B.C. Justice System Is An Expensive Joke!!!

I submitted the following in response to a new 'feature' run in the local Gobal/Canwest newspaper because the original piece offered such a clear contrast between what I think most of us expect from our justice system and what we are actually receiving. Of course, even with such a short item, they still edited it since I guess they felt I was 'laughing my head off'. Is it not about time that we get off this merry-go-round and look seriously at what we are actually accomplishing with the system and how much it is costing us to get those results? The whole thing reminds me of the old Foghorn-Leghorn cartoon which regularly pits a small chickenhawk against a very large chicken. In spite of all their battles, at the end of the day, they each punch their time clocks, say 'goodnight' to each other and then head home. It must be extremely frustrating for anyone in the system who actually wants to see criminals held accountable, would-be criminals deterred and the cost of operating the system at least partially paid for by those convicted.

Dear Editor,
What with all of the bad news that we constantly receive through the media (murders, pandemics, scandals, essential service cuts), it was a welcome change to read your new feature, Court News (Nanaimo Daily News, November 26) - I just couldn't stop laughing! A "$250 fine for theft under $5000" - ho, ho, ho, hee, hee. "(P)ut on probation for one year on a count of theft over $5,000" - tee hee, yuk, yuk, yuk. "(G)iven one day in jail for obstructing police and breaching a court order" - snort, guffaw, chortle. "(F)ined $1000 and prohibited from driving... for one year for driving while suspended", ha, ha, ha, oh, my sides are starting to hurt! "(F)ined $800 and prohibited from driving for one year on a count of driving while impaired" - no, stop, you're killling me... (or very well might be)!