4 ms·

It was standard practice by the police and DA in 2000s Massachusetts. Neighbors were annoyed at loud college parties at the school I went to, so local police w

It was standard practice by the police and DA in 2000s Massachusetts. Neighbors were annoyed at loud college parties at the school I went to, so local police waited in bushes to catch people peeing in them, arrested them, and one of the charges was indecent exposure. Happened to one person I knew personally so it must have happened to several others at just this school. My friend plead out to some lower charge or probably got a continuance, but it massively increased the leverage they had over him and the fees and fines they could collect, and it massively lowered the chance of him doing any pushback that could have lead to a jury trial, which at least as far as he understood at the time would have put him on the registry, and which is why they abused the law and charged people this way.

nandomrumber 8mo ago
Are you entitled to a jury trial for peeing in the bushes in the USA? That isn’t the case here in Australia. You can go to trial, but it will be a judge-only trial, and is typically conducted by the magistrate who saw you for your first appearance on the matter, in the magistrates court, which is the lowest court here. I believe most of the colonies are approximately the same.
- eurleif 8mo ago
  You are constitutionally entitled to a jury trial for any criminal charge in the US under the Sixth Amendment.
  - nandomrumber 8mo ago
    Thanks. I’d imagine it would be cost prohibitive to take a peeing in the bushes charge to jury trial though? Sounds like the sort of thing one would only do if they were aiming to set a precedent for some reason?
    - bloppe 8mo ago
      95% of cases are settled before reaching jury trial. Usually a plea bargain for criminal cases. Settlement for civil cases. Or dismissal. The other 5% are expensive.
      - Pay08 8mo ago
        Would peeing in a bush be a criminal charge? I'm not American but I thought there was a difference between misdemeanors and "actual" crimes.
        lazyasciiart 8mo ago
        Misdemeanors are actual crimes, yes.
        deleted 8mo ago
        [deleted]
        fc417fc802 8mo ago
        Unfortunately in the US we do in fact go so far as to criminalize urinating in public. It's weird to me that speeding (up to some limit) in a school zone is ranked below pissing in a shrub along the road.
        aaronmdjones 8mo ago
        Generally speaking, there are two levels of crime in the US; misdemeanors and felonies. Both will land you with a criminal record, but a misdemeanor-only record will not show up on some standard background checks and does not remove your right to bear arms or vote, for example. Felonies are much more serious, and generally mandate a minimum prison sentence of 1 year unless plead down, while the sentencing for misdemeanors generally caps out at a year and typically just gets reduced to fines and community service, or a short stint (e.g. a couple weeks) in the local jail instead of a prison. In some states, first offense non-violent felony convictions (e.g. exceeding the speed limit while fleeing police in a vehicle) can be expunged from your record when you turn 21 (if you were convicted and served out your sentence before turning 21). Otherwise felonies generally stay with you for life.
        8mo ago
    - alistairSH 8mo ago
      The US judicial system LOVES to overcharge as a means to forcing a plea (and avoiding the cost/time of full trial).

nandomrumber 8mo ago

Are you entitled to a jury trial for peeing in the bushes in the USA? That isn’t the case here in Australia. You can go to trial, but it will be a judge-only trial, and is typically conducted by the magistrate who saw you for your first appearance on the matter, in the magistrates court, which is the lowest court here. I believe most of the colonies are approximately the same.

eurleif 8mo ago
You are constitutionally entitled to a jury trial for any criminal charge in the US under the Sixth Amendment.
- nandomrumber 8mo ago
  Thanks. I’d imagine it would be cost prohibitive to take a peeing in the bushes charge to jury trial though? Sounds like the sort of thing one would only do if they were aiming to set a precedent for some reason?
  - bloppe 8mo ago
    95% of cases are settled before reaching jury trial. Usually a plea bargain for criminal cases. Settlement for civil cases. Or dismissal. The other 5% are expensive.
    - Pay08 8mo ago
      Would peeing in a bush be a criminal charge? I'm not American but I thought there was a difference between misdemeanors and "actual" crimes.
      - lazyasciiart 8mo ago
        Misdemeanors are actual crimes, yes.
      - deleted 8mo ago
        [deleted]
      - fc417fc802 8mo ago
        Unfortunately in the US we do in fact go so far as to criminalize urinating in public. It's weird to me that speeding (up to some limit) in a school zone is ranked below pissing in a shrub along the road.
      - aaronmdjones 8mo ago
        Generally speaking, there are two levels of crime in the US; misdemeanors and felonies. Both will land you with a criminal record, but a misdemeanor-only record will not show up on some standard background checks and does not remove your right to bear arms or vote, for example. Felonies are much more serious, and generally mandate a minimum prison sentence of 1 year unless plead down, while the sentencing for misdemeanors generally caps out at a year and typically just gets reduced to fines and community service, or a short stint (e.g. a couple weeks) in the local jail instead of a prison. In some states, first offense non-violent felony convictions (e.g. exceeding the speed limit while fleeing police in a vehicle) can be expunged from your record when you turn 21 (if you were convicted and served out your sentence before turning 21). Otherwise felonies generally stay with you for life.
      - 8mo ago
  - alistairSH 8mo ago
    The US judicial system LOVES to overcharge as a means to forcing a plea (and avoiding the cost/time of full trial).