately made against people of color, tickets are regressively priced, etc etc). However the case study of this little town reveals a big truth: lawbreaking while driving is widespread on American streets to a level so extreme that nearly all drivers on the road will break the law (however minutely) every time they get behind the wheel. What kind of a broken system is that?

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[–] quotheraven404@lemmy.world 27 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] Everythingispenguins@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago (2 children)

He does look like he would take peoples money

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[–] Jackcooper@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

There was once a town that the state took its town charter away for the shitty way they pulled people over.

Louisiana needs to do the same.

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[–] snekerpimp@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hey, it’s the plot line to “nothing to lose”. Is there a coal fire under the courthouse?

[–] GentlemanLoser@ttrpg.network 15 points 1 year ago (3 children)
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[–] MrSilkworm@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

People should literally stay away from this town, and drive around it. It's simply unacceptable for any municipality to work or either exist this way. It's better for everyone besides the 221 people living there not to ever visit or even passthrough the place

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[–] ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

deleted by creator

[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

And here I thought that city that the Spiffing Brit did in Cities Skylines (and, to a lesser extent, Tropico) that subsisted entirely on toll tickets were just too dumb to be real. If that game allowed you to exist on fines, I suspect it'd be exactly like this place

PS - Invidious link to the vid - https://inv.tux.pizza/watch?v=gBe39Tn_75c

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[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Reminds me of Waldo Florida, back in the day.

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