Speeding ticket in southeast georgia yesterday

[The Poojer]

so i am driving from florida, driving with the flow of traffic, thought i was doing about 80 in a 70, see a sherrif truck going from south bound to northbound and slide in right behind my car and pull me over....came up, told me i was doing 85. asked for my license hand it to him along with the car rental contract, he didn't even acknowlege the rental agreement, just walked back to his car with my license. Came back handed me the ticket, asked me to sign it saying it was in no way an admission of guilt, said his radar was calibrated that morning and to call by june 11th for cost of ticket or to fight the ticket...no big deal, i know i was going over the posted speed...

 

today i go online to see if i can fight an out of state speeding ticket to avoid points, type in the location of the ticket and come across this forum....

 

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/darien-ga/TEJF3CEO3SBCI8ASG

 

scary how so many have the exact same story...85MPH, no request for insurance or registration...but all the talk about the super speeder additional fine...

 

I don't know what to do now...i have a legal plan through work, not sure how it works or if it can even be used in this situation...i don't mind paying a speeding ticket at all, but holy crap it seems as though this place is notorious for trying to make some serious cash...

 

any suggestions, recommendations, similar experiences in this part of georgia? mcintosh county, darien georgia? ticket claims light traffic, i would have called it moderate, certainly not light traffic.

[plenzmd1]

Pooj, that thread is really old. Couple of questions

 

1) did you admit that you were speeding? Did you say anything about how fast you thought you were going?

2) if it is a speed trap, the judge and the cops will be in cahoots, almost impossible for you to win without being onsite with a lawyer...and even then hard as hell

 

Bowling Green on Route 301 in VA has one of the most notorious ones as i have learned. 35 coming into the one block that has some business, then turns to right back to 55 . But those sneaky buggers put up another sign about 1/2 mile down the road, in an area where it is only fields, back down to 45. They got me going 63, and when i went to court must have been 60 people all has tickets from same cop, same exact spot. Most at 65 or over

 

I figured out anybody pleading not guilty,was found guilty, got the twenty over for 65, and got big points and fine.

 

I plead no contest, got 54. Think he rewarded me for not making him listen to some bull **** story.

 

Sometimes ya just got to eat it.

 

BTW, in VA anything over 80 is considered reckless, so make sure you check on that in GA

Edited April 21, 2014 by plenzmd1

[KD in CA]

Darien, GA huh? Yankees better slow down in that neck of the woods. I think they're still a little pissed about that whole burning of their town thing.

[The Poojer]

that thread while started in 09 has posts up until a couple weeks ago...same story throughout the thread...i told him i didn't think i was going 85

 

Pooj, that thread is really old. Couple of questions

 

1) did you admit that you were speeding? Did you say anything about how fast you thought you were going?

2) if it is a speed trap, the judge and the cops will be in cahoots, almost impossible for you to win without being onsite with a lawyer...and even then hard as hell

 

Bowling Green on Route 301 in VA has one of the most notorious ones as i have learned. 35 coming into the one block that has some business, then turns to right back to 55 . But those sneaky buggers put up another sign about 1/2 mile down the road, in an area where it is only fields, back down to 45. They got me going 63, and when i went to court must have been 60 people all has tickets from same cop, same exact spot. Most at 65 or over

 

I figured out anybody pleading not guilty,was found guilty, got the twenty over for 65, and got big points and fine.

 

I plead no contest, got 54. Think he rewarded me for not making him listen to some bull **** story.

 

Sometimes ya just got to eat it.

 

BTW, in VA anything over 80 is considered reckless, so make sure you check on that in GA

[Fan in San Diego]

You guys better not drive on the island of Oahu. Most freeway speeds are 45 and anything above 80 mph or 30 mph above posted speed limit results in drivers license suspension and jail time.

[plenzmd1]

that thread while started in 09 has posts up until a couple weeks ago...same story throughout the thread...i told him i didn't think i was going 85

 

did you admit to going anything over the limit? I have learned the hard way it never pays to say anything except.." no officer, i am confident i was going exactly the speed limit" and then try to ask him details in court that he may not remember.

[The Poojer]

i said 'i honestly don't think i was going 85' but i honestly don't think he heard anything other than him asking for my license...seems like this little part of the world has their own agenda and is only focused on revenue...seems like they don't even listen to reduced violations or traffic school for first time speeders...

 

did you admit to going anything over the limit? I have learned the hard way it never pays to say anything except.." no officer, i am confident i was going exactly the speed limit" and then try to ask him details in court that he may not remember.

[stuckinny]

it is sad that officers have changed roles form to serve and protect to find revenue wherever you can. I got a seat belt ticket in a trap, no idea how he ever say me without it but i didn't try to put it on even after i saw him coming. Went ot court and quite a few people in the same boat as me. all got reduced to simple parking tickets and no points. Our podunk town gets to keep more of the money for parking tickets versus a state seat belt ticket. The judge even lowered a court fee for a guy who showed up in a sport jacket and tie!

[Best Player Available]

i said 'i honestly don't think i was going 85' but i honestly don't think he heard anything other than him asking for my license...seems like this little part of the world has their own agenda and is only focused on revenue...seems like they don't even listen to reduced violations or traffic school for first time speeders...

in the state of California and I would guess everywhere. You have every right to demand to see the gun and check for calibration time and date. By law a radar gun in California must be calibrated before every shift if not you win. Of course if your ticketed in a state where you live, you also have the right to demand a change of venue, but you must do it on the spot.

 

I was born with a lead foot and in the past have dealt with issues like speeding tickets. Reckless driving (over 30mph above posted limit), Also, although once I fought it and won he had me clocked on the gun at 80 in a 65 yet wrote it up as 87mph. Claiming by the time I crested the hill I would have been doing 87 or more. I beat that one without a lawyer and petitioned the judge in writing.

 

Since you're out of town I would look into petitioning the judge in writing.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Could be worse. You could have been going through Georgia in 1961. That is the year my parents got married and made the trek down to Miami for their honeymoon. My father got a ticket @ a speed trap in GA... They were taken right to the chief of police's house. Either pay the ticket right there or wait the weekend til Monday for a judge... I guess they paid the ticket. Wise thinking Dad, glad your skin wasn't dark.

 

How did you get a ticket going with the flow? Strange, you must of been the slow one the cop caught. Did they give you a tcket for going too slow? I'd fight it, you weren't speeding. You were going the slowest in the flow. Good luck, if you hear people on the porch playing dueling banjoes and somebody offers to park your Bronco... GET REALLY SCARED!

 

that thread while started in 09 has posts up until a couple weeks ago...same story throughout the thread...i told him i didn't think i was going 85

 

Of course you were going 85... People rountinely go 85 and cops pass them right by! Say so on this very board. You must have been going too slow.

 

In all honesty and seriousness... Just eat it. Like Bird said, are you planning on going back in person to fight it? Probably not.

 

^{it is sad that officers have changed roles form to serve and protect to find revenue wherever you can. I got a seat belt ticket in a trap, no idea how he ever say me without it but i didn't try to put it on even after i saw him coming. Went ot court and quite a few people in the same boat as me. all got reduced to simple parking tickets and no points. Our podunk town gets to keep more of the money for parking tickets versus a state seat belt ticket. The judge even lowered a court fee for a guy who showed up in a sport jacket and tie!}

 

Dude... Numero uno thing to do is be situationally aware. We aren't perfect, but put that belt on the minute you see him check for safety when getting out of the cruiser. There is always plenty of time, real easy to slip it on. One prick cop got mad @ me one time and said: "You are making my job hard." When he came to the vehicle. I said: "Sorry for the inconvienience officer." He then left. Gee, I am making his job hard... Boo hoo blame me.

 

I always fight everything if I am local... Drag, stall, get continuances, etc... Take it as far out of the officer's mind as possible... Always show, maybe hope the officer won't show. If they are going to get money, make them work for it.

 

The only reason I suggest Pooj eat it is like Bird said, he probably doesn't have a lawyer in town working for him... Like a trucker might have set up in the states they travel. And anyway, it is cost effective. You gotta stay local if you plan on fighting. IMO.

Edited April 21, 2014 by ExiledInIllinois

[DC Tom]

in the state of California and I would guess everywhere. You have every right to demand to see the gun and check for calibration time and date. By law a radar gun in California must be calibrated before every shift if not you win. Of course if your ticketed in a state where you live, you also have the right to demand a change of venue, but you must do it on the spot.

 

I was born with a lead foot and in the past have dealt with issues like speeding tickets. Reckless driving (over 30mph above posted limit), Also, although once I fought it and won he had me clocked on the gun at 80 in a 65 yet wrote it up as 87mph. Claiming by the time I crested the hill I would have been doing 87 or more. I beat that one without a lawyer and petitioned the judge in writing.

 

Since you're out of town I would look into petitioning the judge in writing.

 

What does that even mean? How does your average person check the calibration of a radar gun? Even if you could, the police can put whatever they want on the display - cop says you were driving 87, the display will say 87.

 

Once a police officer has lied about your speed (though it hasn't happened to me often, I've had it happen. Erie County Sheriffs used to be notorious for that), you're getting a ticket. If he's decided to lie, he's already decided to write you up. Nothing you can do at the stop changes that...you have to fight it in court. And THAT is when you subpoena the calibration records, and wait for them to not produce them.

[Best Player Available]

 

 

What does that even mean? How does your average person check the calibration of a radar gun? Even if you could, the police can put whatever they want on the display - cop says you were driving 87, the display will say 87.

 

Once a police officer has lied about your speed (though it hasn't happened to me often, I've had it happen. Erie County Sheriffs used to be notorious for that), you're getting a ticket. If he's decided to lie, he's already decided to write you up. Nothing you can do at the stop changes that...you have to fight it in court. And THAT is when you subpoena the calibration records, and wait for them to not produce them.

In the stae of California at least in 2008 , if you are pulled over for speeding and the officer said he caught you on radar you have on the spot the right to ask and see the calibration sticker, and the display that must show it was calibrated before his shift. That's all I know past the right to change the venue. That I didn't know so I had a appearance 200 miles away. if you do request the venue change the officer drives down on overtime, or if he isn't present chances are it's dismissed.

 

of course highway patrol does not make that info available. You need to request it on the spot. I can't speak for any other state. My thinking is calibration records can be fudged easily, this is with him, and available on the spot. I argued with that guy for quite sometime in fact I remember his name " officer Blood". In California "serve and protect" was thrown out the window at least ten years ago.

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

so i am driving from florida, driving with the flow of traffic, thought i was doing about 80 in a 70, see a sherrif truck going from south bound to northbound and slide in right behind my car and pull me over....came up, told me i was doing 85. asked for my license hand it to him along with the car rental contract, he didn't even acknowlege the rental agreement, just walked back to his car with my license. Came back handed me the ticket, asked me to sign it saying it was in no way an admission of guilt, said his radar was calibrated that morning and to call by june 11th for cost of ticket or to fight the ticket...no big deal, i know i was going over the posted speed...

 

today i go online to see if i can fight an out of state speeding ticket to avoid points, type in the location of the ticket and come across this forum....

 

http://www.topix.com...JF3CEO3SBCI8ASG

 

scary how so many have the exact same story...85MPH, no request for insurance or registration...but all the talk about the super speeder additional fine...

 

I don't know what to do now...i have a legal plan through work, not sure how it works or if it can even be used in this situation...i don't mind paying a speeding ticket at all, but holy crap it seems as though this place is notorious for trying to make some serious cash...

 

any suggestions, recommendations, similar experiences in this part of georgia? mcintosh county, darien georgia? ticket claims light traffic, i would have called it moderate, certainly not light traffic.

Good luck Oh and BTW if you live in NY or have a NY license, they may suspend it for a month to 3 for out of state speeding or some such. happened to me in 2001 when I got a ticket in south FLA (5 miles faster than what I was doing - cop was a Georgia transplane) . only by the time I got the suspension letter I already had my Florida license ....

 

Told me to get my speedo re-caliberated

 

WRT going with the flow - you still need to check your speedo. When I'm "pushed" more than 12 over I take a quick visit to the right lane and then reenter the hammer lane.

 

cruise control works best if you have it. (who nowadays doesn't)

[DC Tom]

WRT going with the flow - you still need to check your speedo. When I'm "pushed" more than 12 over I take a quick visit to the right lane and then reenter the hammer lane.

 

No, when in the left lane and "pushed," you're supposed to peg the speed limit and piss off the people behind you, because !@#$ them.

 

We have an entire thread dedicated to that fact.

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

 

something like that Tom?

 

If they push too hard I will slow down, but to keep the flow going I can ease on over and let them pass. All in hopes they get a ticket and let me ride worry free for a while longer.

[DC Tom]

 

something like that Tom?

 

If they push too hard I will slow down, but to keep the flow going I can ease on over and let them pass. All in hopes they get a ticket and let me ride worry free for a while longer.

 

If someone pushes too hard, I get out of their way. I always felt it was better to worry about my own driving, rather than spend so much time worrying about others'.

 

Unless they're, y'know, actively trying to kill me.

[b stein 22]

Get "Waze" its a GPS app made by google and will tell you if there are cops or traffic in the area. The way it works is that people will the same app can report any hazards on the road pretty easily.

Edited April 22, 2014 by b stein 22

[The Poojer]

sadly i turned waze on too late in my trip back, but you are right..it was calling out cars on the shoulder things in the road...cool app

 

Get "Waze" its a GPS app made by google and will tell you if there are cops or traffic in the area. The way it works is that people will the same app can report any hazards on the road pretty easily.

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

Get "Waze" its a GPS app made by google and will tell you if there are cops or traffic in the area. The way it works is that people will the same app can report any hazards on the road pretty easily.

how is it when you are stuck in 5:00 traffic and going nowhere fast?

 

does it annoying or is it smart enough not to repeat itself more than once every mile or so?

Edited April 22, 2014 by BillsFan-4-Ever

[The Avenger]

Get "Waze" its a GPS app made by google and will tell you if there are cops or traffic in the area. The way it works is that people will the same app can report any hazards on the road pretty easily.

I've been using Waze for over a year and absolutely love it because it tells me about things like speed traps. I use it on my commute - I obviously know the route, but knowing where there is a cop is great. Also, if there's a really bad accident or a jam I get automatically rerouted to another route - very helpful. Only thing is, other people have to be using the app and reporting things or the who concept of crowd-sourced traffic reporting falls apart - if nobody is there to report a cop you could speed right past him....

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

I've been using Waze for over a year and absolutely love it because it tells me about things like speed traps. I use it on my commute - I obviously know the route, but knowing where there is a cop is great. Also, if there's a really bad accident or a jam I get automatically rerouted to another route - very helpful. Only thing is, other people have to be using the app and reporting things or the who concept of crowd-sourced traffic reporting falls apart - if nobody is there to report a cop you could speed right past him....

so it relies on people stuck in traffic texting to get the info out......

 

seems like its an invite to another ticket.

[ExiledInIllinois]

so it relies on people stuck in traffic texting to get the info out......

 

seems like its an invite to another ticket.

 

That is what I was thinking... Where's the safety angle on this. Distracted drivers using Waze. I guess, you can have your co-pilot using it.

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

That is what I was thinking... Where's the safety angle on this. Distracted drivers using Waze. I guess, you can have your co-pilot using it.

True, but more often than not I'm driving solo and when I do its either to or from with my kids @ college

[Sig1Hunter]

in the state of California and I would guess everywhere. You have every right to demand to see the gun and check for calibration time and date. By law a radar gun in California must be calibrated before every shift if not you win. Of course if your ticketed in a state where you live, you also have the right to demand a change of venue, but you must do it on the spot.

 

Not true in Florida. I hear it all the time - "I demand to see your RADAR!". Um, no. You are not going anywhere near my car. Plus, what kind of proof does me showing you my RADAR give? I could clock a car at the beginning of my shift at 88mph and lock the speed in on the display. Then, I go around showing all the folks that demand to see my RADAR the number 88 all day long. You go to court, and I bring my documents for you to inspect there. I assure you that you won't like what you see, though...

[The Poojer]

i assume you are a police officer? is it standard practice to not ask for registration or insurance or is that an old practice that can now be accessed via your license? like i said, i know i was going above the speed limit, but it just smells fishy that forums i have gone through online all indicate they got tickets going 85, not 86, 87, or 84, 85, the exact speed that 'qualifies' you for the super speeder bonus in georgia...just curious.

 

Not true in Florida. I hear it all the time - "I demand to see your RADAR!". Um, no. You are not going anywhere near my car. Plus, what kind of proof does me showing you my RADAR give? I could clock a car at the beginning of my shift at 88mph and lock the speed in on the display. Then, I go around showing all the folks that demand to see my RADAR the number 88 all day long. You go to court, and I bring my documents for you to inspect there. I assure you that you won't like what you see, though...

[Sig1Hunter]

That information is accessible through the various electronic databases that we have access to in FL. I ask for all three, primarily because my niche in law enforcement involves arresting drunks and finding drugs. Asking for all three documents gives me a longer legal excuse to talk to someone and observe them. The longer I can look and listen, the more chance I have to find something...interesting. Some guys have their niche in writing speeding tickets all day long, so they can get a little lazy with the other stuff. Get the license, go back to the car, write the ticket, and on to the next one. Wham-bam, thank you ma'am.

[Best Player Available]

 

 

Not true in Florida. I hear it all the time - "I demand to see your RADAR!". Um, no. You are not going anywhere near my car. Plus, what kind of proof does me showing you my RADAR give? I could clock a car at the beginning of my shift at 88mph and lock the speed in on the display. Then, I go around showing all the folks that demand to see my RADAR the number 88 all day long. You go to court, and I bring my documents for you to inspect there. I assure you that you won't like what you see, though...

I did mention that incident took place in california. Good to know about florida since we will be here in pinellas county for awhile.

 

Your theory in my case holds no water since I was speeding, he was coming from the opposite direction and nailed me. Now there are plenty of crap cops but driving around all day with a 88 is a bit far fetched. My point really was in CAlifornia you in 08 at least could demand to see the guns calibration which should be at the start of the officers shift. If you read my initial post he even tagged on extra MPH because he claimed that would be my speed after cresting a hill I was going up. That entire experience could be a short story in itself. Among other things he had someone cuffed in the backseat when he did a u turn in the dirt before he started pursuing me.

 

I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, and for sure CHP is now simply a revenue generating machine but to fudge all that stuff for a $125 ticket is a bit hard to believe.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Now Pooj... I said to eat it because you can't be in court... If you can make court, then fight it. But, you admitted you were speeding so WILL LOSE. If you weren't speeding, then fight.

 

 

Traffic court is a money making racket... When falsely accused, make it hard on them to take your hard earned money and food off your family's table!

 

Attack the officer's memory and credibility in court. Build your case. Make the court out to be a sham that it is by following the rules of the court...DO NOT GET COMBATIVE. They hate that! They will want you out of there faster than you can say: "Leave." God forbid anybody else get smart to the scam.

 

I beat radar in court... One time the officer claimed he clocked me 60 going the other way, I told the judge that he clocked somebody else in front of me, I was going the speed limit, 45. The officer couldn't even remember the traffic conditions. By the end of questioning, I had the officer so turn inside out, he incriminated himself as lazy liar just out to get revenue for his department.

 

To people that get caught, are innocent AND are local... ALWAYS go to court, you have the right to face your accuser in the eye! Do exactly what the judge tells, again don't get combative... Ask questions... Have a defense and cross examine. Again, lots of questions when cross examining your accuser. With me, he clocked somebody else and I was the easiest "fish" to grab. Tell it just like it is. Cops are lazy as everyone else. Even ask simple ones like: "Was I with anybody else in the car?" Try and discredit their memory. If you can, get a continuance and get it far out of the accuser's mind. Most of the time they lie or can't answer correctly. With me, he couldn't remember if my wife was in the car (she was)... He said: "I can't remember." Then when I asked how fast he was going, he said: "The speed limit, I always go the speed limit." I noted that he caught up with me miles away when he had to turn around and must have been going 80-90 in a 45 to catch up with me!

 

You won't win in their playground on the side of the road, say nothing @ all... Short and sweet... Keep your yap shut with just "No sir/maam" Yes maam/sir." Give the documents they request. That's it. Don't get overly friendly and talkative, they are not your friend in this situation... They are out to take money out of your pocket that feeds your family. Don't even roll your window down all the way unless they order you to. Try to get out of their playground without any incident they can remember when it get to court. Blend in with all the other 100's of tickets they scam. Then, cross examine in court and hope you win if you do it well enough.

 

I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, and for sure CHP is now simply a revenue generating machine but to fudge all that stuff for a $125 ticket is a bit hard to believe.

 

125 x 100's if not 1,000's per officer adds up quick for your department!

 

It gets easy to do it once you have been doing it for a long time. Even easier for the department/state/whatever if they can just get you to send the check in. Ever notice how they want you to just mail it in... They talk the most about that process.

[Sig1Hunter]

I know, right! Speed limit signs have to be the biggest scam in the country. Why do they write them in foreign languages so we can't read them? And, to show them how much of a scam they are, I'm going to scam the officer into looking like a liar by delaying the case as long as possible and asking a slew of irrelevant questions!

[boyst]

If you're in whatever county Grady Judd is then meh, dude is a hardass

[ExiledInIllinois]

I know, right! Speed limit signs have to be the biggest scam in the country. Why do they write them in foreign languages so we can't read them? And, to show them how much of a scam they are, I'm going to scam the officer into looking like a liar by delaying the case as long as possible and asking a slew of irrelevant questions!

 

Quick questions if you don't mind. Have you ever been accused of speeding? Were you working as a cop (off duty)... And how did it play out. What was the price of the ticket? Did you mail it in or go to court? Or did you use professional courtesy and get out of the situation?

 

Continuance is all part of the system. Most traffic courts don't even allow them. Yes, you do want to put the incident as far out of your accusers mind as possible. Or, you may not be able to make the court date they appoint. A continuance is a very REASONABLE request. The system knows most people are 9-5ers that many have to take a day off of work to make court. That is all part of the strategy against the citizenry. It is actually pretty nice that soome traffic courts have eveniing hours.

 

Irrelevant questions? No. In any court case, you build on the credibilty of the accuser. You are innocent until proven guilty in this country. The deck is already stacked with the money making traffic scam. It is very relevant if your accuser has no recollection of what happened, how are they to be trusted if they can't remember simple details of the case? This may not be very important to you as an officer, but if you are accusing me and attempting to take food off my family's table, it is very important to me.

 

The burden is on your accuser... Not the other way around. Facing your accuser and cross examining the facts is not "scamming the officer." This isn't about the officer, it is about their accusation of wrong doing on the citizen. Now, if your accuser can't remember any of the facts, why should they be trusted? This is America. What planet are you from? Just because you are a cop doesn't mean you don't lie, take the easy way out, or screw up and get the wrong person. You are not infallible and the justice system should see to that. Mistakes are made all the time and quotas have to be met.

 

How is this "scamming the officer?" They are out to take money away from your family. They are not your friend. They are not out for safety.

 

 

Oh... Another thing people should ask the officer, even if they feel they are being wrongly accused, is for them to give you a warning. It can't hurt and is a good indicator if they are only out for your pocketbook and maybe meeting a quota or if they are truly out for the safety for you and others.

[Best Player Available]

 

 

Quick questions if you don't mind. Have you ever been accused of speeding? Were you working as a cop (off duty)... And how did it play out. What was the price of the ticket? Did you mail it in or go to court? Or did you use professional courtesy and get out of the situation?

 

Continuance is all part of the system. Most traffic courts don't even allow them. Yes, you do want to put the incident as far out of your accusers mind as possible. Or, you may not be able to make the court date they appoint. A continuance is a very REASONABLE request. The system knows most people are 9-5ers that many have to take a day off of work to make court. That is all part of the strategy against the citizenry. It is actually pretty nice that soome traffic courts have eveniing hours.

 

Irrelevant questions? No. In any court case, you build on the credibilty of the accuser. You are innocent until proven guilty in this country. The deck is already stacked with the money making traffic scam. It is very relevant if your accuser has no recollection of what happened, how are they to be trusted if they can't remember simple details of the case? This may not be very important to you as an officer, but if you are accusing me and attempting to take food off my family's table, it is very important to me.

 

The burden is on your accuser... Not the other way around. Facing your accuser and cross examining the facts is not "scamming the officer." This isn't about the officer, it is about their accusation of wrong doing on the citizen. Now, if your accuser can't remember any of the facts, why should they be trusted? This is America. What planet are you from? Just because you are a cop doesn't mean you don't lie, take the easy way out, or screw up and get the wrong person. You are not infallible and the justice system should see to that. Mistakes are made all the time and quotas have to be met.

 

How is this "scamming the officer?" They are out to take money away from your family. They are not your friend. They are not out for safety.

 

 

Oh... Another thing people should ask the officer, even if they feel they are being wrongly accused, is for them to give you a warning. It can't hurt and is a good indicator if they are only out for your pocketbook and maybe meeting a quota or if they are truly out for the safety for you and others.

Nicely put. Laughable, that everywhere in this country there are cops that have such a feeling of power, simply having the authority to write a ticket. brag about rigging the system but don't have the sack to admit maybe they where a tad over zealous once in a blue moon. Serve and protect is simply a farce now. revenue too justify jobs is the new priority especially in tourist destinations.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Nicely put. Laughable, that everywhere in this country there are cops that have such a feeling of power, simply having the authority to write a ticket. brag about rigging the system but don't have the sack to admit maybe they where a tad over zealous once in a blue moon. Serve and protect is simply a farce now. revenue too justify jobs is the new priority especially in tourist destinations.

 

Here's a rant coming...

 

Yeah, I don't mind REASONABLE fines... But see how steep these fines are getting to justify bloated salaries and pensions? They are taking food off your plate and clothes off your children's backs. Then whoever the police & fire got working for them will call you to donate to the fire/police pension/widows and orphans fund. Are you kidding me? Then they will panhandle in the street @ intersections for donations! I go on the streets everyday and risk getting the screws put to me by redlight cameras and doing 5 miles over... So I drive under the limit only to have douchebags in other threads question that. Just last summer I got stopped by one douchebag State Police officer on my way home from working midnight shift because he was "reading plates" and didn't recognize my Illinois "Illinois-Michigan Canal Plates" that I have had for the past 10 years. I made sure to show my work DoD CAC ID so he would believe me I was coming home from work. Are you joking? I just wanted to get home and get some sleep! Not answer questions @ 0830 on a Friday morning! Now they want me to donate to their funds calling me when I am sleeping? Incredible! The time I was in traffic court fighting the above accusation, the judge was reducing the fines to 10 dollars from a 125 if the person would just plead guilty. I thought cool, but then charging almost 200 in "court costs". I then thought: Bogus! People were filing though and all the court heard was cha-ching coming from their register every 2 minutes. Christmas time in Cook County, Illinois! Huh? That ain't right.

 

Red light cameras even bigger scam. They don't even have a judge, just a hearing officer. Probably a cop double dipping. You can't even face your accuser! People, the only option you have is to fight, fight, fight by showing up IF YOU ARE LOCAL. Gotta drive up the "cost of doing business" with those cameras. By mailing the ticket in, you keep "the cost of business" low and the camera will never come down. The only saving grace in Illinois is that the fine for red light camera violations are capped @ 100 bucks which means by law you can't be bent over for higher amounts with bogus "court costs." Now on top of it all, they are secretly making the yellow light shorter! Probably in response to the driving habits the cameras produce. Revenue must be going down, but cost of the cameras stay the same, so they shorten the yellow to catch more! WTF!

 

My wife got two red light violations in the last 3 years. The first one was for a left turn behind a dump truck... She just made the sensor in the pavement and instinctively cleared the intersection. Yet, they mailed the violation out anyway hoping we would just pay online. Cha-ching, easy as pie! I fought it and went to court and there were about 200 people there... Wow. Figure that is 20K one night or two nights a week! I got that thrown out and the hearing officer was moody, boy do they want you to hustle along! Now, I wanted to talk and he grumbles: "Just leave." I even got scolded for approaching the bench. Boy, they hate losing! The other one I fought was for a "no right on red"... My wife rolled through the lights tapping her brakes, but never completely came to a stop. Forget about winning those, that is an instant pimp the people, pimp your family for an easy C-note. I am sure if I was a cop working the racket, they would have dismissed the fine as a "professional courtesy." Somebody would have fixed it.

 

Sorry... /rant.

[Sig1Hunter]

How long are you gonna hold on to that, EII? I remember having this same (or very similar) debate with you years ago. Maybe it's time to let it go? Until that happens, I doubt that I can convince you that:

 

- The cops aren't out to get you and take food off of your family's table

- Traffic safety isn't a scam. Traffic crashes are the number one killers in our country. Speed plays a large role in the majority of those fatal crashes.

- Most cops aren't "douchebags"

- Laws are written by legislators, and enforced by police

- My agency (a large traffic oriented state agency) doesn't see revenues from citations. That money goes into the county.

 

I will certainly admit that there are some "douchebag" cops. And, I will admit that there are some small, municipal agencies that gather much of their revenue through traffic enforcement. As such, they zealously enforce the law. Anyone ever heard of Waldo, Florida?

 

As far as your obvious bitterness as to what you call "professional courtesy", there's this - do I give warnings every day to regular Joe Blow citizens? Yup. Do I give warnings to police officers if I pull them over? Yup. Do I expect it if I ever get pulled over? No. Why does that bug you? When I am fighting a drunk all by myself on the side of the road, who is going to stop to help? Joe Blow? Probably not - he'll get out his cell phone and start recording. I guarantee that off-duty cop will stop, and will help.

 

Now that I've said my piece, I'm out. I read this forum out of enjoyment for the team that we all love to root for. At times, I feel the need to express my professional opinion to help out / educate some of my fellow board members on a topic that most people know little about. I can see that the thread is quickly devolving into a serious level of cop-hate, and I want no part of it. I get enough of it at work.

[BuffaloBillsForever]

Is your radar gun time and date stamped with the recorded speed on the display?

 

If not this is something I would grill the cop on.

 

I would also ask if it was calibrated and if he says yes, ask for documentation/records for that shift that it was calibrated.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

When I was in the Army I was stationed at Ft. Stewart, outside Hinesville, GA. I got pulled over by a local redneck sherriff's deputy. Now, when you're in the Army, you don't need to renew your license. So, my license had an "expired" date on it, but I should have been good to go. That bastard kept me cuffed in the back of his car for an hour and a half while he ran all my information. I wanted to kick his ass when i got out of that car.

 

 

I hate Georgia. No offense to anyone that lives there, but it's a hole.

[stuckinny]

i knew a cop who was off duty and in his own car on his way to a funeral admit to doing 100 mpg on the 390 to get their. ANd the whole insurance and registration thing...don't the plate reading cameras take most of that out of the equation. I htink when they read your plate with those most of that is on there form the DMV. And those readers are a racket too. they can pay for the cost of them in about 2 months!

 

also funny story, I was driving on the border of Virginia and Tenessee and getting a hand job (from a girl) and drifting all over the place on the highway, and a cop pulled me over. ANd because i had NY plates he called in and searched my car and i had to wait on the side of the highway while the dog unit came in! I was like WTF!

[MarkyMannn]

Here's a rant coming...

 

Red light cameras even bigger scam.

 

There was a story on the net a year or two ago about Texas cities and their red light cameras. Dallas, Houston, etc were not making enough revenue from the cameras. So they cut in half the yellow light timing to get more people going thought reds. Revenue soared, along with rear end collisions as yellow lights became the new red.

 

Really red light cameras are just another form of taxation

[ExiledInIllinois]

How long are you gonna hold on to that, EII? I remember having this same (or very similar) debate with you years ago. Maybe it's time to let it go? Until that happens, I doubt that I can convince you that:

 

- The cops aren't out to get you and take food off of your family's table

- Traffic safety isn't a scam. Traffic crashes are the number one killers in our country. Speed plays a large role in the majority of those fatal crashes.

- Most cops aren't "douchebags"

- Laws are written by legislators, and enforced by police

- My agency (a large traffic oriented state agency) doesn't see revenues from citations. That money goes into the county.

 

I will certainly admit that there are some "douchebag" cops. And, I will admit that there are some small, municipal agencies that gather much of their revenue through traffic enforcement. As such, they zealously enforce the law. Anyone ever heard of Waldo, Florida?

 

As far as your obvious bitterness as to what you call "professional courtesy", there's this - do I give warnings every day to regular Joe Blow citizens? Yup. Do I give warnings to police officers if I pull them over? Yup. Do I expect it if I ever get pulled over? No. Why does that bug you? When I am fighting a drunk all by myself on the side of the road, who is going to stop to help? Joe Blow? Probably not - he'll get out his cell phone and start recording. I guarantee that off-duty cop will stop, and will help.

 

Now that I've said my piece, I'm out. I read this forum out of enjoyment for the team that we all love to root for. At times, I feel the need to express my professional opinion to help out / educate some of my fellow board members on a topic that most people know little about. I can see that the thread is quickly devolving into a serious level of cop-hate, and I want no part of it. I get enough of it at work.

 

I will hold on to it for a long time. Cops are getting more and more harassing. And yes, they are out to take food off your table and clothes off your children's back when it comes to traffic court. I just got harassed by a K-9 cop this past summer while driving home from work after a midnight shift. I had a cracked windshield in my Jeep that was not in violation of the Illinois Motor Vehicle Code. I tried to explain that to the officer, but he didn't want to listen, he wrote the violation anyway. I guess nothing better to do than write tickets on a Tuesday morning. He was actually traveling ahead of me in my town that I lived in for just under 20 years. I know exactly every routine my village cops go through. I saw him double back for me and then I proceeded to drive through my village, making a couple turns down various streets... Sure enough, he was following me! I finally pulled him over and asked what the problem was... I pulled him over! I told him where I lived, what I was doing... I was in my hometown just heading home from working the 0000-0800 shift @ work. I was tired and wanted to get some sleep. He said that he was reading plates (I mentioned the story about the Trooper I mentioned in the above post) and then he noticed my windshield. "Fishing expedition"

 

Here is the "fishing expedition" he went on to find something. I am as clean as a whistle:

 

To make a long story short, I had the law on my phone about what constitutes an obstructed windshield in Illinois... There is no reason to spend extra money on a frivilous crack since it was a Jeep and would only crack again. The crack was to the far passenger side and went straight up the pillar. It is a Jeep, so I could have just flopped the windshield down. Anyway... I mentioned that I will fix it when it started to obstruct my view and break the law. He wouldn't take no for an answer... He said: "That doesn't matter." He wrote the ticket anyway, said if I just admit guilt, I can pay half by a certain date... He didn't even know the law! Most cops probably don't know the law they are enforcing! They are just on a fishing expedition to find something else... Like you said in your post above. Well, I fought it @ a village hearing (hearing officer) and lost. I then filed an appeal w/the police of chief in town. That worked. If it didn't work, my next step would have been to file the same appeal @ county level. I have my appeal letter stating the facts of the traffic stop, citing the law, and citing relevant case law in Illinois about obstruction. It was a solid appeal that put me on the right side of the law that I have always been on. It is just a shame that people that should know the law, the cop and hearing officer didn't!

 

So... After filing my appeal with the Chief of Police stating the law and all the facts surrounding the traffic stop, here is the letter the Chief wrote me back to me:

 

Dear Mr. XXXXXXXX,

After reviewing your notice of appeal concerning citation 0****8 and speaking with the Officer that issued the citation I concur with your reasoning and have ordered the citation declared void.

Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention, it's very much how we learn and hopefully change for the better.

 

Sincerely,

XXXXXXX XXXXX

Chief

 

 

 

i knew a cop who was off duty and in his own car on his way to a funeral admit to doing 100 mpg on the 390 to get their. ANd the whole insurance and registration thing...don't the plate reading cameras take most of that out of the equation. I htink when they read your plate with those most of that is on there form the DMV. And those readers are a racket too. they can pay for the cost of them in about 2 months!

 

also funny story, I was driving on the border of Virginia and Tenessee and getting a hand job (from a girl) and drifting all over the place on the highway, and a cop pulled me over. ANd because i had NY plates he called in and searched my car and i had to wait on the side of the highway while the dog unit came in! I was like WTF!

 

I know a guy who's brother is a repo man and the plate reading technology is so good, his computer will pick up plates going the other way! You know how he gets a lot of his repos? He drives his tow truck up and down the parking lot of the malls on Black Friday...All he has to do is "sweep" the lot and it will scan all the plates on the side and tell him if he has a hit... BOOM! Then tow it away!

 

Come on now... Cops don't have that with their laptop... Pretty cool Repo Man tool!

 

Cops are on a "fishing expedition." You heard it here straight from their mouths! They want to detain you and hold you as long as possible to find something, anything! All in the name of getting drunks off the road... Who doesn't want to get drunks and drugs off the roads. Well I guess the good fish get caught and detained in their nets!

 

Don't hate the cop... Hate the system!

 

 

 

There was a story on the net a year or two ago about Texas cities and their red light cameras. Dallas, Houston, etc were not making enough revenue from the cameras. So they cut in half the yellow light timing to get more people going thought reds. Revenue soared, along with rear end collisions as yellow lights became the new red.

 

Really red light cameras are just another form of taxation

 

Yep. I scour and read the law. The saving grace here in Illinois is that the fine is capped @ 100 bucks and they can't tack on court costs. But, the law is very lock tight on boning the citizen. Really, all you can do is fight, appeal and lose... Hopefully drive up the cost of doing business with the camera custodians. The hearing officer gets really moody and mad when you want to have the custodian of the camera present. The no red on right violation that I posted about above, and lost... I asked and they order you to leave! The one I won, the hearing officer dismissed it. His dimissal wasn't clear and a bit of grumble... So I approached the bench to ask for clarification and the hearing officer got like a nasty dog and scolded me for approaching the bench! Wow...

 

Way to pimp the people guys!

 

i said 'i honestly don't think i was going 85' but i honestly don't think he heard anything other than him asking for my license...seems like this little part of the world has their own agenda and is only focused on revenue...seems like they don't even listen to reduced violations or traffic school for first time speeders...

 

I missed this. The whole being out of state thing is probably the sticky wicket with traffic school. Gov't is so effed up, they can't even square away things in their own fed/state/county/village... And I work for the Fed/DoD and a big advocate of gov't... ;-)

 

I mentioned that you should eat it because you were out of state, non-local... They got you over a barrel and it will probably cost way more to fight. Getting a lawyer is simply out of the question... Unless you get a relative that can do it for free?

 

Anyway... Good look... Maybe write a well reasoned letter to the Department Chief? It is a try if you really feel wronged... Can't hurt. Of course it is always better to go up the legal chain and through appeals process first!

Edited April 24, 2014 by ExiledInIllinois

[Cynical]

Yep. I scour and read the law. The saving grace here in Illinois is that the fine is capped @ 100 bucks and they can't tack on court costs. But, the law is very lock tight on boning the citizen. Really, all you can do is fight, appeal and lose... Hopefully drive up the cost of doing business with the camera custodians. The hearing officer gets really moody and mad when you want to have the custodian of the camera present. The no red on right violation that I posted about above, and lost... I asked and they order you to leave! The one I won, the hearing officer dismissed it. His dimissal wasn't clear and a bit of grumble... So I approached the bench to ask for clarification and the hearing officer got like a nasty dog and scolded me for approaching the bench! Wow...

 

If you scour and read the law, then you should be aware of something called "Court Rules" or "Rules of Court".

Approaching the bench before asking is usually a big fat no-no.

It goes beyond common courtesy into orderly conduct, ethics, and possible legality.

 

Imagine if counsel had the right to approach the bench any time they felt like it. You would have cases turn into utter chaos.

Besides, what looks to you as innocent, looks to somebody else as preferential treatment (a/k/a "favoring a side").

That leads to a potential appeal or, in extreme cases, whether or not the person is capable of being a judge.

 

I understand your situation. The case was over and you just wanted clarification. Regardless, you should have asked to approach the bench.

Be happy the only thing you got was scolded. Depending on how much authority he had, he could've slapped you contempt.