police report added from the rear-end hit and run... (update on restitution)

[Rema1000]

Thankz Turd, Average, and everyone else.

I've been thinking...  I should have kept the asshat's plate.  As a momento.

Someone unethical might take a beater, drive into a parked A8 at the county courthouse, and leave the plate at the scene.

[annguyen1981]

If you've ever been to a jail, even a medium security jail, you will know that your tax dollars will be going to making his time there suck.  You hear stories about TV and Slumber parties but I can assure you, it's a depressing place. 

You can always talk to the DA and ask them to apply a conditional sentence in terms of "pay the restitution to your victim by a certain date or else serve a comparable amount of time in jail".  For some of these people that's enough to scare them into finding the money right away.  In Canada they do that for deadbeat dads.  Pay your child support by this date or else spend 5 days in jail.  I once had to go and arrest a guy for not paying $3000 in back support payments.  I showed up at the door, drove him to a bank machine and he used four bank cards to get the cash.  THAT'S how much he didn't want to go to jail.

Other than that, using a debt collection agency is probably a great idea too.  They will take a percentage of the winnings but they know the in's and out's of putting the thumb screws on to make him pay.  ("Since you ain't got no collateral, we're gonna have to break one of your legs in advance!!") 

I would also wait until the criminal trial is complete and dealt with.  A conviction in criminal court will go MILES toward a successful win for you in civil court. 

Oh, and in future.  I would have called the police back and told them that you found the licence plate.  They could claim that you had a memory issue in seeing the car at the accident location, but they can't contest the hard evidence of finding the plate there.

I actually don't have to go to civil court at all.  The Victim Witness Advocate at the DA's office will be getting my $$$ for me.  I was thinking about bringing my idea to the DA, that way, they can kinda bargain with Asswipe...

DA:  You pay all the restitution charges and make a donation to the MSF, and you won't loose your license.
Asswipe:  What if I don't pay all the restitution and the donation?
DA:  Then you loose your license and go to jail anywhere from 6 months to 5 years.
Asswipe:  I'll pay everything.
DA:  Thank you Asswipe.