If you've ever been to a municipal court for a traffic ticket (I've noticed this even in smaller town of the US) you'll find a courtroom packed full of people

If you've ever been to a municipal court for a traffic ticket (I've noticed this even in smaller town of the US) you'll find a courtroom packed full of people (more than not lower income folks) and a judge who rattles off fines like an auctioneer ($50... $130 for you... $90... $250...). It's clearly a huge money maker for the local government.