[at-l] Stiffed by Hiker

[icw39@ncfreedom.net (Clark Wright)]

Jim, you have just made my most important point beautifully by
contrast.  Regarding my own personal experience last summer on the
Trail, "Eagle" was exactly like your "jarhead" characterization - ready
to physically beat me and my hiking partner up for what he just KNEW
[wrongly, it turned out] was our "crime" - stealing his hiking poles!  I
firmly believe that it was only because I stood up to him physically
just long enough to let him learn I was a licensed NC attorney [and -
thank the Good Lord - we still were in NC, having just hiked up into the
GSMNP from Fontana] that we avoided "jarhead justice" that fine spring
day in early April of 2001!  Vigilante justice is tempting, sometimes
"deserved," but never is it really right, or really justice!

thru-thinker

[promising to say no more on this thread, and instead head off to bed!]

Jim and/or Ginny Owen wrote:
> 
> Clark Wright wrote:
> >Whether you or I consider it nonsense or not, it is in fact and law
> >illegal in most states to threaten criminal prosecution as a means to
> >collect on a check - sorry, but that simply is the law.  The reason for
> >it probably is twofold:  (1) the overburdened criminal justice system
> >does not want to deal with relatively small amount bad check cases as
> >criminal offenses; and (2) because there are potential extenuating
> >circumstances, the initial presumption re bad checks is to treat them as
> >civil offenses [in the nature of collecting on a debt] and not criminal
> >offenses.
> >
> >hiking on, gavel in tow! :)
> >
> 
> Clark -
> I never doubted your knowledge of the legalities - but I still consider it
> nonsense and understand very well why people would (as you pointed out)
> consistently ignore it. Of course, when I was an active Jarhead, we had
> other cures for those who failed to pay their debts.  They didn't do it
> twice.  But those weren't politically correct   :-)))
> 
> Walk softly,
> Jim
> 
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