i had this moment

American Courts

4 out of every 10 people carries a credit card balance from month to month. That figure is actually down from the year 2000, when 50% of people in America carried credit card debt.

The average credit card debt for houses with zero net worth or a negative net worth is $10,307; that group, the poorest, has the highest average credit card debt of any economic strata.

Most credit card cases used to be litigated in small claims court, where debtors can take advantage of looser procedures, but where many cases are not heard by elected judges.  In the past 2 years, small claims cases have dropped, while the number of cases filed in civil court (generally, seeking $10,000 or more) have climbed.

The "vast majority" of cases in state courts are debt collection, landlord-tenant, foreclosure, and small claims. In as many as 75% of the cases heard in a state court, at least one party appears without representation; this was true even in small claims cases, where an increasing number of collectors are represented by lawyers. That is, 3 out of every 4 cases involves a creditor, represented by a lawyer, suing a debtor, unrepresented, over money, housing or a vehicle.

According to one source, 80% of all collection debt relates to health care, telecommunications, or utilities.

The number of people working as debt collectors has doubled since 1990.

Afternoon

We still go to throw rocks in the river.