By Tommy Nguyen
WOODLAND, CA – During a man’s arraignment hearing this week, the judge decided to recall a warrant because the man expressed his willingness to take responsibility for his actions.
The man—unidentified because the charges were only misdemeanors—was charged with two misdemeanors: driving with a suspended license and failure to appear in court after a written promise.
The court began with the prosecution informing the court of its proposed disposition, which was the strike of a $450 fine if the man’s driver’s license was no longer suspended.
The prosecution also offered to reduce the other traffic charges, including the failure to stop at a red light, to infractions.
The accused, however, had not obtained his license yet, claiming he was “too occupied with finding jobs and a cancer kid.” The hearing was his chance to have the warrant recalled so that he could finally apply for a job and proceed with getting his license back.
He also said he is willing to pay the $450 fine to the court as a reasonable punishment, as long as the court allows him to make separate payments.
Judge David Reed found a factual basis for the man’s no-contest plea. He also ordered the accused to pay the proposed fines, in payments of $50 per month until everything is paid off. 
Hi Minh,
Thank you for sharing this piece. I think this just shows how courts can be rational when making decisions. The defendant admitted to his mistakes and the court made their decision accounting for that. I think the fine was a justifiable verdict considering he took responsibility for his actions rather than pleading an alternative stance.