[Datafeed]

Originally Posted by pommysmommy

If the other person suffered bodily harm requiring a CT scan it was more than drinks being thrown.

No, what happens, as alluded to above, is that in our litigious society people are looking for an easy payday. So they suddenly suffer from extreme mental anguish, PTSD, and unbearable physical pain and they see a litany of medical professionals on the advice of some schister lawyer who is hoping to write a few bombastic letters and collect a quick 20k from the 50K the casino may toss at the "victim" as a nuisance settlement.

I can go to a shrink, get a CT SCAN, and MRI, a plastic surgeon, a dentist and god knows what else. It does not mean that my injuries warrant this. What you see nowadays are team of "professionals" that work together to support the victim that are in cahoots with one another: the attorney sends the vic to his own medical staff and they present a unified front so to speak.

[SouthernSarah]

Originally Posted by Datafeed

thanks. but what does restitution to the victim mean in the context of criminal court?

my friend is broke.

Restitution is when the criminal court assesses how much your friend should pay to the victim for medical bills, etc... that amount becomes part of the court order, and part of her probation responsibilities. They set it up this way so if she fails to pay restitution to the court, which then sends it to the victim, your friend violates probation and goes to jail. Courts typically place restitution at the end of the costs, so probation fees, court costs etc are paid first and THEN restitution is collected and sent to the victim. In Nashville, if a defendant is declared indigent, the criminal responsibility for restitution is removed and it becomes a civil matter. At that point the victim can sue.
(20 years of being a crime beat journalist has taught me a few things about the system LOL).

[SouthernSarah]

Originally Posted by pommysmommy

Maybe the young person needs to suffer the consequences of her actions so she doesn't think it's okay to engage in violence.

Until the world stops sentencing every felon to life, every single person charged with a felony needs to fight being labeled a felon. Paying for a criminal action is all well and good... but once a felon you pay for the rest of your life. That may be 60 years of inability to get decent jobs or decent housing. I know, you think that is fine. I truly hope karma never ever teaches you the lesson of a lifetime with regard to this topic. I mean that sincerely.

[STT Resident]

Originally Posted by Datafeed

I found a guy who will do it for 3k up to a potential trial. He sounded competent and stated that it should be a relatively routine matter to get the charge reduced to a misdemeanor on the front end. He was nice enough to charge my CC within three minutes of getting off the phone with me on a Sunday am.

And this surprises you?

[Datafeed]

Originally Posted by SouthernSarah

Restitution is when the criminal court assesses how much your friend should pay to the victim for medical bills, etc... that amount becomes part of the court order, and part of her probation responsibilities. They set it up this way so if she fails to pay restitution to the court, which then sends it to the victim, your friend violates probation and goes to jail. Courts typically place restitution at the end of the costs, so probation fees, court costs etc are paid first and THEN restitution is collected and sent to the victim. In Nashville, if a defendant is declared indigent, the criminal responsibility for restitution is removed and it becomes a civil matter. At that point the victim can sue.
(20 years of being a crime beat journalist has taught me a few things about the system LOL).

yikes, it really is all about the money. if you can pay no jail;if you can't gotta do the time...I wonder how much court costs, probation costs, restitution, etc will cost? I guess that's a nice question to ask the lawyer.