Rick Yoes turned himself into the county jail last night in compliance with a warrant issued for his arrest after receiving a fine of $1,700 for having an overgrown lawn in September of last year. Unable to pay the fine Rick took every vacation day he accrued, made arrangements for a replacement, and surrendered himself to jail.
Rick is the South east campus electrician for Tarrant County College, he is a hard and dedicated worker often times offering to help outside of the description of his job or volunteering for extra curricular activities. In 2012 he dressed up in 1776 style regalia and read a copy of the U.S. Constitution to the student body. Because of his dedication he is loved by faculty, and students. His collection of beautiful seashells is also on display at the campus.
The incident happened last year in Grand Prairie, Tx, while Rick, and his daughter Angel were working from before sun up, until after dark. During this time the lawn was neglected, and it grew over the 6 inch regulatory code. The city sent them a reminder to cut the lawn, and within 2 weeks Angel had cut the lawn to regulation height. She said that they have been keeping the lawn “buzzed” ever since.
I did some research, and found a regulation for Grand Prairie that said lawns can be up to 12 inches in height. Rick’s daughter Angel said this new regulation wasn’t familiar to her. Mr. Yoes may be locked up for nothing, and this may come as a surprise to some but more often than you would care to think people are incarcerated under false pretenses.
Angel said “Yes, we should have been more on top of it, but we were so busy with work, and when we got a warning from the city we handled it.” Neither of them thought about it again, until a postcard came in the mail a couple weeks ago from the city. It said that there was a warrant for Rick’s arrest, as well as a fine of $1,700. Angel told me the sum of the fine is the equivalent of 3 mortgage payments.
There are many silly aspects of this crime. The fact that an overgrown lawn can land someone in jail for 17 days is absurd. The fact that a small group of people are able to claim arbitrary authority over your property, and dictate how long you can grow your grass is completely void of any measure of liberty. Long gone are the days when incarceration was for violent offenders like murderers and rapist. Now the land of the free is home to over a quarter of the worlds prison population, and many of them are non violent offenders just like Rick.
In an official statement to the Fresno Peoples Media his daughter Angel expressed disappointment in the local government for squandering tax dollars on dangerous grass growers.
“I’m seriously disappointed with the way Grand Prairie is handling this situation. I think there are better ways to spend tax payer money than locking up dangerous grass growers“
More and more it is looking to be time for applying the 2nd amendment for the most important reason our founders included it in the Constitution.This is only a small incidents but something I saw on TV comes up—-it is the death of a thousand cuts.Government in addition to the big stuff does the little cuts on everyone on a daily basis.
s
Liberals are insane and the only way to deal with them is the use of force. And if you don’t know what the use of force will get you then ask an Oregon Rancher. (R.I.P. LaVoy Finicum)— https://youtu.be/eNUZn5YEMw4
THis happens in Texas all the time. Fort Worth Code Compliance does this same nonsense to harrass certain members of the community. This needs to stop and the only way it will is if the leaders of the community stand up against these unchecked cops.
Grand Prairie, TX – another giant HMO I will avoid like cancer –
Sounds like some bearucrat in Grand Prarie needs a good ole fashion ass kickin’. Probably a neighbor or two also.
Vote them all out, start fresh.
In my neighborhood, if/when we see a lawn like that, we know something is up — and we check in. Sometimes it’s a health issue, a mower that needs some TLC, just too much OT and the resulting lack of time/energy, whatever. At any rate, we do the neighborly thing —and that does **not** mean calling the law first.
This is what has become of America where a small vocal group of “do’gooders” seek to improse their will o the rest of us. In the 1920s they were the people that shamed others in church for not doing more. In the 1930s as the govt set out to help during the Great Depression, these people got government jobs and they have been there ever since. They feel that as God does not as fast as they want, they will use govt to impose their will on us. I say they need to mind their own business….whether someone wants a yard is their business, if they don’t want to mow it….that is ther business also…. If a person doesn’t likw looking at it cause the grass is high…then look the other way. Get Liberals out of govt before your everymove is controlled.
#Red & #Blue #Freemason: “But he broke the law”.
See Alinsky, Cloward/
Piven and Agenda 21 and Poof you have your answer!!
He could’ve paid somebody to cut it for a lot less. He could’ve swapped with a neighbor or had a friend or family member cut it. I’m a 68-yr-old female who doesn’t own a lawn mower, and I manage to cut mine on time with a weed eater.
Just curious but how many of you know that the madatory drivers license law has been ruled unconstitutional numerous times.
II Am.Jur. (1st) Constitutional Law, Sect.329, p.1135 [“Personal liberty largely consists of the Right of locomotion—to go where and when one pleases—only so far restrained as the Rights of others may make it necessary for the welfare of all other citizens. The Right of the Citizen to travel upon the public highways and to transport his property thereon, by horse drawn carriage, wagon, or automobile, is not a mere privilege which may be permitted or prohibited at will, but the common Right which he has under his Right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Under this Constitutional guarantee one may, therefore, under normal conditions, travel at his inclination along the public highways or in public places, and while conducting himself in an orderly and decent manner, neither interfering with nor disturbing another’s Rights, he will be protected, not only in his person, but in his safe conduct.”]
Bovier’s Law Dictionary, 1914 ed. [“Personal liberty consists of the power of locomotion, of changing situations, of removing one’s person to whatever place one’s inclination may direct, without imprisonment or restraint unless by due process of law.”] see also Black’s Law Dictionary, 5th ed.; Blackstone’s Commentary 134; Hare, Constitution Pg. 777.
[“Further, the Right to TRAVEL by private conveyance for private purposes upon the Common way can ‘NOT BE INFRINGED’. (emphasis added) ,,,No license or permission is required for TRAVEL when such TRAVEL IS NOT for the purpose of [COMMERCIAL] PROFIT OR GAIN on the open highways operating under license IN COMMERCE.
[“Further, the Right to TRAVEL by private conveyance for private purposes upon the Common way can ‘NOT BE INFRINGED’. (emphasis added) ,,,No license or permission is required for TRAVEL when such TRAVEL IS NOT for the purpose of [COMMERCIAL] PROFIT OR GAIN on the open highways operating under license IN COMMERCE. “The rights of the individuals are restricted only to the extent that they have been voluntarily surrendered by the citizenship to the agencies of government.”] Shapiro vs. Thomson, 394 U. S. 618 April 21, 1969.
City of Dallas v Mitchell, 245 S.W. 944 (Tex. Civ. App. 1922). [“Our theory of government and governmental powers is wholly at variance with that urged by appellant herein. The rights of the individual are not derived from governmental agencies, either municipal, state or federal, or even from the Constitution. They exist inherently in every man, by endowment of the Creator, and are merely reaffirmed in the Constitution, and restricted only to the extent that they have been voluntarily surrendered by the citizenship to the agencies of government. The people’s rights are not derived from the government, but the government’s authority comes from the people. The Constitution but states again these rights already existing, and when legislative encroachment by the nation, state, or municipality invade these original and permanent rights, it is the duty of the courts to so declare, and to afford the necessary relief. The fewer restrictions that surround the individual liberties of the citizen, except those for the preservation of the public health, safety, and morals, the more contented the people and the more successful the democracy.”]
[“The use of the highways for the purpose of travel and transportation is not a mere privilege, but a common and fundamental Right of which the public and the individual cannot be rightfully deprived.”] Chicago Motor Coach vs. Chicago, 169 NE 22;
Ligare vs. Chicago, 28 NE 934;
Boon vs. Clark, 214 SSW 607;
25 Am. Jur. (1st) Highways Sect.163
In Shapiro v Thompson, 394 U.S. 618 (1969), Justice Potter Stewart noted in a concurring opinion that the right to travel “is a right broadly assertable against private interference as well as governmental action. Like the right of association…it is a virtually unconditional personal right, guaranteed by the Constitution to us all.”
I could cite many more such cases ruled on by courts all across America. There exists only 4 unpublished appellate cases in Texas declaring that driving is a privilege. As long as you are not operating a vehicle in commercial operation, you have a CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to drive your vehicle on any public road without having to get a drivers license.
Do your own research, No Citizen is required to surrender Constitutional Rights in order to engage in a state privilege.
and the asshole releases drug dealers
What is wrong this country. Police force is now like a company have to make a profit a quoted each month. So more tickets more warrants. But the ass kid that sprayed painted my car and 32 other cars New Years, gets off because it was on apartment property and he was a minor.
uiuhiuhiu
http://countercurrentnews.com/2015/03/bill-would-make-policing-for-profit-ticket-schemes-a-federal-civil-rights-violation/
They didnt just issue a warrant for his arrest. He obviously blew off the court dates. I actually had a warrant for my arrest also when I refused to pay camera light fines for not coming to a complete stop when making a right on red at 4am. I live in Jersey. The problem is that no one rebels. Complacency.
Reblogged this on Brian David Sumner and commented:
My Latest for the Fresno Peoples Media.
Don’t worry, they are just following orders. What happens when they determine your religion or lifestyle is deamed offensive to society? Cops will arrest you, beat you, murder you.
My advice to you then is to never call the cops–under any circumstances. Have a nice life.
US citisens believes that US has more Liberty and Freedom than other countries. Is that really so? What are those freedoms?
The Nazis did this too..
Why is not the student body making a fundmepage and pay it for the poor guy..if they like him so much .. make sure to tape the entire process, from collecting to paying .EMBARRASS the town !
Never call the cops. Never use their services. AND THEN LOBBY LIKE HELL TO STOP PAYING THE MOFOs. Still them on their pensions! Yeah, cops, that is what is going to happen, we are going to freaking stiff you on your retirements. WATCH AND SEE. No sympathy from the public for the blue line.
This sounds like an out-growth of a Homeowners’ Association. You know, when I was growing up, if a neighbor had a problem (i.e. not enough time to cut the lawn because of a work schedule) their neighbors would help out. Anybody volunteer to cut his lawn for him?
It is unknown if any neighbors volunteered to help him with his lawn. People aren’t as close with their neighbors as they used to be.
How often is this “regulation” enforced. Sounds as if someone (a petit bureaucrat perhaps) doesn’t like this guy and is out to get him.
This does not sound right to me. No one gets thrown in jail for not cutting their grass. If this person cut his grass within 2 weeks what was the fine for? I smell a rat somewhere in this article. If a HOA got him they would have had to sue him and that sure as heck does not happen in 2 weeks. I can assure you the City of Grand Prairie code enforcement does not operate that fast–and they give multiple citations before the city pays someone to cut the grass. If a person goes through the court system and gets a fine it is their choice to pay it or serve the amount out at the rate of $100 per day. $1700=17 days. Grand Prairie was in a severe drought all of last summer and the grass did not grow unless it was watered. I doubt that this man watered his lawn. My guess is it grew tall in the spring and then everything died except the weeds. Take note the yard was not cut until September. If it waddles like a duck, quacks, and has webbed feet it is probably a duck.
He went to jail because he could not pay the fine. Not because he didn’t mow the lawn.
I also got one of those warrants for the grass not being cut. But the only difference was i didn’t own the home it was for and didn’t live there for a year before hand. They assumed that because i was the last person to have water turned on there i should have to pay the fines. I had to go to court to have it thrown out. But i had to pay $320 before they would let set a court date. They then refunded me my $320 when it was found they were in the wrong. I despise grams prairie. They don’t do their homework before giving tickets.
Reblogged this on LibertasIntel.
Go take a gander at the Grand Prairie police station and you’ll see why they need the money. That place could pass as a hotel. Stone facade, water fountain displays as large as a football field, marble floors, rich teak wood accents on the ceiling. No expense was spared.
The trouble with these stories is that there is always one that is worse. Police & Citys with a polulation of 10-10,000,000 have authority that has no limits and are immune from prosecution with us paying the tab for their defense. It will never stop, no one reading this will live long enough to see it change. Have a nice day!
ahhh life in a modern society
He only spent two days in Jail..
There are two sides to these public nuisance ordinances. On the one side are the city and county bureaucrats (American Planning Association) who want to control and profit from you in every way that they can possibly get away with. On the other side are the people who consent to and accept this government overreach.
I cringe when I see the so-called victims say stuff like “we should have been more on top of it…”
People who consent have no cause to complain about the consequences of their acquiescence. When Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber said he relied on the stupidity of the American voter, he hit the nail on the head.
Every state constitution protects rights to property, some better than others. In most constitutions there are no exceptions. When you waive your rights, you hurt no only yourself, but every one else, because you encourage government to continue its lawlessness.
When towns start fining and jailing their population for pissy things like not mowing your lawn….Well they may be immune to lawsuits, but they aren’t immune to bullets.
Incarceration is an intimidation method used by lefties against law-abiding Citizens to coerce them into doing what the lefties want.
“The most dangerous government is close to home”…Cicero
With overcrowded jails why the hell do this? It’s all about getting more revenue in the budget of desperate cities. More government control.
Why don’t you lock up the illegal immigrants that waste our hard earned tax dollars!
What the hell is going on “The Lawn Police ?”