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Title: Protecting and Serving: Texas Man Thrown in Jail for Weeks because his Lawn was Overgrown
Source:
Free Thought Project
URL Source: http://thefreethoughtproject.com/pr ... own-jail-weeks-lawn-overgrown/
Published: Apr 5, 2015
Author: Matt Agorist
Post Date: 2015-04-05 14:03:30 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 2060
Comments: 23
Grand Prairie, TX — A hard-working Texas man was thrown in jail after a warrant was issued for his arrest for an overgrown lawn. Rick Yoes is the campus electrician for Tarrant County College and usually works from before sun-up to after sun-down. In September of last year, he and his daughter had been hard at work and were unable to cut the lawn on their Grand Prairie home. The local government then claimed that because Yoes could not mow hiss lawn, he now owed them $1,700 for his grass that achieved a height of over six inches. A warrant was subsequently issued for his arrest and police were dispatched to keep us safe from the dangers of this man’s lawn. Yoes turned himself in on Saturday. Unable to pay the fine, Yoes was forced to use up all of his vacation days and find a replacement for his position as he serves out his 17 day sentence in the county jail — to pay his debt to society. “Yes, we should have been more on top of it, but we were so busy with work, and when we got a warning from the city we handled it,” Angle Yoes, Rick’s daughter told the Fresno People’s Media. According to the Fresno People’s Media, Yoes is a dedicated worker often times offering to help outside of the description of his job or volunteering for extracurricular activities. In 2012 he dressed up in 1776 style regalia and read a copy of the constitution to the student body. Because of his dedication he is loved by faculty, and students. In the Land of the Free you can be kidnapped and thrown in a cage for allowing the grass on your own property to grow past an arbitrary length set by the state.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 5.
#1. To: Deckard (#0)
The relevant ordinances can be seen at Municode.com. It seems the city did provide notification as required. The article lacks some details, like whether the $1700 fine included the cost of the city mowing the property for him, whether he had weeds overgrowing a sidewalk, etc. The "victim" may have been busy but he probably could have hired someone or traded work with them to get it mowed once he received notice.
But ... but ... as the article is very careful to point out, Yoes is a "dedicated worker often times offering to help outside of the description of his job or volunteering for extracurricular activities". Doesn't that mean the rules don't apply to him? Why should our laws apply to everyone equally? Is that fair? I think we should enforce the law only for people we don't like.
What was I thinking? Obviously, if he robbed a liquor store, he should get off with probation because he volunteers.
#7. To: TooConservative (#5)
When I was a kid, if my dad would have read this lengthy article as written he would have exploded. "Who cares if he's a nice guy! He broke the law!" Then again, when I was a kid no reporter in his right mind would have written the article this way. If at all. It would be in the "Local Crimes" section and more along the lines of "Scofflaw Fined for Messy Yard". No interviews with anyone. None needed. What could they say that would possibly make a difference?
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#4. To: TooConservative (#1)
#5. To: misterwhite (#4)
Is that fair? I think we should enforce the law only for people we don't like.
Replies to Comment # 5. "Obviously, if he robbed a liquor store, he should get off with probation because he volunteers."
End Trace Mode for Comment # 5.
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