People v. Courts

I respectfully dissent.

In this case the defendant was penalized by the trial court for exercising his Sixth Amendment *670right to trial and his Fifth Amendment right of freedom from self-incrimination.

Under the procedures followed in the district court a defendant who pleads guilty to operating a motor vehicle without a certificate of registration pays a $15 fine. That is the only penalty he can receive. A defendant charged with the same offense who elects to exercise his constitutional right to a trial is subject to a penalty of 90 days in jail, a $100 fine and hundreds of dollars in costs. The…