New Defence Against Crime: "I'm Unemployed"
ACT New Zealand Associate Justice Spokesman Deborah Coddington today expressed outrage that a recidivist offender has
had $19,000 in fines wiped by a district court judge.
"The Government says that traffic fines are imposed to keep the public safe. What is the point of fines if judges can
wipe them because a man is unemployed and "unable" to pay? A sentence of community work is no punishment whatsoever.
"Given that the Hastings recidivist offender is unemployed, he should be doing community work anyway.
"Jail time would have sent a message that New Zealand has zero tolerance for crime, and that ignoring fines and
re-offending will not get unemployed criminals off scot-free," Miss Coddington said.