Traveling Is A Right, Driving Is NOT! | Judge Shuts Down Driver — That Nonsense Doesn’t Fly!

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[00:00:00]Uh Jacques Lavigne Scott, would you come right up to the podium, please? Give me the top copy of your advice of rights.

[00:00:09]Bring the thing in your hand. Bring that right up to me.

[00:00:17]Good morning, sir.

[00:00:23]This is file number 23 14350T.

[00:00:28]It's a White Pigeon ordinance case.

[00:00:31]Your name is Jacques Scott? Yes.

[00:00:37]You got a ticket in White Pigeon on uh July 29th for no valid operator's license and no registration plate.

[00:00:49]I got an email from the White Pigeon Village attorney, Mr. Seth Coaches. He emails the court every Monday afternoon regarding the Tuesday morning White Pigeon cases.

[00:01:04]And it's very helpful.

[00:01:06]So, let's talk about this. Uh the charge, no valid operator's license, is a misdemeanor. It's punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $100.

[00:01:18]Carries two points on your driver's license and goes on your driving record.

[00:01:23]You're also charged with having an improper registration plate, which is a civil infraction that carries a $120 fine.

[00:01:32]Mr. Coaches emailed me yesterday and he's willing to dismiss both of these charges for a plea to a lesser charge of allowing another to violate the motor vehicle code.

[00:01:47]Um that one is a kind of a strange charge.

[00:01:55]It carries no points. It doesn't go on your driving record and it won't affect your ability to continue to work on getting your driver's license.

[00:02:05]However, it is a misdemeanor.

[00:02:08]It's punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $100.

[00:02:13]The [snorts] normal fine is $100 plus costs.

[00:02:16]The other charges would be dismissed.

[00:02:20]The public defender, Mr. Keith Stickley, has joined us and he's available for any consultation for anyone if needed. But, Mr. Coach, the White Pigeon Village attorney, has agreed to save you $120 by dismissing the other ticket and two points and putting this on your driving record if you plead to allowing another to violate the motor vehicle code.

[00:02:45]Are you willing to plead to that lesser charge?

[00:02:50]Okay, you a better definition of sure this It is a little confusing.

[00:02:59]>> [snorts] >> The charge you're charged with is not having a valid operator's license.

[00:03:04]That's a misdemeanor.

[00:03:06]It carries two points and it goes on your driving record. Let's take a look at your driving record.

[00:03:17]I practice the other than the constitutional right to travel.

[00:03:23]Your license is expired.

[00:03:26]>> [clears throat] >> Um and uh you don't have a valid license.

[00:03:36]And I heard you whisper to Mr. um uh Stickley you're have a constitutional right to travel. That's true. You don't have a constitutional right to drive a car with no driver's license. So, people come in with this half-cocked, cockamamie, jabberwocky idea that uh they're their own country and um they don't need a driver's license or a proper plate to drive.

[00:04:06]Well, in this state, you do.

[00:04:08]So, the prosecutor has agreed to dismiss these. It won't go on your driving record. It won't carry any points.

[00:04:16]And he's dismissing the plate violation.

[00:04:22]So, it will save you about $250 maybe.

[00:04:29]$200 anyway.

[00:04:31]And no points.

[00:04:33]Um So, it's up to you. If you wish to plead guilty to the lesser charge, you can do that. Or if you wish to plead not guilty, I'll simply set the matter for a trial.

[00:04:49]What would you like to do, sir?

[00:04:54]See, I'm uncertain of the stances of what I'm dealing with.

[00:04:58]Um what's the second option you stated?

[00:05:01]Plead to allowing another to violate the motor vehicle code. It's a legal fiction. It It's you The other you're allowing to violate the motor vehicle code is yourself. But, the lawyers use it because it doesn't carry any points.

[00:05:15]No problem. It doesn't go on your driving record and won't affect your ability to get your license back if you wish to do that. No problem. Um so, that's option two. The other option is to plead not guilty and I'll set the matter for a trial.

[00:05:31]I'll take the second option. The um the one you stated that's confusing. Okay.

[00:05:36]Plead to allowing another violate the motor vehicle code.

[00:05:38]>> Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. All right.

[00:05:41]>> [snorts] [cough and clears throat] >> Where were you going that day?

[00:05:47]I was traveling to my bank. Okay. Which is Is your driver's license expired?

[00:05:58]I don't have a license. All right, that's good enough.

[00:06:04]Now, you had a driver bring you today?

[00:06:06]Yes. Very good.

[00:06:08]Well, this will save you 120 bucks off of that.

[00:06:16]What do you do, sir? What's your occupation?

[00:06:22]Security.

[00:06:24]Very good. You still live in White Pigeon? Yes.

[00:06:31]White Pigeon's a little town.

[00:06:33]If they see you driving, they'll pull you over again.

[00:06:37]Just a word of caution.

[00:06:43]So, the fine's $100.

[00:06:46]There's no points. It won't show up on your driving record. The state costs are 125. So, it's $225.

[00:06:55]But, this won't appear on your record.

[00:06:58]Do you need some time to pay that?

[00:07:01]Yes. How much time do you need?

[00:07:06]It could be Friday.

[00:07:07]Oh, I'll give you more time than that.

[00:07:10]Uh can you pay it by October 5th?

[00:07:12]Certainly. Okay. That's 225 10 5 23.

[00:07:19]We give you the rest of August and most of September.

[00:07:23]All right, sir. You're good to go.

[00:07:27]Priscilla, I'm going to need your help.

[00:07:29]I've got at least one interpreter case.

[00:07:33]She's been advised. Okay. And Frank's no help.

[00:07:46]>> Well, that was the right choice for that gentleman.

[00:07:51]All right.

[00:07:52]Wow.

[00:08:01]Mr. George, I'll take care of your cases. You have to be two places at once.

[00:08:06]>> Yes, sir.

[00:08:07]Where's the other place? Next door.

[00:08:09]Anyhow, just wait.

[00:08:11]>> [laughter] >> Uh you know you do have a couple of prelims for this afternoon. Are we going to have a prelim on that right case?

[00:08:23]>> I'm going to I'm going to talk with them this week.

[00:08:25]How about Donnie Warner? I have to talk with Dave and see what his status is on that.

[00:08:30]Okay.

[00:08:32]Well, let's take care of the ordinance cases.

[00:08:36]>> [snorts] >> Um John Kendall Lewis the III.

[00:08:48]>> [clears throat] >> Good morning, sir.

[00:08:58]>> Good morning.

[00:09:00]I like your shirt.

[00:09:02]Thank you.

[00:09:09]Do you know what year that is? Huh? Do you know what year that is? No, I'm not sure. I'm saying about 1962.

[00:09:17]It was way before my time.

[00:09:19]Well, I was there in '62, but I wasn't too aware of it.

[00:09:23]I was about 7 years old. All right, Mr. Lewis, you've got a ticket >> [clears throat] >> for being a disorderly person in the city of Three Rivers on July 27th.

[00:09:35]Uh that's a misdemeanor. It's punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $500.

[00:09:43]The normal fine for disorderly person is $75 plus the state cost for a total of $200.

[00:09:52]How do you plead to that charge?

[00:09:54]>> Guilty.

[00:09:56]All right. Were you in the city of Three Rivers that day? Yes.

[00:10:01]Tim, was this a public urination case?

[00:10:03]>> I didn't have my calendar today.

[00:10:07]Tell me what happened. I ended up drinking a little bit too much at a party and >> [clears throat] >> yeah, I was trying to walk home, but didn't make it.

[00:10:17]All right. Where is Winterwood Lane?

[00:10:19]Near the new high school.

[00:10:22]Look at past like going towards Ash Road.

[00:10:25]I'm not familiar with that.

[00:10:27]>> They're just building houses out there.

[00:10:29]>> Okay.

[00:10:31]All right.

[00:10:33]I'll accept your plea.

[00:10:36]Sometimes when you do a dumb thing, the best thing is just accept responsibility for it and move on. Now, you were yourself Main and Fourth Street. What were you doing over that direction?

[00:10:48]>> I was coming from over by friend's house. Was over >> Where were you walking to? I was trying to go back to the house. That's a pretty long walk. Yeah, that was Yeah.

[00:10:59]That was the plan. I was trying to get back back to the house.

[00:11:05]Did you spend the night in jail? Yes, been for 4 days 4 4 days 4 5 days.

[00:11:11]Let's [snorts] take a look. Can't tell from what I'm looking at.

[00:11:16]Did you have another charge? Um um child support.

[00:11:20]>> Okay.

[00:11:23]You would have to 4 days for this, but uh >> [snorts] >> All right, $75 fine, $75 crime victims rights fee, and a $50 state minimum fee.

[00:12:07]$200 as I told you.

[00:12:09]Other than this plea agreement, did anybody promise you anything to get you to plead to this?

[00:12:14]Or threaten you? No.

[00:12:16]All right, you need some time to pay that? Yes.

[00:12:19]October 5th.

[00:12:37]>> [clears throat and cough] >> All right, either stay where you're at or get a ride home and you won't end up with this kind of stuff.

[00:12:44]You're good to go. Thank you.

[00:12:51]What makes this hearing so interesting is how quickly the judge separates legal reality from internet-style legal theories. The defendant tried leaning on the right to travel argument. Something courts across the country repeatedly reject when it comes to operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.

[00:13:08]And instead of escalating the situation, the judge actually gave him a practical off-ramp.

[00:13:13]A reduced misdemeanor with no points and nothing added to his driving record.

[00:13:18]That's a major break considering the original charges could have made getting licensed even harder in the future. Then the second defendant comes in with a completely different energy, admitting he drank too much, made a bad decision, and accepted responsibility immediately.

[00:13:33]That honesty clearly mattered to the court. In both cases, accountability changed the outcome far more than excuses ever could. So, what do you think? Was the judge fair here or too lenient? Let us know in the comments below. And if you found this courtroom breakdown fascinating, make sure to like, share, and subscribe for more unbelievable real courtroom moments and legal drama every single week.