Can You See The Problem Here?

Remember how I sometimes mention that the right of habeus corpus has been suspended in America for people charged with terrorist-related activities, and why that is a bad thing? Call me overly-sensitive if you will, but I just don't feel that this loss of a basic legal right is generating the proper amount of outrage among Americans that it should.

I think that perhaps this comes from the nebulous and rather vague grasp that Americans have of this obscure legal concept with a incomprehensible Latin moniker.

So class, here is a slightly better example of what is going on in America's legal system these days. See if you can point out how the following undermines the "rule of law" in the United States.

In Boston and other cities in Massachusetts, motorists cannot challenge a $100 parking ticket in court without first paying a $275 court fee. If found innocent, the motorist does not receive a refund of the $275.

OK. Now do you understand? That's pretty infuriating if you are the person paying the fine. Imagine what it would feel like if instead, you were the person facing 20 years in jail.