NEWS
2 | Monday, April 11, 2011 | The Red & Black
Court fees could hurt Athens community By LINDSEY COOK THE RED & BLACK In a county with one of the lowest per-capita income rates in the United States, defendants in criminal cases may be paying their wages to the local and state government through fees instead of to the power company or the grocery store. At the University, Russell Gabriel, director of the University’s criminal defense clinic, is questioning the effect of these fees on poor defendants in court cases in Athens-Clarke County. Although an attorney is provided for poor defendants in criminal cases, many other fees such as expensive phone calls from jail, transportation to and from court and paying a probation officer — about $400 per year — contribute to a person’s overall bill. Gabriel, in collaboration with professor Ed Risler of the University’s School of Social Work, is focusing on ACC Superior Court cases from 2008, calling and interviewing defendants to discover the effect of the fees on themselves, their families and their communities. GABRIEL “One of the questions is: ‘Who actually pays this?’� Gabriel said. He is finding that family members and friends of the individual pay a portion of the fees, crippling the person’s family and the members of their community. The money would likely have been used to pay for living expenses, such as groceries or the power bill, leading to uncomfortable trade-offs. “It would be used to support family members — even children — but ends up going to the court,� Gabriel said. Gabriel agrees with the legislature — the institutions and organizations funded through the fees, such as the Drug Abuse and Education fund or the DUI victims fund, are worthy causes and need to be funded in some way. However, he said these funds should be supported in a different manner — in a way that does not place an unneeded burden on poor defendants and their families and communities. “What is the value of fining people who are poor?� Gabriel said. “It transfers money out of an already poor community and into local and state gov-
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SEAN TAYLOR| The Red & Black
S Students make money by taking notes in class and selling their services to the Disability Resource Center, bookstores and note-taking websites.
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UĂŠ 1 ĂŠ6ˆVĂŒÂˆÂ“ĂƒĂŠ Ă•Â˜`ĂŠ Source: Court documents ernment.â€? The fees, fines and taxes are paid through the Probation Office via a payment plan. And if people don’t pay, they may go to jail for violating probation. That poses a problem for violators who have jobs they must go to every day. If a person is able to find work, missed days because of breach of probation may cause them to lose their jobs. This begins a cycle in which fees are left unpaid, work cannot be found and trips to jail are seemingly unavoidable. “Employers frown on missing work because you’re in jail,â€? Gabriel said. In Athens, where 70 to 80 percent of criminal court cases involve poor defendants, research into the court system is especially relevant. However, Gabriel is unable to predict the eventual effect of his research on the Athens community and these types of cases in general. Nevertheless, he said he hopes the research will cause judges to think twice about assigning fees and fines to poor defendants who may not be readily able to pay. “The hope would be that it might encourage judges to think about the impact of the financial portion of their sentence on the defendant’s family and community,â€? Gabriel said.
PEARLS BEFORE SWINEÂŽ
BY
Websites and stores offer money for notes By MARY WALKER THE RED & BLACK Getting paid $80 for going to class and taking notes is not a bad gig. Students all over campus make money by taking notes for other students. Through programs such as Notehall or the Disability Resource Center students make hundreds of dollars by posting their notes for other students to see. Note takers for the Disability Resource Center make $80 per semester per class for the first student that uses their notes. Note takers are paid additional $40 for each additional student that uses their notes. “I started doing this freshman year,� said Zac Carson, a sophomore from Alpharetta, “I learned that you could get paid for taking notes. I take them anyway so it was a good way to make money.� Students can receive notes through student note takers registered with the University for a variety of disabilities including attention, manual dexterity, hearing and cognition, according to the Disability Resource Center. The Disability Resource Center suggests note takers simply email the students the notes on a regular basis. “We are told to email our notes to students within 24 hours,� said Melissa Morgan, a sophomore from Alpharetta. “But it really
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depends on your student. I really just try to get the notes to them as soon as possible.� But there are sources around campus where any student can purchase notes without having a disability or being on an athletic team. Websites such as Notehall and stores such as the Baxter Street Bookstore also allow students to make money for creating note packets and study guides. Students can register their notes on Notehall and earn $2 every time they sell a study guide and 50 cents for their lecture notes. Baxter Street Bookstore hires student note takers every semester to create the “Red Notes.� These are student-generated note packets students can buy at the store to prepare for their next exam. The requirements of the note takers are that they attend class every day, have a minimum grade point average of 3.4 and come in two or three times a week to type their notes on the computers at their main location. Student note takers for Baxter Street Bookstore are paid per test. They are paid $75 per test on average, and they receive 5 percent of all net sales. Student note takers have also found that there are benefits to being a note taker other than making money — they do better in class. “I definitely pay more attention in class because I am not just taking notes for me,� Morgan said. “It is easier to focus when you know that other people are counting on you.�
An unknown person impersonating a police officer attempted to steal $650 from a University student Friday, according to an Athens-Clarke County Police report. The student told police that a person claiming to be Sgt. Stevens from the “DUI Division� left her a message in reference to the student’s prior DUI. When the student called the person back, the person claimed that if she paid $650 for a DUI program they would remove the DUI from her record and would refund $500 following the classes, according to the report. The individual told the student to contact a Capt. Green with the DUI division. When the student’s mother called the number, her mother reached a voice mailbox that had not been set up. Police later confirmed that no such individuals worked with the ACC police and a DUI division did not exist. The incident is under further investigation. Thefts reported at Chi Phi fraternity Two thefts were reported at the Chi Phi fraternity house Thursday, according to University Police reports. One student reported on April 2 someone took his jacket and wallet while he slept on a downstairs couch in the Chi Phi house. The jacket and wallet were found in another part of the house, but the student reported two credit cards and $500 in cash were removed from the wallet. The student told police charges on each card had been made after the time of theft. A student also reported a separate theft occurred between March 29 and March 31, according to police logs. The student reported an iPad, watch and credit card taken. The total value of the theft was estimated at $901.
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Documents Public intoxication leads to arrest A University student was arrested for disorderly conduct and public intoxication Saturday after reportedly starting several fights downtown, according to an AthensClarke County Police report. Police reported several people at the intersection of Clayton and Jackson Streets witnessed John Clyde Youngblood, 26, attempting to fight people at the Fahrenheit bar. One victim told police Youngblood started yelling and attempting to hit him “for no reason.� Police observed the two fighting each other after getting up from “rolling around in the road,� according to the report. Officers detained Youngblood in an alley, where he continued to curse and yell and began using racial slurs. Police reported Youngblood was intoxicated, said he had smoked marijuana earlier and seemed to be on another stimulant. He also “seemed almost uncontrollable and wanted to go to jail to be locked up,� according to the report. Youngblood was charged with disorderly conduct and public intoxication. Student charged with underage possession A University student was charged with underage possession after officers observed him drinking outside of Arch Bar Saturday, according to an Athens-Clarke County Police report. Robert Gregory Ferrell, 20, was standing outside of Arch Bar drinking a beer when officers approached him, according to the report. He was charged with underage possession. Ferrell declined to comment Sunday afternoon. — Compiled by Tiffany Stevens
BILL: Hard to predict effects of sales ¢ From Page 1 ballot in Athens until the November 2012 election due to the costs associated with holding a special election. Though some state lobbyists say Sunday alcohol sales would add a significant revenue boost, Denson wasn’t sure the legalization would bring increased revenue to Athens. “It’s hard to say and it’s sort of a two-edged sword,â€? she said. Sales of on-premises alcohol at restaurants could decrease if off-premises sales at grocery stores and package stores are legalized. “I doubt that’s going to be a significant increase in revenue for the county, but for me it’s about individuals making choices and our community deciding,â€? Denson said. Some do not see the bill as problematic. Amy Sheffield, a junior political science major from Rome, said she was not opposed to legalizing Sunday sales. “Morally I’m not opposed to selling alcohol on Sunday,â€? she said. “Restaurants already do it, so why not?â€?
CORRECTIONS The Red & Black is committed to journalistic excellence and providing the most accurate news possible. Contact us if you see an error, and we will do our best to correct it. Editor-in-Chief: Mimi Ensley (706) 433-3027 editor@randb.com Managing Editor: Rachel G. Bowers (706) 433-3026 me@randb.com