9/3     Informal Poll: What has been peoples' experiences with Berkeley traffic
        courts?  Did you contest? Did the officer show up? Attitude of the
        judge, formality, etc...
        \_ Had to appear in a Berkeley traffic court over a fixit ticket that
           I inadvertently forgot to pay (broken taillight cover).  I was the
           last one in the dock.  The judge was a VERY mean old man with a
           disconcerting lazy eye.  He ripped into everyone that appeared
           before him, handing out harsh sentences left and right.  Then there
           was me.  Basically he took my story at face value and gave me a $75
           dollar fine...I have no evidence of this, but since I was the only
           white guy there I have a feeling I was benefitting from someone's
           racism.
           \_ Idiot.  You got a $75 fine for a $10 fixit ticket.  That was
              the most he was able to do to you, dumb white-guilt white boy.
                \_ When the last black man leaves the bus, it always erupts
                   into a big party ...
        \_ If you contest it you're going to blow more time,
           your 1st appearance in traffic court is to enter your plea,
           your trial will be scheduled for another day.   the above
           only white man in berkeley poster didn't make it to the trial
           phase, it won't be the same judge.  it sucks that just
           to contest, you're going to waste your entire day, first
           you have to arrive extremely early in the morning to sign
           up for walk-in court, then the judge hears everyone's pleas
           in the afternoon, and your case gets called in a random
           order, unless you don't speak English, in which case
           all of the non English speaking people cases get heard
           first so their interpreters can go home quickly.  That
           might be a good scam and would save your time. - danh