Citizens who show up for their trials are not allowed to leave the courtroom — except for restroom breaks or to put money in parking meters — resulting in a wait of up to five hours before their cases begin.This move was ordered to save on overtime expenses for the police department. Apparently the chief thinks it more important to save a few dollars than honor a court order. I doubt that the chief would be so understanding if a citizen claimed that he committed some crime to save money.
More significantly, the chief is saying that his officers are above the law, while ordinary citizens are forced to waste most of their day. It is bad enough that the police spend a large part of their time harassing citizens engaged in voluntary activities such as prostitution, taking drugs, and visiting strip clubs. Now they get to hassle citizens without even being present.
