of Judge Judy...

My time in court was short-lived, but it sure took a long time to get done with one freakin' moving violation! (almost 3 hours). I arrived promptly at 12 30 for my 1:15 appointment. I expected to sit outside and wait til closer to 1pm, but was happy that my gut told me to just go in and get it over with. Turns out they were short on people, and were lining us up in order of arrival, rather than appointment time. I showed up after another six or seven people. I was called up, given a blue piece of paper to read, date and sign and then told to sit back down. Then I was called into a small conference room by the DA or something or other... She told me my driving record was pristine, so she gave me a 1 pt violation - defective headlamp. A big reduction from my 4 point violation, AND also  a bigger reduction than most people had said: I was told I would be given a 2 point reduction only.
After the good news, I was shipped over to a real-life court room. I felt like I had been transported to a crappy episode of Judge Judy. There was an actual podium where, I later found out, each of us would walk up to and talk to the judge - with a microphone, in order to provide better sound to EVERYONE ELSE in the freakin' court room.
The people who were in the room had done all kinds of silly things, others - obviously - more serious things. Most of the people had been cited for not having proof of insurance, there were two kids from my own school - one of them had gotten a ticket for having someone riding on the roof of his car. His punishment? a 0 point moving violation and an 88 dollar fine. I was pissed. I couldn't have killed anyone by rear ending them. He could've. What and unfair world we live in. There were a few people with some SERIOUS tickets in their past, one got their license suspended (or the points reported to DMV to then be suspended), another one had gone to jail and never paid some fines, there were several people with seat belt violations... and a really old lady that actually got me to tears. She clearly didn't have anyone. She was 80 years old and had hit another car. She was the cutest old lady I had ever seen, and she even made the judge laugh with her silly grandma ways. She promised the judge to "NEVER DRIVE AGAIN!" because "[she is] TOO OLD! 80 YEARS OLD!" It made me think of my grandma and grandpa in Panama... they have no one. I wonder if that's what they will be like 10 years, 8 years down the road....
After about 1 hour of hearing other people's drama, I was called up. I walked up to the podium and the judge looked me in the eye, asked me a bunch of questions, and then had me retell what happened the day of the accident. I have never felt so small in my entire life. Then I had to say "guilty." It was like word vomit. Anyway. After he set my ticket value - 103 dollars - I was told to go outside and pay up. I did. When I walked out of that court room, I told myself I would NEVER return to a place like that ever again.