Recent arrest puts Caleb Moore's criminal record in the spotlight (al.com)

[eppur_se_muova]

Updated on October 13, 2017 at 7:20 AM Posted on October 13, 2017 at 7:19 AM
By Amy Yurkanin
[e-mail]

The son of U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore was back in the headlines this week after authorities filed charges for trespassing.

It was the second time in less than a year that 27-year-old Caleb Moore turned himself into police, and one of nine arrests since 2011 for the son of the GOP senate candidate and former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.

And yet, none of the charges have resulted in prison time. This week, Reckon by Al.com has been looking at how the criminal justice system in Alabama treats low-income defendants, and whether they get locked out of programs that provide second chances and clean criminal records.

Does Caleb Moore represent the other side of the coin - a well-heeled defendant who escapes punishment again and again?
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more: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/10/recent_arrest_puts_caleb_moore.html

[yallerdawg]

1. Alabama screws the poor, and why it matters

It's not just Alabama. The national trend in courts is to make defendants pay the costs. But Alabama bought in big. The Legislature cut funding for courts and services, and hiked fees so "users" pay the brunt.

Lawmakers and cities love it. They don't have to raise taxes, and everybody's happy. Except for the bums in the system. And nobody listens to them.

They're right. People still run afoul of the law. Those able to pay the fines and increasing fees can put it in the rear view and never look back. Others - those who can't afford it -- pay a heavy price.

Everybody's looking for a buck. Cities employ red light cameras to churn money, and set up speed traps on the road to the beach. They raise fees for petty offenses and roll 777s when they collect.

The fine for driving the wrong way on a one-way street in Birmingham is $60. With fees it's $230.

But the fine for failing to pick up your dog's poop -- "Failure to Properly Dispose of Dog Excrement" - is $100. With fees it's $371.

That's some poop, there.

http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/10/alabama_screws_the_poor_and_wh.html#incart_river_home