Re: Mad Max Scenario - 2008.

John Tserkezis wrote:
>John_H wrote:
>
>> The perp was convicted and ordered to pay for the fuel at the cost
>> price to the franchisee...  ie the prick ended up getting his petrol
>> at the wholesale price!
>
>  Who pays court costs?

Govco I imagine, since it's a criminal conviction.  The servo operator
would also have been paid a witness fee, which he never mentioned and
nor is it the real point.  He's the victim and the magistrate adds
insult to his injury (which is loss of livelihood) by ordering the
perp to pay the bare cost of his loss (which is no doubt all the law
allows for in a criminal case).  It probably also allowed the perp to
pay it back at a dollar per week.

No doubt the servo operator's motive was see the perp punished, which
he no doubt was, but at a large cost to himself (mainly in lost time).

I don't really see a solution, and I'm normally the last to criticise
the legal process in criminal matters, but it does explain why service
stations would elect to apply their own remedies.

-- 
John H