User Panel
Posted: 8/21/2001 7:00:04 AM EDT
This is not an anti-LEO post, but an anti-asshole post!
On the 6 O'Clock news last night they had a segment about a couple hundred people that got speeding tickets from one particular officer in a metro county of Atlanta. All the tickets were supposedly from the officer pacing the violators from behind. However, when one woman, who hod never had a speeding ticket in her life, showed up in court and testified that the officer did not pace her from behind, but was sitting on the side of the highway facing her, then turned around and pulled her over, it was discovered that the officer had actually clocked her with a radar gun. So what's the big deal? Why did the officer put on the ticket he had paced her? Simple, he was not certified to use the radar gun. Why would he do this? From his own lips in an interview by the reporter, "My supervisor told me to. I was just following orders." He and his Sgt. have since been fired and a lawsuit is in the works by all those that didn't bother to go to court to fight the ticket. Before the rest of you can bring up the argument, I'll go ahead and address it. "They were speeding, they should just pay their fine because they're guilty anyway." No, the tickets were issued unlawfuly by an un-certified individual using a radar gun. If he wasn't certified to use the radar, the method used is invalid. The speed that came up on the screen means nothing if he wasn't qualified on how to use it. Could have been a car fast approaching from behind, or another car on the opposite side of the road speeding away in the other direction. Sorry, but even our LEO's have to obey the law, even when they're catching lawbreakers. You want to know the scary part? The statement, "I was just following orders." I know that this is just a vast minoroy of LEO's, but it only takes a few to really screw things up! [img]http://www.ncsg.org/topohat-small.jpg[/img] |
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I just go the limit, nothing more, nothing less. I'm an old man.
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Quit this cop bashing! We are obviously just getting one side of the story here, the poor LEO has not had a chance to tell his side of the story! You are just on an obvious anti-cop agenda[rolleyes]
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As a last resort, you should go to court for speeding tickets, especially in some of the large cities, because the cop doesn't always show up.
A quick plea of not guilty, the charges are dropped and you are sent on your way because of no one to refute your plea. Probably the better thing to do though, is to just pay your $100 to a lawyer and have the thing quashed. Its a lot less hassle. Michael |
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It's not COP bashing, I was a former LEO for a major city in Florida and was proud to Protect and Serve. But I often wonder how some of my fellow brothers ever got through the Police training, let alone carry a weapon and uphold the law..
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Just by showing up you can usually get fine and points diminished. Show up at the initial date-unless you decide to take it to court the LEO doesn't even usually show. Best part is not having your insurance go up so mch.
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In WI LEO's don't need to be certified to use radar. But the catch is that a radar certified officer is considered a trained person when in court, therefore the defense has to prove that the officer didn't know what he was doing with the radar. An uncertified officer has to prove he knew what he was doing, and can be examined as to whether or not he had any clue what he was doing.
On the other hand what your story says it that the officer lied on official documents and possible perjured himself in court. And he was told to do so by a supervisor. It is all bad. |
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Quoted: As a last resort, you should go to court for speeding tickets, especially in some of the large cities, because the cop doesn't always show up. A quick plea of not guilty, the charges are dropped and you are sent on your way because of no one to refute your plea. Probably the better thing to do though, is to just pay your $100 to a lawyer and have the thing quashed. Its a lot less hassle. Michael View Quote That's not the way it works, at least not in Ohio or most other states that I know of. The officer does not have to appear in person on the day of your arraignment (first appearance). If you plead not guilty, a date is then set for another appearance, and you have the opportunity to get an attorney and/or have one appointed for you if you cannot afford one, and the prosecution also has ample time to get witnesses scheduled to appear for the hearing. Pleading not guilty on your first appearance with the officer not being present is not going to get your case dismissed. On the other hand, usually if you appear in court, your fine is much less than if you pay a waiver. In our court, the standard waiver for waiverable offenses is $150.00, $60.00 of which is court costs, leaving $90.00 for the fine. If you get a ticket for a red light and pay the waiver, you pay $150.00 total. But, if you come to court and plead guilty or no contest, then the fine is usually $30.00 or $35.00, plus the $60.00 court costs, so you end up paying less. The waiver is more just for the expediency of not having to come to court at all. Unfair? Perhaps, but that's the way it is. |
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I disagree.
It doesn't matter to me if you're a barrack-lawyer who can find some technicality to avoid the ticket. To me, if you know you were speeding, and you know the ticket is correct (even if the manner in which it was applied was technically incorrect) then it is your obligation to take your medicine and pay the fine. Integrity is one of the few things in life we really own, and that includes being a responsible person - who is accountable for their behavior and doesn't dodge through loopholes just because they're there. Nobody else has to agree - and I'm not trying to convert anyone - but that's what I believe. |
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Quoted: I disagree. It doesn't matter to me if you're a barrack-lawyer who can find some technicality to avoid the ticket. To me, if you know you were speeding, and you know the ticket is correct (even if the manner in which it was applied was technically incorrect) then it is your obligation to take your medicine and pay the fine. Integrity is one of the few things in life we really own, and that includes being a responsible person - who is accountable for their behavior and doesn't dodge through loopholes just because they're there. Nobody else has to agree - and I'm not trying to convert anyone - but that's what I believe. View Quote I agree there, the few times I have been pulled over I always just go ahead and admit I was wrong if I was. Heck they caught me dead to rights, no point trying to BS them. Half the time they were so amazed that I said "yep, you got me fair and square" they let me off with a warning. If I get ticketed, if it is an offense that adds points in NC I usually go and plead to a lesser charge and pay a bigger fine (thats all they want anyway, the $$$). That keeps the state of NC happy and my insurance low. |
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In Maryland the Judge can take each ticket of yours and up it to $500.
So, get slammed with 3 pissy $50 tickets, and if the Judge doesn't like you, you could walk out paying $1,500 instead of $150. Blackmail to keep you from fighting your tickets. (I had 1 $50 ticket upped to $500, w/$250 suspended if I was a good boy for a year) |
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Hey, Sweep, was this Henry County by any chance? A few months ago, I noticed them also running unmarked cars on I-75, which is also illegal.
[url]http://www.ganet.org/cgi-bin/pub/ocode/ocgsearch?docname=OCode/G/40/8/91[/url] In Georgia, unless you are doing more than 10 over in a speed zone of 35 MPH or above, excluding school zones one hour before up to one hour after school, city and county LEO's cannot give you a ticket. Some say it depends of their mood, but the law is clear. See below. Any Georgia residents who want to fight speeding tickets done with radar, laser, or any other speed detection devices, here is the address where the regulations for the state of Georgia begin: [url]http://www.ganet.org/cgi-bin/pub/ocode/ocgsearch?docname=OCode/G/40/14/1[/url] Fight every ticket. It's all a revenue game. Look at Bloomingdale, GA for instance. They purposely extended their city limits to encompass roughly one mile of I-16 for revenue purposes. People speeding on I-16 does not endanger any citizen of Bloomingdale who is in their town. Can you say REVENUE COLLECTION? According to some here, you should automatically pay the ticket. By that thinking, some heroes of the gun rights movement should have just taken their punishment. |
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Quoted: I disagree. It doesn't matter to me if you're a barrack-lawyer who can find some technicality to avoid the ticket. To me, if you know you were speeding, and you know the ticket is correct (even if the manner in which it was applied was technically incorrect) then it is your obligation to take your medicine and pay the fine. Integrity is one of the few things in life we really own, and that includes being a responsible person - who is accountable for their behavior and doesn't dodge through loopholes just because they're there. Nobody else has to agree - and I'm not trying to convert anyone - but that's what I believe. View Quote It's not that I mind paying the ticket, it's the friggin insurance rates, and many roads that have speed limits set way to low. Or even when traffic is moving at 70 mph and evrything is just flowing just fine and you get singled out. Sometimes, it's just for revenue. Also, the reason you should go to court, especially if the LEO did something wrong, is the same reason why they have to have a search warrant to search your property. And if they find a marijuana roach in the ash tray when the search warrant says they were looking for a sawed off shotgun, they can't hold that evidence against you...or something on the lines of that. You get the main idea I'm sure. |
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Quoted: Hey, Sweep, was this Henry County by any chance? A few months ago, I noticed them also running unmarked cars on I-75, which is also illegal. I think it was Cobb County. [img]http://www.ncsg.org/topohat-small.jpg[/img] |
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Here is why I don't take the medicine. I'll get out any way I can.
In my area, 10MPH over the limit will cost me $97. Last time I worked for someone else, I made $15 an hour. I would have to work almost a whole shift to take home $97. Me speeding for a few block is no reason to enslave me for a day. The punishment far outweighs the "civil offense". |
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Quoted: Quoted: Hey, Sweep, was this Henry County by any chance? A few months ago, I noticed them also running unmarked cars on I-75, which is also illegal. I think it was Cobb County. [img]http://www.ncsg.org/topohat-small.jpg[/img] View Quote Thanks. They generally didn't have a bad rep until now. |
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Quoted: Integrity is one of the few things in life we really own, and that includes being a responsible person - who is accountable for their behavior and doesn't dodge through loopholes just because they're there. View Quote So, if they are running a speed trap for no other reason than revenue collection, thus no integrity, we should blindly pay the sheeple revenue. |
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I have always paid my tickets and not gone to court. I do this because every time I have been pulled I was speeding! I was breaking the law and I must be punished. I knew the risk and I had to pay the piper. If I ever get stopped when I am innocent I will fight it but if not I will take the responsibility for my actions.
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My experience with traffic tikets:
I live in Maryland, a state where auto insurers buy the police the best radar & lazer equipment on the planet. In return, the police must notify the insurance companies as soon as a ticket is issued. So anyone telling me that tickets arent JUST a for of revenue, are naive. I've been pulled over on 4 lane streets marked 30mph, where it would be a danger to do the speed limit. >What I do: I'm a member of Pre-Paid Legal services, where I only pay $26 a month and have access to Lawyers free of charge...much like medical insurance or HMO's. They also do a GREAT job on things as small as speeding tickets. I got a "speeding" ticket recently and went to court with my attorney . My attorney was giving the issuing officer a little lesson in THE LAW and higher education. It was actually embarassing watching the officer getting a bitch slapping of his life. Needless to say, the officer lost. I still have ZERO points on my license and I got the pleasure of watching the viens pop on Johny Law. At the end of the trial, the officer say he didnt think I'd have an attorney and tried to shake my hand...I told him to piss off. I LOVE HAVING A PACK OF ANGRY LAWYERS ON MY SIDE !!!!! |
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It is a lack of class to be a sore winner.
Shake the mans hand, what harm does it do? |
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Sorry mate, If the officer has the balls to pull me over in MY neighborhood and waste my time for doing 40mph on a 30mph zone, then he better be ready for a battle of Biblical proportions.
I have better driving skills and FAR better cars than the officers do. In addition, the road can sustain way more than 30mph. Plus I have more attorneys than you can shake a stick at. I didnt like the attitude of the officer when he approached me at the stop, I didnt like his attitude in court (laughing in my direction) and as a result he got his ASS handed to him in court. Now he wants to be friends...yeah right. "Go back to school and get a real job" is what I actually told him. |
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Quoted: I'm a member of Pre-Paid Legal services, where I only pay $26 a month and have access to Lawyers free of charge...much like medical insurance or HMO's. They also do a GREAT job on things as small as speeding tickets. View Quote If I may ask who do you use, and are there any special requiremnts for useing their services (i.e. job or some special asscociation you belong to)? I have been thinking of joining such an organization but do not know any. If it is possible for me to join can you send some information my way so I can get in touch with them? |
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I'll take my medicine (if cought) and not whine about it, but I'll be damned if I'll give the Hangman knot-tying pointers.
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First of all, I did not take the original post a "LEO Bashing." I think everyone here who is NOT an LEO applauds them for the job they do, and is thankful for the fine job done day in and day out.
HOWEVER, those of you LEO's know that there are times when you do things that are truly illegal or not within your rights. For instance, speeding in your squad car when you are not on a call (yes, John Q Public knows this is illegal for you to do). Just because someone is a law enforcer, does not mean that they are outside of the law. On the contrary, they should be the most scrutinized as they are role models of what obeying the law should look like. My best friend's dad is Chief Prosecutor for the city of Houston (and has been for 20 years or so). When you fight a ticket, you are fighting one of his prosecutors. I have always been impressed with his father because he refuses to drive above the speed limit AT ANY TIME, obeys all traffic laws, etc. etc. etc. He is a sworn law enforcement officer as Chief Prosecutor...and feels his actions should always be within the law. Therefore, this story is quite relevant as a citizen exercised their rights to not only challenge our legal system, but also to point out that laws were broken in order to prove they were breaking the law...which, my friends, means that the evidence obtained (the radar speed) is inadmissable in court leaving the prosecution empty handed! |
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JRStrines:
If you're interested in the legal service go to www.prepaidlegal.com. I've been a member and highly recomend it. I cant believe I used to go around without legal protection. In addition, they only use top lawyers. I really cant say enough about this service, its the best $26/month I've ever spent. On Europe, about 80% of people have this coverage but here in the US, only about 1% do...go figure. I think the idea hasnt cought on yet but it will. As far as memberships,I dont think there are any requirements, its much like medical insurance. Good luck... |
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Thank you Mayday I appeciate the information. I drive tractor trailer for a living so my license is of utmost importance to keep me and my hobby fed. If I lose my license I lose my ability to make money. I have been told of such plans but never new where I could find one. I'll have to check into here shortly. Again thank you for the information.
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Quoted: Quoted: Integrity is one of the few things in life we really own, and that includes being a responsible person - who is accountable for their behavior and doesn't dodge through loopholes just because they're there. View Quote So, if they are running a speed trap for no other reason than revenue collection, thus no integrity, we should blindly pay the sheeple revenue. View Quote Unless YOU CHOOSE to illegally speed, you don't have to "blindly pay" anything. If you're going at or close to the speed limit, you can laugh your socks off at their speed trap. If you are saying that you should have the right to disobey whatever laws you don't agree with, then that's a whole different discussion. All I'm saying is that if you can make the choice to speed, you should be accountable for that choice - same as you have to be accountable for choosing to drive drunk if you accidentally kill someone. |
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I think some of you don't have any idea what freedom is.
Why should you have to slave for a day because you were "Speeding"? Who did you hurt? How did this action cause harm? How do you quantify the harm? If they made a law, or code rather, that gave them the right to penalize you financially for speaking too loud, what would you do? No real harm in talking loud, just as there is no harm in speeding. I truly believe that this kind of punishment in not only immoral, but also unconstitutional. But, then again, we'd be talking about why we gave up the right to travel for the priveledge to drive. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Integrity is one of the few things in life we really own, and that includes being a responsible person - who is accountable for their behavior and doesn't dodge through loopholes just because they're there. View Quote So, if they are running a speed trap for no other reason than revenue collection, thus no integrity, we should blindly pay the sheeple revenue. View Quote Unless YOU CHOOSE to illegally speed, you don't have to "blindly pay" anything. If you're going at or close to the speed limit, you can laugh your socks off at their speed trap. If you are saying that you should have the right to disobey whatever laws you don't agree with, then that's a whole different discussion. All I'm saying is that if you can make the choice to speed, you should be accountable for that choice - same as you have to be accountable for choosing to drive drunk if you accidentally kill someone. View Quote If I make the choice to speed, I can also choose to fight the BS, which I do, and I usually win. Speeding and DUI are two completely different things. What does your statement about laws you disagree with. I think you are talking about the gun laws, so it is okay to disregard them, but because YOU believe in speed limits, everyone should just ante up. I DISAGREE with artificial speed limits, so I will disobey them. What's the difference? I laugh at speed traps because I have a laser/radar detector that works well, and I have a copy of Georgia law that I use to my advantage to defeat tickets given under traffic laws that I disagree with. Also, you will note in my previous posts where I note how some small towns extend their city limits onto Interstate highways so they can collect revenue and no other reason. It's called a CASH COW. You sound like those that say we should BLINDLY obey the law and BLINDLY pay the ticket. No thanks! Do you advocate that when they try to consficate all the guns, that we should just hand them over? If not, what's the difference? |
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Quoted: My experience with traffic tikets: I live in Maryland, a state where auto insurers buy the police the best radar & lazer equipment on the planet. In return, the police must notify the insurance companies as soon as a ticket is issued. So anyone telling me that tickets arent JUST a for of revenue, are naive. I've been pulled over on 4 lane streets marked 30mph, where it would be a danger to do the speed limit. >What I do: I'm a member of Pre-Paid Legal services, where I only pay $26 a month and have access to Lawyers free of charge...much like medical insurance or HMO's. They also do a GREAT job on things as small as speeding tickets. I got a "speeding" ticket recently and went to court with my attorney . My attorney was giving the issuing officer a little lesson in THE LAW and higher education. It was actually embarassing watching the officer getting a bitch slapping of his life. Needless to say, the officer lost. I still have ZERO points on my license and I got the pleasure of watching the viens pop on Johny Law. At the end of the trial, the officer say he didnt think I'd have an attorney and tried to shake my hand...I told him to piss off. I LOVE HAVING A PACK OF ANGRY LAWYERS ON MY SIDE !!!!! View Quote [b]On the other end of the coin. In forteen years of service, eleven in radar, I have lost three speeders in court(out of about 3800). It's especially gratifying when a motorist comes to court with a lawyer and is still found GUILTY! Now he/she has to pay the fine, court costs AND lawyer costs. And just for the record, I write only if 15MPH over the limit or more. And that Officer who was not trained, his cases should be thrown out, no question about it. |
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