New York's small-town kangaroo courts: hives of abusive unchecked authority Boing Boing: Horror stories of female DV victims mistreated. Don't worry, male DV victims aren't mistreated - they don't exist!

hmasing · 2010-02-20T13:58:54+00:00

Just the first line of the headline is 100% correct. In the 1990's, I faced a kangaroo court in western New York because I was a passenger in a car that was pulled over 'just because' and had a bottle of alcohol which was open, but not consumed in the least (still full) in a backpack in the back-back part of a hatchback vehicle. (1) both the driver and I were completely sober. (2) We weren't speeding. (3) The police pulled over EVERY SINGLE VEHICLE that was at the house we were at (it was a cast celebration for a play we were putting on in the next town over, at the directors house)

Guilty! Misdemeanor! Open container!

The judge stated that the container was in the same part of the vehicle as the passengers. I stated it was a hatchback, and there was no part of the vehicle that wasn't accessible from inside, and that the container was inside a backpack in the area of the car behind the back seat. He paused, and stated that I should have removed the spare tire, and put the container under the tire, and replaced it, and that was the only way to legally transport alcohol in his town.

Astounded, I am certain that the word 'kangaroo' came out of my mouth.

catlebrity · 2010-02-20T22:13:32+00:00

I read the original NYT articles when they appeared in 2006 and was horrified. (Not sure why boing boing is posting about them now, but the articles are worth reading in any case.)

This isn't really a mr issue, more a WTF how is this possible in a civilized society issue.

Alanna · 2010-02-20T18:24:00+00:00

As with so many headlines here, I'm not sure why this is a "Men's Rights" issue and not simply a human rights issue.

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