Unfortunately our city's attorneys have yet to get the hint from their bosses. Over the last couple of years I have attempted to reach a settlement with them or even just arrange a mutually agreeable court date and been stonewalled. Meanwhile Inspections has lost interest, I have painted or replaced what I could of the trim, and our City Attorney put out a warrant for my arrest.
Now it is to the credit of our Minneapolis Police that in the two traffic stops they made of me during the life of that warrant they knew better than to enforce it. However, over a month ago I was checked out by Red Wing Police for the high crime of lurking to take a picture of the Empire Builder coming out of the fog, framed by the Highway 63 truss bridge and massive grain elevators. Apparently it was a slow night and they just built a big new jail. They seemed disappointed when I posted $400 bail and thusly avoided stiffing Minneapolis' taxpayers for a night in their gray bar hotel.
Wanting my bail money back I showed up in court today. Present were a referee, our city attorney, and a few of my fellow working class citizens just trying to do the best they can to maintain there homes with limited finances. There was not an evil slumlord in sight. City Attorney attempted to play judge throughout the proceeding, amongst other violations of the basic ethical standards for lawyers. Informally entering the new city policy as evidence, I pointed out that City Attorney's clients no longer wished him to prosecute this "crime". I saved reminding him that pursuing an action his client no longer wishes to is another ethics violation for later...
Now this was supposed to be merely a Misdemeanor arraignment, so I steered City Attorney back upon the path of the law by requesting just what specific charges he had. What he had was some fuzzy pictures from long ago and not much since. Now I suspect City Attorney is a better poker player than he is a practicing attorney, for at this point he sensed he hadn't the best "hand" and decided it was time to fold- he offered to reduce the charge to a petty misdemeanor and a $300 fine with $200 suspended 'til September 15th providing I paint the trim.
Now I was tempted to take City Attorney to trial for amusement if nothing else, but having more important things to do I saved the taxpayers a few bucks and City Attorney further agony. If I can figure out a way to paint the trim for less than $200 I'll do it, if not...
The morals of this story...
1) Unless they can find some more productive use of their time, we should institute a hiring freeze in the City Attorney's office instead of the Police and Fire departments.
2) Minneapolis spent far more than the $100 revenue they got in this case. In fact if I'd accepted the County Sheriff's hospitality they'd have gotten a hefty bill.. NRP would have been a far more productive use of those dollars than the "junkyard dog" code enforcement the old guard gave us.
3) I remain uncommitted, but clearly the "new guards" reforms under RT are putting a stop to the criminalization of being property poor... And if Peter McLauglin expects our support he needs to renounce those failed policies of the bad old days and pledge to continue reforming city government.
Committed to Peace and Justice in Hawthorne,
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