S02.E16: Bail

[Athena]

 

John Oliver explains why America’s bail system is better for the reality tv industry than it is for the justice system.

[Victor the Crab]

I would hope near the end of the show as a very good way to end it.

[Kromm]

Nah, I bet he has his shitty lime beer in the first few moments of the broadcast.

[Victor the Crab]

Good for you in drinking that Bud Light Lime Ollie. Although taking a tiny little bite out of every item in that McDonald's Dollar Value Meal you had makes you look like a huge pussy.

[Irlandesa]

I'm glad he made it clear that he didn't know that the sponsors bailed so he didn't need to uphold his agreement BUT it did make for a funny segment that he did.  It was kind of Bletter to resign in time for them to get those shoes made. I imagine they will put those 5 minutes directed at Trinidad up on YouTube.

 

Pre-Trial Services?  I'd totally watch that.  I loved seing Becky Ann Baker and Dean Winters as two of the cast members.  The guy who played "Steve" was excellent. I especially liked how he didn't know where to put his arms while they were doing the cool posse walk. 

 

I don't think anything will change but I do like how often Ollie covers how it sucks to be poor in so many ways.  It goes way beyond anything most of us could imagine. 

[The Luvly Junkie]

Oh yea, drinking in Sepp's demise is both a win for soccer (football) fans as well as John Oliver fans who want to see him in golden wing Hermes Adidas. But taking a bite in a Dollar Value meal makes him a bigger pussy more than his Give Em 20 push-up campaign. But I'll forgive him for keeping his word regardless. 

[DrScottie]

He only promised to take a bite out of every item on the Dollar Value Menu, and he did. How much time did you expect him to spend eating? It's a packed half hour show not a food challenge. He wore the Hermes Adidas and chugged down the bottle of Bud Light Lime. As far as I'm concerned, he honored his promise.

[revbfc]

Is it just me, or did it look as though the liquid in that Bud Lite Lime bottle was NOT Bud Lite Lime? I'm no expert on shitty beer, but they're usually carbonated, right?

Edited June 8, 2015 by revbfc

[NextIteration]

Okay Ollie, that looked like apple cider not beer (no bubbles as he drank).  I'm now bored with FIFA, you don't have a lot of time - and as of last night you are wasting it.

[revbfc]

Okay Ollie, that looked like apple cider not beer (no bubbles as he drank). I'm now bored with FIFA, you don't have a lot of time - and as of last night you are wasting it.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who noticed that. Thanks for backing me up.

The only excuse I'll accept for NOT drinking BLL is that he's a recovering alcoholic who didn't think he really had to risk his sobriety for his show.

Edited June 8, 2015 by revbfc

[ottoDbusdriver]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who noticed that. Thanks for backing me up.

The only excuse I'll accept for NOT drinking BLM is that he's a recovering alcoholic who didn't think he really had to risk his sobriety for his show.

 

I bet that they opened it well before the episode taped and let it go flat so that it would be easier to chug without foaming all over the place.

Edited June 8, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[Hanahope]

I don't think anything will change but I do like how often Ollie covers how it sucks to be poor in so many ways.  It goes way beyond anything most of us could imagine.

 

There's just so many ways its hard on the poor, beyond the struggle to buy good food (and not dollar menu items).  I'm glad that at least one person out there is telling everyone about it.

[ajsnaves]

I practice criminal defense in one of the few states that don't have bail bonds services or allows bounty hunters.  Twice in the last four years the Republican Legislature tried to change the law to allow them to move in, and there was near unanimous opposition to this idea from all five players in the criminal justice system.  The chance of getting prosecutors, the defense bar, judges, law enforcement and corrections, and court clerks to agree on anything in this state that does not include how awesome the Green Bay Packers are is ridiculously low. That is how much we hated this idea. Of course that did not stop the Legislature from ignoring everyone's opinions and going forward with it.  Fortunately the Governor vetoed it. And they didn't try again this year.  Bail can still be a problem, but at least we don't have to worry about some mulleted guy busting down doors with a camera crew. (Well unless they are actually cops)

[dusang]

Okay Ollie, that looked like apple cider not beer (no bubbles as he drank).  I'm now bored with FIFA, you don't have a lot of time - and as of last night you are wasting it.

 

 

I bet that they opened it well before the episode taped and let it go flat so that it would be easier to chug without foaming all over the place.

 

Agreed.

 

Not to dismiss John's larger point about the bail system but I have to challenge his first example -- the guy driving with a suspended license, who John described as "posed no danger to society whatsoever."  First, why was his license suspended?  Second, driving without a license invalidates your insurance.  There are obviously worse crimes but, of the everyday transgressions people handwave away as "victimless" or "not dangerous," I find traffic/driving violations the most infuriating.  Cars can do incredible, unimaginable damage.  And saying that you're a "good driver" and won't have an accident is fundamentally stupid.  It's stupid and dangerous.  What really gets me is that, in my experience, the driver at fault is rarely the person to suffer the worst consequences of an accident.

 

Sorry, that's a bit OT.  Topic: I wish they would make a Magic 8 Ball that had the option "Holy shit I can't believe you're even asking me: NO!"

[NextIteration]

Eh, not foaming all over the place is different than not one single bubble.  I'm sorry, I'm not buying that it was beer in that bottle, which made the whole production of it stupid.

[revbfc]

Eh, not foaming all over the place is different than not one single bubble. I'm sorry, I'm not buying that it was beer in that bottle, which made the whole production of it stupid.

What I don't buy about it just being a warm, flat beer is very simple. Why would anyone wait to drink a beer they hated until it was flat AND room temperature? Edited June 8, 2015 by revbfc

[attica]

Why would anyone wait to drink a beer they hated until it was flat AND room temperature?

 

Well, at least on the last bit, Oliver is English....

[Traveller519]

Warm flat beer is also much easier to chug. This was one of the first things my university education taught me.

[liqidclark]

This is the first episode that slightly disappointed me, just because most viewers will remember the junk food advertisements more than the story about our fucked-up bail bond system.

[FortKnox]

Not to dismiss John's larger point about the bail system but I have to challenge his first example -- the guy driving with a suspended license, who John described as "posed no danger to society whatsoever." First, why was his license suspended? Second, driving without a license invalidates your insurance. There are obviously worse crimes but, of the everyday transgressions people handwave away as "victimless" or "not dangerous," I find traffic/driving violations the most infuriating. Cars can do incredible, unimaginable damage. And saying that you're a "good driver" and won't have an accident is fundamentally stupid. It's stupid and dangerous. What really gets me is that, in my experience, the driver at fault is rarely the person to suffer the worst consequences of an accident.

Amen. Driving on a suspended license is a big danger and I really didn't feel any sympathy for the $1000 bail he got.

[peeayebee]

I imagine they will put those 5 minutes directed at Trinidad up on YouTube.

Man, I hope so. I'm impressed the show staff knew/discovered the stuff about TV air time there.

 

Pre-Trial Services?  I'd totally watch that.  I loved seing Becky Ann Baker and Dean Winters as two of the cast members.  The guy who played "Steve" was excellent. I especially liked how he didn't know where to put his arms while they were doing the cool posse walk.

Yes! He was perfect. I don't know the actor.

[ajsnaves]

Driving on a suspended license is a big danger and I really didn't feel any sympathy for the $1000 bail he got.

 

 

The purpose of bail is to assure future appearance in court.  Not to punish.  The guy had not been convicted of anything yet.  We don't know if he actually was guilty.  And a $1,000 cash bail for a non violent traffic offense is unreasonable.  Without more information, like he was a flight risk in some way, or he has a bad history on bail, there is no reason someone should he held in custody for that.  And certainly not on a high cash bail.

[dustylil]

I confess to being  confused about the situation of the fellow who ended up at Riker's. Was he being accused of having a suspended license or had he been charged with driving while  previously having been convicted of having a suspended license?

[NextIteration]

the guy driving with a suspended license, who John described as "posed no danger to society whatsoever."

 

The larger point was that it was a non-violent crime, it isn't really a crime in most states - driving violations are considered on the civil side of the court system (it's a weird hybrid).

 

It's egregious that Oliver didn't cover this case.

Edited June 9, 2015 by NextIteration

[fastiller]

A recent piece from NY Times on the issue of bail & its effects on society, etc:

 

Too Many People in Jail? Abolish Bail

 

From the piece (emphasis mine):

Last month, Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York unveiled a plan to decrease the population of the Rikers Island jail complex by reducing the backlog of cases in state courts. About 85 percent of those at Rikers haven’t been convicted of any offense; they’re just awaiting trial, sometimes for as long as hundreds of days.

[trow125]

I really hope that the TV-watching population of Trinidad enjoyed "John Oliver: The Mittens of Disapproval Are On" tonight.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I really hope that the TV-watching population of Trinidad enjoyed "John Oliver: The Mittens of Disapproval Are On" tonight.

 

Snitches get smooches.  Hah !!!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji6pj2PX-Io

[theatremouse]

Is it just me, or did it look as though the liquid in that Bud Lite Lime bottle was NOT Bud Lite Lime? I'm no expert on shitty beer, but they're usually carbonated, right?

What I don't buy about it just being a warm, flat beer is very simple. Why would anyone wait to drink a beer they hated until it was flat AND room temperature?

There was zero condensation on the bottle so it was definitely room temp and had probably been opened by a prop person and sitting out on a prop table for quite some time. If you're at a party and you wait to drink a beer until it's flat and room temperature, you're an idiot. If you're handed a beer to drink on a television program, you drink it in the state it's handed to you, which may or may not have been done either for the visual on television, ie less frothing, easier chuggability, etc, or might have just been the crew tormenting him drinking something already gross.

[fastiller]

I meant to mention this earlier: it was so nice to once again see Russ Agnew (aka Dean Winters, aka Mayhem) on my TV machine again on Sunday night.  Still mourning the loss of Battle Creek.

[EyewatchTV211]

So John Oliver is now 2 for 2 in predicting the future. A bounty hunter has killed someone: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/11/randy-howard-dead

[Gulftastic]

Holy shit. John is going to be over the moon about this:

 

[alias1]

So John Oliver is now 2 for 2 in predicting the future. A bounty hunter has killed someone: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/11/randy-howard-dead

Yes, this happened in my backward state of Tennessee.  Our local station referred to the singer as a fugitive because he didn't show up for his court appearance.  But, interestingly, they didn't give any details about his offenses.  The singer was in his own home (I don't consider that being a fugitive exactly) and it sounds like the bounty hunter entered the property without permission.  I'm not defending the singer for his offenses, but it seems to me there is something wrong with a bounty hunter having the same privileges as law enforcement.  

[trow125]

Holy shit. John is going to be over the moon about this:

I don't know what I love more -- the fact that he repeatedly refers to John as an "American" comedian, or the dramatic orchestral music that is turned up so loud toward the end that I couldn't even make out what Warner was saying. 

 

Also: in the comments section, the composer of the music played in the video accuses Warner of using it without permission!! He does say he would be happy to provide music for John Oliver to use in a reply video. Seriously, Sunday's LWT should be EPIC.

[peeayebee]

I can hardly wait.

 

I really wanted subtitles to understand what he was saying, not just because of the music, which was ridiculously loud (and just ridiculous), but I had a hard time with his accent and fast speech. Anyway, this is going to be good.

[purist]

Bahahahahahahahahhahahaha! I watched that video in delighted disbelief - sort of like this.

[Jamoche]

It wasn't until John walked over to that Bud Light party set that I realized exactly why I don't like the Late Late Show now that Craig Ferguson is gone - Corden's got a Bud Light party set too, but where John had it for mockery Corden seems to think it's a great thing.

[dusang]

It wasn't until John walked over to that Bud Light party set that I realized exactly why I don't like the Late Late Show now that Craig Ferguson is gone - Corden's got a Bud Light party set too, but where John had it for mockery Corden seems to think it's a great thing.

Cordon is still dependent on commercials.

[Jamoche]

Cordon is still dependent on commercials.

 

Sure. That doesn't mean he has to have a Bud Light party set.

[Victor the Crab]

The Bud Lite bar may be the best thing about The Late Late Show with James Cordon. Because everything else is an epic failure compared to CraigyFerg.

Edited June 14, 2015 by Victor the Crab

[Kromm]

I'm less offended that it's a beer bar, or even that's it's sponsored. The offensive part is that it's BUD LIGHT.

Although to be honest, it would be almost as bad if it was other piss-water like Corona, or Milwaukee’s Best (do they even have an ad budget?) or any variety of Michelob. Heck lets be honest, anything made by Anheuser-Busch or Miller. Couldn't Rolling Rock or Coors or something else marginally less terrible have stepped up? Or to go with Cordon's origin, Bass Ale (even though they're now apparently owned by Molson)?

[biakbiak]

.

I'm less offended that it's a beer bar, or even that's it's sponsored. The offensive part is that it's BUD LIGHT.Although to be honest, it would be almost as bad if it was other piss-water like Corona, or Milwaukee’s Best (do they even have an ad budget?) or any variety of Michelob. Heck lets be honest, anything made by Anheuser-Busch or Miller. Couldn't Rolling Rock or Coors or something else marginally less terrible have stepped up? Or to go with Cordon's origin, Bass Ale (even though they're now apparently owned by Molson)?

It's all about money. Rolling Rock doesn't have the ad budget to support a high profile nationwide campaign (yes they have ads but they are barely a blip) and while Coors in the US has a decent ad budget and penetration in the market they are not the Global beer juggernaut if A-B.

[ALenore]

I don't think John Oliver actually had anything to do with it but New York City  will be changing bail requirements for low level offenders: 

http://www.salon.com/2015/07/08/john_oliver_gets_results_new_york_city_to_change_bail_requirements_for_low_level_offenders/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

[ottoDbusdriver]

I don't think John Oliver actually had anything to do with it but New York City  will be changing bail requirements for low level offenders:

http://www.salon.com...dium=socialflow

 

I'm just assuming it did.

[Kel Varnsen]

I confess to being  confused about the situation of the fellow who ended up at Riker's. Was he being accused of having a suspended license or had he been charged with driving while  previously having been convicted of having a suspended license?

Yea this story kind of bugged me since from all the youtube clips I have watched John seems better than this. This seemed more like one of those stories people share on facebook or drivetime DJ's yammer on about, where they tell you enough information to get you outraged but don't answer a bunch of key questions. Your right in this case there seems to be more to the story. Why was this guy even arrested? Was he driving with an expired licence, was it the kind of thing where his licence was previously suspended or did he never have one to begin with. Did he have previous charges for this kind of thing. I mean it sucks that he was stuck in jail, but at the same time depending on the background of the story it could be a very serious charge. 

 

I would also like to know a bit more about how these places with pre-trial services make sure people show up. Because while bounty hunters seem like a terrible idea, people getting their money back seems like a pretty good motivation for not skipping bail.

[OneWhoLurks]

A hospice patient who helped put a face to the struggles faced by criminal defendants who could not afford to pay mounting court fines and fees died Thursday, relatives said.

 

Surrounded by family, Larry Thompson, 62, succumbed to obstructive pulmonary disease, a condition that had shackled him to a portable oxygen tank.

 

Thompson gained attention in August after being featured in Orlando Sentinel articles, television news reports and HBO's comedy program Last Week Tonight with John Oliver for being jailed over unpaid court fees despite his deteriorating health.

 

[...]

 

After learning of his story, readers pitched in to raise more than $1,000 that paid off his outstanding debt.

 

Shortly after, Orange County court officials ended the practice of issuing arrest orders for people with unpaid fines who failed to appear in collections court. The move also quashed more than 21,000 outstanding arrest orders.

 

Thompson attended the news conference when the announcement was made and grinned as Orange-Osceola Chief Judge signed a cast on his arm.

 

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-larry-thompson-hospice-fines-dead-20151202-story.html