Locherbie RIP

Of course one of the best things the Scots did in releasing this geezer? - they upset the Americans.

That's pure gold in any country.

Americans not going to visit Scotland? Nobody visits Scotland after August, even the Yanks arn't that stupid.

Col
 
punishments that suit the crime - One of the top members of Nokia's board has been handed the largest speeding fine in Finnish history.

I wonder if the promise of more cash influences the verdict?
 
I wonder if the promise of more cash influences the verdict?
In his case, I think it was high as they base fines on the person's income, with a set minimum, as opposed to one standard for everyone.
 
In his case, I think it was high as they base fines on the person's income, with a set minimum, as opposed to one standard for everyone.


Then it's a really bad idea, IMO.
 
Then it's a really bad idea, IMO.
Okay, why's that?

I earn, for example, $20k a year and get fined the minimum of, say, $500 for speeding. that's a lot to me, so I may well think about not doing it again.

Someone else earns $500k a year and gets stopped at exactly the same speed. $500 would be nothing to him and would certainly be no incentive towards changing his behaviour. Why shouldn't he pay more?
 
Fined for commiting such a heinous crime as being 14mph over the speed limit, he should have faced a firing squad:rolleyes:
 
Fined for commiting such a heinous crime as being 14mph over the speed limit, he should have faced a firing squad:rolleyes:
So which laws should be be allowed to break and by how much?
 
Because the verdict should have nothing to do with the sentence.
It didn't?:confused:

He was found guilty, therefore he paid X% of his salary as a fine, since that figure didn't fall below a set minimum.

That would have applied to anyone convicted of the same offence.
 
It didn't?:confused:

He was found guilty, therefore he paid X% of his salary as a fine, since that figure didn't fall below a set minimum.

That would have applied to anyone convicted of the same offence.

You've lost me. You said that it was highly probable that his bank balance influenced the verdict so I said it was a bad idea.
 
You've lost me. You said that it was highly probable that his bank balance influenced the verdict so I said it was a bad idea.
I said his income, not his bank balance. He could have inherited $1m and I don't think it would have had any bearing.

That seems like a standardised system of sentencing to me.

Each speeding offence = X% of your salary as a fine.
If that amount is below Y, you pay Y instead.

How is that relating the verdict to the sentence, beyond the fact that a guilty verdict means the sentence applies and an innocent means it doesn't?
Isn't that the case with all crimes?
 
So which laws should be be allowed to break and by how much?
There was a time here when common sense ruled and when the police etc. weren't just a branch of the taxcollection system;)
 
There was a time here when common sense ruled and when the police etc. weren't just a branch of the taxcollection system;)
I know exacty what you mean, but if the law exists why shouldn't it be enforced? I speed occasionally, I don't know anyone who doesn't. I don't expect to not be fined if I get caught doing it.
 
I said his income, not his bank balance. He could have inherited $1m and I don't think it would have had any bearing.

That seems like a standardised system of sentencing to me.

Each speeding offence = X% of your salary as a fine.
If that amount is below Y, you pay Y instead.

How is that relating the verdict to the sentence, beyond the fact that a guilty verdict means the sentence applies and an innocent means it doesn't?
Isn't that the case with all crimes?

I said

"I wonder if the promise of more cash influences the verdict?"

You replied:

"In his case, I think it was high as they base fines on the person's income, with a set minimum, as opposed to one standard for everyone."

I assumed you were saying that the chances of the verdict being influenced by his income, were high, so I said it was a bad idea.

Sounds like we have misunderstood each other again.
 
I said

"I wonder if the promise of more cash influences the verdict?"

You replied:

"In his case, I think it was high as they base fines on the person's income, with a set minimum, as opposed to one standard for everyone."

I assumed you were saying that the chances of the verdict being influenced by his income, were high, so I said it was a bad idea.

Sounds like we have misunderstood each other again.
Yes :o I should have inserted ", once the verdict has been delivered, " between "as" and "they".
 
Yes :o I should have inserted ", once the verdict has been delivered, " between "as" and "they".

I still don't agree with it :p

We have cops in our town passing out tickets for moped riders with no licenses instead of tracking down meth brewers.

You risk turning crime prevention into a money making exercise and there isn't much money in targeting the ones who do most harm to society.
 
I know exacty what you mean, but if the law exists why shouldn't it be enforced? I speed occasionally, I don't know anyone who doesn't. I don't expect to not be fined if I get caught doing it.
There are many cases here especially on the motorways where the police can and still do use their discretion, if speeding was such a crime they wouldn't have that privilege;)
 
I still don't agree with it :p

We have cops in our town passing out tickets for moped riders with no licenses instead of tracking down meth brewers.

You risk turning crime prevention into a money making exercise and there isn't much money in targeting the ones who do most harm to society.
How dare you say all Brits are sex offenders???
Oh, hang on, I may have misunderstood that last comment :p

That's a different argument, though, isn't it?
On the one hand, you have the question of whether or not police should spend their time on more serious crimes and ignore minor ones.

On the other hand, you have the fact that anyone who's lost a child (for example) due to a speeding motorist would be glad to hear that these laws are being enforced.
 
There are many cases here especially on the motorways where the police can and still do use their discretion, if speeding was such a crime they wouldn't have that privilege;)
How do we know that they hadn't used their discretion half a dozen times with the same guy in the past? He didn't heed their friendly hints, so they booked him.
 
How do we know that they hadn't used their discretion half a dozen times with the same guy in the past? He didn't heed their friendly hints, so they booked him.
The fuzz have long memories, anyway they'd be far better engaged on solving real crime, I long ago gave up reporting thefts from my property, half the time they didn't turn up and when they did all they issued was a crime ref!:mad:
 

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