Municipal Judges Disciplined for Modern-Day Debtors’ Prisons

| January 12, 2017 

 ========= Old Image Removed =========Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/09/3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1024;s:6:"height";i:768;s:4:"file";s:41:"2015/09/3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:12:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-336x252.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:252;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-771x578.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:578;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:12:"medium_large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-768x576.jpg";s:5:"width";i:768;s:6:"height";i:576;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:39:"3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-415x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:415;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-353x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:353;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:28:"ab-block-post-grid-landscape";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-600x400.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:25:"ab-block-post-grid-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-600x600.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:600;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:41:"3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:701383;s:14:"optimized_size";i:426175;s:7:"percent";d:39.240000000000002;}s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:69:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/09/3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:438638;s:14:"optimized_size";i:241952;s:7:"percent";d:44.840000000000003;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:77:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/09/3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-140x140.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:6962;s:14:"optimized_size";i:5137;s:7:"percent";d:26.210000000000001;}s:6:"medium";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:77:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/09/3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-336x252.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:23336;s:14:"optimized_size";i:17358;s:7:"percent";d:25.620000000000001;}s:5:"large";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:77:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/09/3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-771x578.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:99626;s:14:"optimized_size";i:63779;s:7:"percent";d:35.979999999999997;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:77:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/09/3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-600x338.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:48554;s:14:"optimized_size";i:35568;s:7:"percent";d:26.75;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:77:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/09/3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-300x300.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:24680;s:14:"optimized_size";i:18296;s:7:"percent";d:25.870000000000001;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:77:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/09/3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-415x311.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:33643;s:14:"optimized_size";i:24876;s:7:"percent";d:26.059999999999999;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:77:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/09/3293465641_b6c5081e87_b_gavel-353x265.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:25944;s:14:"optimized_size";i:19209;s:7:"percent";d:25.960000000000001;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1662398947 
1484210839

At the forefront in Alabama the last few years are municipal fines and the private companies that often collect them. Here’s the issue: a resident gets a parking ticket. But if he or she is poor and can’t scrape up enough money to pay it, fines or penalties increase. It’s even led to jail time in some cases. But disciplinary action against judges suggest the judicial system in Alabama is moving away from these tactics. Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald talks about the issue.

 

Hundreds of South Koreans are among 475 detained in a Georgia immigration raid

"The business activities of our investors and the rights of our nationals must not be unjustly infringed," a foreign ministry spokesman said after about 300 South Koreans were detained.

Four Democratic senators urge Smithsonian to resist White House attempts to ‘bully the institution’

Sen. Alex Padilla of California and three other Democrats are reminding the Smithsonian's secretary that the institution "is the responsibility of Congress."

Greetings from Guhagar, India, where newly hatched turtles get some help into the sea

Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.

Israel is blasting through Gaza City neighborhoods, but people have nowhere to go

Israel's military says it has gained "operational control" of 40% of Gaza City and plans to intensify its attacks in a large-scale ground offensive to fully occupy the city.

Horror, rom-coms and ‘Hamilton’ are all in theaters this weekend

This weekend, Hamilton is in theaters in honor of its anniversary, a new Conjuring horror film opens, and Dylan O'Brien stars in a twisty story about grief.

The U.S. added only 22,000 jobs last month, showing cracks in the labor market

The U.S. job market showed more signs of weakness Friday, as the Labor Department reported just 22,000 jobs added last month. Revised figures show the economy lost jobs in June, and the unemployment rate inched up to 4.3%.

More Front Page Coverage