And from that thread it seems per-state (&quot;<i>CA did away with jury trials for infractions long ago</i>&quot;), while the US constitution is country wide. Apparently some states that I&#x27;m unfamiliar with allow the option to better preserve their illusion.<p>Also witness how the officers gleefully go about trampling the 5th amendment:<p>&gt; <i>Rejoice in the fact that, win or lose: ... It&#x27;s still going to cost the violator more for the attorney than the fine will be.</i><p>Yet another example of the effect I&#x27;m describing - <i>de jure</i> it makes sense as it&#x27;s one&#x27;s own responsibility to pay for an attorney. <i>de facto</i> it constitutes an extrajudicial punishment that police directly acknowledge.