AMET and today's news...

Chris

Gold
Oct 21, 2002
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From today's DR1 news....

8. Supreme Court clips AMET's wings
The Supreme Court of the Dominican Republic has declared Decree 798-02, as issued by the Mejia Administration, to be unconstitutional. As a result, the AMET traffic police can no longer determine the amount of a fine for violations of Law 241 that governs vehicle and traffic infractions. The Supreme Court decreed that only penal courts have the authority to impose fines, after deciding that Decree 798-02's Article 8, Paragraph J and Article 37 contradicted the nation's Constitution. According to Diario Libre, fines may only be levied if the case is submitted to a competent jurisdiction where the accused would be guaranteed the right to a defense. Article 37 of the Dominican Constitution says that only Congress can create or replace ordinary tribunals. In effect, Law 585 created the special traffic courts for infractions of Law 241, and it also created the Justices of the Peace. Officers that make an arrest for a traffic offense are obliged to submit the person immediately to a court.


Does this mean that if Amet stops me for talking on a cell phone or something equally benign, they have to drag me off to court immediately? What is the difference with being given a traffic ticket and "submit the person immediately to a court"?
 

mido

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May 18, 2002
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Chris said:
From today's DR1 news....

8. Supreme Court clips AMET's wings
The Supreme Court of the Dominican Republic has declared Decree 798-02, as issued by the Mejia Administration, to be unconstitutional. As a result, the AMET traffic police can no longer determine the amount of a fine for violations of Law 241 that governs vehicle and traffic infractions. The Supreme Court decreed that only penal courts have the authority to impose fines, after deciding that Decree 798-02's Article 8, Paragraph J and Article 37 contradicted the nation's Constitution. According to Diario Libre, fines may only be levied if the case is submitted to a competent jurisdiction where the accused would be guaranteed the right to a defense. Article 37 of the Dominican Constitution says that only Congress can create or replace ordinary tribunals. In effect, Law 585 created the special traffic courts for infractions of Law 241, and it also created the Justices of the Peace. Officers that make an arrest for a traffic offense are obliged to submit the person immediately to a court.


Does this mean that if Amet stops me for talking on a cell phone or something equally benign, they have to drag me off to court immediately? What is the difference with being given a traffic ticket and "submit the person immediately to a court"?

You are right!!!

We were better off before, I was stopped the other day for not being buckled up and the officer made me pay my fine (RD$500) at the next bank.
BUT I got my drivers license back right there and did not have to go to court, now they take your license and sometimes your car and then you have to wait for a date at court to get everything back.
 

mikeyone

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Apr 16, 2003
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Arrestable offences

mido said:
You are right!!!

We were better off before, I was stopped the other day for not being buckled up and the officer made me pay my fine (RD$500) at the next bank.
BUT I got my drivers license back right there and did not have to go to court, now they take your license and sometimes your car and then you have to wait for a date at court to get everything back.

Does anyone out there have any info re arrestable offences, or are all Arrestable offences... better take the bus!!...M.
 

MrMike

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Mar 2, 2003
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As I undedrstand it, once they stop bickering it will be more like Texas and (probably) other states, where the cop cannot tell you how much your ticket is, he only directs you to the courthouse where your fine is assessed. Basically a beurocratic way of trying to avoid an obvious conflict of interest and opportunityto bribe.

Like everything else here it is not going to work, but I think it is a well-intended move.
 

liam1

Bronze
Jun 9, 2004
843
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maybe it's gonna be like some US states, the cop tells you how much you owe, but you can't pay it on the spot, you gotta go to the courthouse and pay there (or send a check). i once got a speeding ticket in oregon and that's how they do it there.
 

milosh

New member
Nov 9, 2004
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offtopic, but sorry. mido, are you from bosnia? it's often nickname for midhat in bosnia.
 

gringo in dr

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May 29, 2003
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mido said:
You are right!!!

We were better off before, I was stopped the other day for not being buckled up and the officer made me pay my fine (RD$500) at the next bank.
BUT I got my drivers license back right there and did not have to go to court, now they take your license and sometimes your car and then you have to wait for a date at court to get everything back.

Legally they can't take your license nor your car. But we all know how much the laws are followed here, ever by the cops.