Twice in the clink in Chattanooga for me. Once was actually my fault, the other was just crooked LEOs.
First time was just forgetting a court date. It was during exams and a few late night study sessions made me forget about my traffic court date until it was already 2 hours past(speeding fine, 47 mph over the limit means you don't get to pay by mail
).
The 2nd time I was following a friend's car on my bike because I didn't know how to get there. He decided to go Fast and Furious on the highway for a couple miles, which pissed me off, but I didn't have directions so I just kept up. All of a sudden he flies off the next exit and starts screeching around turns through a neighborhood.
Long story made short; we'd passed a police car in the median speeding, he never the car pull out or light up when we passed, but took the exit just in case. We hang out for few minutes and just as we pull out of the neighborhood the lights come on in my mirrors. I stopped just shy of the entrance ramp and they fly past me to pull the car over. Both cops jump out of the car 200 yards down the road and have my friends get out of the car. I debate just taking the ramp, but decide to roll by just so I'm not accused of running. They waive me in behind their car and I roll to stop and wait for them.
They do the back and forth talking to us one at a time to get the story straight, then decide to arrest us anyway. Our stories matched perfectly (my friends didn't know they were chasing us, I didn't even see them). We were never told our rights, never told what we were being arrested for. They stopped while transporting us to jail to assist in another arrest. They told me I could leave my bike on the side of the road with the keys and helmet on them and call from my phone when we go there to have a friend pick it up (lied, it stayed out all night with the keys on it). By the way, we were very polite and respectfull at all times (especially me because I'd been that jail before).
I had bail money, but it took 12 hours to process me. I was shoulder to shoulder with all kinds of people. One guy pooped his pants twice. Many were there to serve sentences. One guy told me he was in on charges 41,41 and 43 lifetime. Another guy told me he'd been there for 12 days in the same clothes in the same room waiting to be processed. One guy bit another guy's arm in the cell, so they took him out and he came back to the cell 10 minutes later with toilet paper to hold on his arm to treat the wound and stop the bleeding. I found out when I got out in the morning that I was charged with felony police evasion and reckless driving. I had to sell the bike to afford a lawyer. All the lawyer did was plead my down to a guilty on reckless driving, 40 hours picking up trash on the highway in a work detail, and a bunch of fines, but no felony.
My only consolation, other than not getting a felony, was that I rented a house from a Chattanooga detective that was set to be promoted to the beat cop surpervisor (forget the title, sargeant maybe?) and he pulled my record and promised me if this guy worked that way under him he would be gone quick!
