The costs of a conviction

“A recent criminal court report in Cook Islands News indicates that a convicted drink drive criminal caught driving while his driver’s licence was suspended was made to pay a total of $50 for the offence,” a smoke signaller writes. “The poor fellow, he will be short one case of beer for one weekend of binge drinking. Some punishment. Anyone sitting in the peanut gallery at criminal court sees the smirk on these miscreants faces as they walk out after these wrist slappings and give the thumbs up to mates. What does it cost the taxpayers to collect this $50? Add up police and support staff time, JP sitting fees, Justice and Probation time and can it be less than $500 to collect $50? It would be more cost effective to have a vending machine in the front of the courthouse where the defendant pushes the button for his particular offence, inserts a $50 note, holds his wrist up for a mechanical slap, and gets back to the bush beer school where he needs to be drinking with the mates.”

“A recent criminal court report in Cook Islands News indicates that a convicted drink drive criminal caught driving while his driver’s licence was suspended was made to pay a total of $50 for the offence,” a smoke signaller writes. “The poor fellow, he will be short one case of beer for one weekend of binge drinking. Some punishment. Anyone sitting in the peanut gallery at criminal court sees the smirk on these miscreants faces as they walk out after these wrist slappings and give the thumbs up to mates. What does it cost the taxpayers to collect this $50? Add up police and support staff time, JP sitting fees, Justice and Probation time and can it be less than $500 to collect $50? It would be more cost effective to have a vending machine in the front of the courthouse where the defendant pushes the button for his particular offence, inserts a $50 note, holds his wrist up for a mechanical slap, and gets back to the bush beer school where he needs to be drinking with the mates.”