If people commit crimes (traffic violations, DUI, etc.) they are expected to pay their fines.

BUT, does the City of Minot use these fine payments funds as a cash cow?

Some cities do. They give every imaginable traffic ticket to raise money for the city coffers.

Is the city not pleased with the judge because he is too lenient on the payment of fines or is the city not collecting on its "cash cow" of revenue from traffic violations and offences? Reply...

As a former police officer for the Minot PD, I can tell you this is not a new revelation. Judge Rasmusson has always reduced fines and allowed the most trivial amounts to be paid on fines. The ultimate I witnessed was five dollars per month on a DUI charge. At least the total amount of fines owed is now under 100,000 dollars which it was at when I was working there. As for the Judges comment about the accounts receivable going down 19,000 dollars. I am sure if you look it is all the old warrants which were purged from the system. I think that "in the interest of justice" Rasmusson should be fired by the city council. Reply...

I agree with the Chief of Police. Rasmusson gives easy sentences. He should not allow people to get away without paying. The rest of us pay our tickets. Reply...

That's exactly right. No winners, and it's a shame. I feel bad for all the families involved. You have my sympathies. Reply...

This is for Ad's Biggest Fan: it was a situation dat happen involving josh working for the cops. so it want be on the web site. that's what i said, the charges got dropped cuz he died. part 2: it would have been a lot better if josh would have never went over there when he knew him and bradley has been having this on going situation for prior to his death. no one deserves to die as i said before. i did say my kinfolk bradley should have never hit him like dat. the police should have been called when the fight started in the house, so everybody who was at the house is gulity. Anybody could have been the bigger person and called da cops. now look, his child is without a father for the rest of his/her life. and bradley kids is without a father for the most part of their life as well. so no one won this case. Reply...

Barbie, I guess I keep missing the part on that court web site that indicates Josh was a snitch. Yes, his rap sheet was long, but if you're thinking the drug charges against him being dropped means he was a snitch, then you might want to note those charges were dropped after he was killed. Hard to prosecute a dead person. You are right about one thing, though ... everything would've been a lot better if Josh wouldn't have gone over there. But I'm sure you'll agree that calling the cops on his drunk butt would've been a better alternative than beating him and then shooting him. Reply...

To imply or state that someone cant take the stand in their own defense, and a judge would rule that they cant, has to be one of the most hairbrained statements to come out of these nonsensible rantings. To do so would be the grounds for a retrial handed to them on a sivler platter...while they certianly had the right to testify most offten its very poor strategy because they're crediblity will be torn to pieces on cross examination, having waived the right to self incrimination by taking the stand. Without question they didnt take the stand because their LAWYERS advised them it was not in their interest to do so. And why would they since the burden of proof doenst rest with the defendant.

Further no one was brought in from California to be on the jury. Juries from Ward County come from, and I know this is going to be a shock, WARD COUNTY.

People, please get help before you hurt yourselves. Or at least look into Hooked on Phonics. Reply...

HE SHOULDN'T CAME TO MY COUSIN HOUSE UNANNOUNCED. THEY HAVE BEEN INTO FOR THE LONGEST. I WAS THERE WHEN THE VERDICT WAS READ AS WELL. AS I SAID BEFORE AND I'M A KEEP SAYING IT: THEY SHOULDN'T OF BEEN TRIALED TOGETHER, JOSH WAS A SNITCH AND HIS RAP SHEET WAS LONG. U BETTER CHECK NORTHDAKOTACOURTS.COM. JOSH WASN'T INNOCENT. HE WORKED WITH THE POLICE SO OF COURSE THEY GONE DO WHAT THEY HAD TO DO. STRIDIRON I DON'T CARE ABOUT HE DID SHOOT. BRADLEY DEFENDED HIS SELF. WHY DID JOSH COME TO THE HOUSE KNOWING HIM AND MY COUSIN HAVE BEEN HAVING AN ONGOING FIGHT FOR A MINUTE? WHY DID JOSH NOT LISTEN TO HIS FAMILY MEMEBERS WHEN HE TOLD HIM NOT TO GO OVER THERE? JOSH WAS LOOKING FOR A FIGHT AND IT LEAD TO HIS DEATH. I DON'T FEEL SORRY FOR HIM NOR HIS FAMILY. U DO WRONG, WRONG COME TO YOU. SO WHATEVER YA'LL GOT TO SAY, SAY IT. NEXT TIME NATIVE_DAZZLER00 SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT MY NIECE THINK BEFORE SPEAKING. SHE INNOCENT TO THIS. SO LETS STICK TO THE TOPIC. Reply...

hold on. for 1: davis nor bradley could take the stand due to the fact that the judge did not allow it. you can ask both lawyers of them. the judge said no. the lawyers asked for this. for 2: a man can lie and they sleep with a chick just to say it. before this incident, josh was into it with bradley brother boogie and cousin mikey. so josh gone say whatever he says to start the fight off. Wow if the jury came from California, another reason to question: Josh and his family are from California. here we go again. Minot is racist. lets talk about josh rap sheet: attempt to sell narcotics, attempt to sell marijuana, he had like 5-6 accounts of these alone. so lets not act like just cuz he was playong football and was on a scholarship, he was just so good and had no worries. he was facing years if he was still living. this dude was working with the cops. back to the gun situation, there were a man there actually while what happen and he was never tested to see if the gun belonged to him. Why? as far as NATIVE_DAZZLER: EXCEPT THE FACT YOUR BABYDADDY IS GONE. AMY EXCEPTS THE FACT THAT BRADLEY IS WERE HE IS AT. STOP SENDING CALLING HER HOUSE PRIVATE AND SENDING EMAILS TO HER. WE ALL ARE VERY GROWN. I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE MAD AND HAVE ANGER BUILD UP INSIDE OF YOU BUT ALL THIS GOING BACK IN FORTH WILL NOT BRING JOSH BACK NOR WILL THIS GET BRADLEY OUT OF JAIL. LETS KEEP THE KIDS OUT OF THE SITUATION, THEY ARE VERY MUCH INNOCENT. Reply...

I agree with allamericanrejects. This type of crime should NOT happen to anyone. Reply...

OK First off, these two men deserved everything they had coming to them. 2, you dont have to be there to see the facts in front of your face. Stridiron STOLE a gun from a man in florida and brought it to North Dakota. Stridiron DENIED that even though davis was not in Florida and Stridiron came from Florida back to North Dakota. Stridiron also does not have a perfect record he had a rap sheet a mile long as well as Davis. 3'rdly the jury was not brought in from MINOT, they were brought in from Calafornia so you cant say that Minot was racist on this. I am glad both of them got the guilty verdict and I hope that everyone connected to them shows a learning lesson that killing someone or hurting someone will always come back to them. People in this world had better start learning that they are not the all and end all of the world. These ****ey idiots like Stridiron and Davis just shows that justice pays and at least there are two evil men off the street. If you ask me I would make torture legal for these two men, make them feel what this Josh guy felt before he was brutally murdered! Reply...

Wow I am so glad do see that there are some many well educated people responding on this blog. Some many people know what really happened yet for some reason they never said anything. Wierd how that works. I love how people type always trying to act like some gansta rapper. dat cooooool. Reply...

Yeah.... happy1 maybe u need to shut the hell up. U don't no wha u talkin bout. Y was Bradley arrested in Stridirons house also y was he sleepin in Stridirons house when the cops came? Huh... No I was not there but I no who to believe or not to believe. Davis had enough time to get his story stright out on bond. Hey y didn't BRADLEY go on the stands?? Huh?? Stiridiron does not have to do wha he does not wanna do.

When u find out that ur wife who u jus married was cheatin on u WITH Josh, ur mad u wanna keep on goin over and over again punching and punching. THINK BOUT IT.

Stridiron and Davis was not arrested for the ****in robbery charge. It came out that this robbery happned a month later. Wait haha they can't find the guy who they supp robbed.

Happy1- Maybe u should ask ur self y they were sleepin in the STRIDIRONS house... Huh?? They had there own house, right next door.

Also yeah it has ruined so many peoples lifes.... Even Stridirons and Davis.

Reply...

Gee Real Story. You seem so confident that you know who did it. Well why weren't you on the stand defending him? Seems to me like you were like over half of the people at the party. Scared to come forward.
Why would a person who just got married be sleeping with his wife in another person's house? Cover up?? Fishy Fishy! If Stridiron is so confident he didn't do it, why wasn't he on the stand. If I were convicted of a crime I know I didn't commit, I would be defending myself to the fullest.

From what I know of the jury process, both Davis and Stridiron, along with their attorneys had ample opportunity to pick a jury.

And Real Story - why are these two going to trial for Robbery in November? Oh that's right! They were arrested for Robbery the night before the Davis Wedding. HHHMMMM. Birds of a feather commit crimes together.

It is terrible that something has happenned to ruin so many lives, but one call to the cops the night of the party and things would be so different. I guess that is one of those questions, people will be asking themself for the rest of their lives.

Maybe you should change your name to "The Rest of the Story"... Reply...

Excuse me u guys don't no Davis or Stiridiron. Yeah Josh didn't derserve to die that way. Maybe u guys should get the real story. Plus u didn't see what happened and yeah if u would of seen it haha.... u would prob have known who really killed Josh. Minot is racist town and they should of had different color of people to decide what happens to there life. 12 men and women who walk on this earth should not have a say in guilty or INNOCENT. -Native_dazzler00 maybe u should get UR story stright. U should not wish anything on anybody or there families. Plus u don't no there families. Maybe they want to say sorry and sit down with u and talk to u. Did u eva think bout that. Yeah U prob didn't.
-Blk_Barbie2 gurl u r right. See u prob don't listen to that *ucking stuff on this internet or newspapers and even the news. They don't get there storys stright. No the gun didn't BELONG to Stridiron IT WAS DAVIS. Regina Quesada-Forser should have not gotten to speak on the news. That was wrong already.
-Were all gods childern and should get treated the same as others.
Col 3-13- Barring with one another and for giving one another if anyone has a problem against another even as Christ for gave you do you also must do. Reply...

native_dazzler00: i was there when the verdict was read too. get over it. your babydaddy is gone and never coming back. face da fact. go meet another man, get pregnant and have another babydaddy. hopefully da next on will live longer. Reply...

BLK_BARBIE..U CAN SUCK IT....JOSH NEVER DID ANYTING TO DERSERVE HIS DEATH..NOBODY SHOLD HAVE DIED THE WAY JOSH DID..U PEOPLE MAKE ME SICK I U BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE BOTH INNOCENT..I HOPE THEY ENJOY THEIR LIFE THEY MADE FOR THEMSELVES I HOPE AND WISH NOTHING BUT BAD THINGS ON BOTH THESE MEN AND THEIR FAMILIES...... Reply...

Josh: u do wrong, wrong come to you Reply...

IM GLAD THEY BOTH GOT GUILTY...I WAS THERE WHEN THE VERDICT WAS READ..AND I CAN REPLAY IN MY HEAD OVER AND OVER HOW DAVIS AND STRIDIRON LOOKED WHEN THEY HEARD "GUILTY"..THEY SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT THE AFTERMATH OF BOTH THEIR ACTIONS WOULD BE...DAVIS HOW STUPID TO HAVE DONE THIS ON HIS WEDING NIGHT NOW HE AND HIS FAMILY WILL FOREVER THINK ABOUT IT..AND STRIDIRON WELL HE CAN THINK ABOUT IT FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE BEHIND BARS...IF MY CHILD SHOULD LIVE WITHOUT HIS FATHER SO SHOULD THESE MENS CHILDREN/ Reply...

I don't know a whole lot about ND's justice system but they both deserve the death penalty!!!
Velasquez may not have been a perfect angel but for the short time i knew him, he was a very kind hearted and caring individual. He didn't deserve to die for any reason! He may have overstepped his boundaries by entering a party where he wasn't wanted, but when he went there he had no intentions in harming or killing anyone else!
It was his birthday for God's sake he wanted to have a good time and got caught up at the wrong place and at the wrong time. If he meant harm why in God's name would he have went by himself and without a weapon?!
Death penalty or not these cowards will pay the ultimate punishment from GOD.
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