Young Student Parks Illegally for Job Interview—Judge Dismisses Ticket with a Smile and Best Wishes for Success
The Story of Dorothy Jensen: When Justice Sees the Human Being
After 40 years behind the bench, I thought I had seen everything. But one Tuesday morning in October, a case walked into my courtroom that reminded me why I still put on my robes every single day. It was about Dorothy Jensen, a 73-year-old woman, holding a manila envelope full of parking tickets she could never have imagined receiving.
When she told me her story, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years—rage at the injustice. Dorothy’s car had been stolen, used in crimes she knew nothing about, and yet, the city kept sending her violation after violation. $1,800 worth of fines. Despite her protests and proof, no one would listen to her.
What I did next, the decision I made in front of everyone, is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. This is a story about justice, about bureaucracy gone wrong, and about what happens when the system forgets there are real human beings behind every case number.
A Lifetime of Hard Work and Justice
I had been a judge in Providence, Rhode Island, for 40 years. Every day, I woke up at 6 AM, made a strong cup of coffee—black, no sugar—and read the Providence Journal while the sun rose over the city. My father, an immigrant from Italy, had instilled in me the importance of character, telling me, “It doesn’t matter where you come from or how much money you have. What matters is how you treat people.”
That lesson had guided me through my legal career. Respect and justice were never about a person’s wealth or status but their humanity. And when I became a judge, I promised myself I would always see the person, not just the case number.
That Tuesday morning was crisp with the early signs of fall. I entered the courtroom at my usual time, 8:15 AM. Christina, my loyal clerk for 23 years, had already prepared my coffee, just the way I liked it. Today’s docket was typical—parking violations, some traffic citations, and a few small offenses. But something about Dorothy Jensen’s case stood out. She’d been fighting for months, desperately trying to clear her name.
The Story of Dorothy Jensen
Christina handed me the file, and the name jumped out at me. Dorothy Jensen, 73 years old, 12 parking violations over the last three months, one citation for a vehicle at a crime scene. As I skimmed the notes, my heart sank. I was taken aback by her situation: $1,800 worth of fines for a car that had been stolen, a woman who had done everything right—called the police, reported the theft, and contacted the parking authority multiple times.
But the system was failing her. The city didn’t care that her car had been stolen. They cared about the rules, the paperwork, the fine print.
I told Christina, “Let’s give her all the time she needs today.” I could feel it—the injustice.
The Fight for Justice
I walked into the courtroom, ready to start the day. Dorothy was sitting in the front row, clutching that manila envelope like her life depended on it. The fear was palpable, but there was also determination. She wasn’t going to be silent. She had come to fight for what was right.
As I went through the other cases, I kept glancing at Dorothy. She was patient, waiting for her turn, holding onto her envelope. When her case was finally called, she stood up slowly, the cane supporting her frail body as she walked to the front. She looked up at me, and her eyes were already filled with tears.
I softened my voice and said, “Good morning, Mrs. Jensen. You can take your time here today. Tell me what’s been going on.” She began her story, voice shaky at first. She explained that on July 22nd, her car—a 2004 Honda Civic—had been stolen. She immediately reported it to the police and filed an insurance claim. But weeks passed, then months. Her car had been gone, and she had to take the bus to work.
And then, the tickets started arriving.
The Ticket Nightmare
Dorothy pulled out the tickets, one by one, from her envelope. Twelve tickets for violations her car never committed. There was a moving violation, a red light camera violation, and a citation for being involved in criminal activity—all in a stolen vehicle. The fines had added up to $1,800.
“Your honor,” she said, voice cracking, “I’ve called the parking authority six times. I’ve sent them a police report. I sent them an insurance letter. I’ve done everything right, and they still keep sending these tickets.”
I couldn’t believe it. The system had failed her, and I could see it in her face—frustration, disbelief, and anger. She was a victim of a crime, and now, she was being punished again by the very system that was supposed to protect her.
A Judge’s Decision
I turned to the prosecutor, the young man from the city attorney’s office, and asked, “What’s the city’s position on this?” He explained that the parking authority had procedures for handling tickets, and Dorothy hadn’t followed them precisely.
I couldn’t contain my anger. “So, you’re telling me that this 73-year-old woman, who had her car stolen, is responsible for tickets issued while criminals were driving her car?”
I looked at Dorothy, sitting there, vulnerable, frustrated, and defeated. I knew what I had to do. “Mrs. Jensen, I’m dismissing every single one of these charges. All of them. The fines are gone. You don’t owe anything.”
The room was silent.
The Impact of Mercy
I turned to the prosecutor and said, “You tell the parking authority that Judge Caprio dismissed all charges with prejudice. They cannot come after her again for these tickets. If they want to collect, they need to find the people who stole her car.”
Mrs. Jensen sat there, her hands shaking, tears streaming down her face. She looked up at me, unable to speak, and I said, “Ma’am, you did everything right. You reported the crime. You worked with the system. The system failed you, but I’m going to make it right today.”
She could barely speak, but she managed to say, “Thank you, your honor. Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would’ve done.”
The Call to Action
Before she left, I decided to take it a step further. I asked Christina to get me the police department on the phone. I wanted answers. I wanted to know why they hadn’t followed up with Dorothy Jensen about her stolen vehicle. I promised her that I would write letters to the mayor and the city council to make sure that this never happened again.
In that moment, I realized that sometimes justice isn’t just about following the law—it’s about seeing the person, understanding their circumstances, and choosing to make things right. And that’s what I did for Mrs. Jensen.
The Power of One Voice
A few weeks later, I received a letter from Mrs. Jensen. The parking authority had cleared her charges, refunded her impound fees, and even apologized for their lack of communication. She thanked me, but I knew it wasn’t just me. It was her determination, her refusal to be ignored, that had led to change.
The story of Dorothy Jensen wasn’t just a victory for her—it was a victory for everyone who had ever been overlooked by the system, for everyone who had been caught in a web of bureaucracy and couldn’t find a way out.
Her case led to the creation of the Jensen Protocol, a simple process for victims of stolen vehicles. It allowed them to contest parking tickets without jumping through bureaucratic hoops. This change wouldn’t have happened if Mrs. Jensen hadn’t fought for what was right.
Reflecting on the Legacy
As I reflected on her case, I thought about my own upbringing—my father’s lessons about respect, integrity, and fighting for what’s right. His words had guided me throughout my career, and they shaped how I saw Dorothy Jensen’s case.
In the end, what mattered was that we treated people with humanity, not just as case numbers or violations.
When I look back at my 40 years as a judge, I remember the cases that made a difference, the moments when justice wasn’t about following the rules but understanding the spirit of the law.
And it’s stories like Dorothy Jensen’s that remind me of why I became a judge in the first place—to serve, to listen, and to make sure that, even in the face of bureaucracy, justice can still be served.
Final Reflection
Have you ever been in a situation where the system was working against you? Where you had done everything right, but the law seemed to have forgotten that you were human?
I hope you see, like I do, that justice is more than just enforcing laws—it’s about seeing the people behind the cases. It’s about treating everyone with the dignity they deserve.
Let me know what you think in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Did I make the right decision for Mrs. Jensen? Should the law have been applied differently?
And if you believe that mercy should have a place in our system, hit the subscribe button, and join me in sharing these stories with others who need to hear them.
Justice doesn’t have to be cold—it can be warm, human, and compassionate.
