Boss,
Unless you absolutely know what you are talking about reference a speed measurement instrument (RADAR) please don't hand out incorrect advice. I shouldn't be doing this, but for you guys I will any way.
1. We (Police) do not calibrate the Radar. We test the radar with tuning forks to insure that it was properly calibrated. Ask politely in court the last time the radar was tested with a tuning fork, not the last time it was calibrated.(The calibrations are done by certified personnel generally employed by Kustom Signals, MPH, Motorola.)
2. Tire pressure means NOTHING to the radar. Without getting into the scientific explanation, take my word on this. If you stand up in court and try to bring this topic up, you WILL look like an idiot.
3. Don't worry about specifics like moving or stationary. Officers go to 30+ hour schools just to be certified to operate radar systems, and they generally know the answers to the questions, since some of that classtime is spent discussing things DEFENSE Lawyers have tried. Believe me, you can say nothing that will suprise me after you have heard some of the things they try to say(like the tire pressure thing).

To make a long post short, Leather, the best to hope for is an assistand district attorney that will cut you some slack to make up for a rookie that obviously has his head somewhere that sees very little light.

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2001 SCrew XLT 5.4L
4x4 Offroad Pkg
Oxford White
17" wheels
K&N Filter
Rhinoliner
6-disc changer

[This message has been edited by SCrewcop (edited 01-21-2001).]

 

My cops (well there not really mine butyou know what I mean) have their stake out at a mini mart on one particular road.The only 2 decent bars in town are located on this road and you have to drive by there if you want to go anywhere. They call it "fishing for drunks".I do like the designated decoy part. What gets me is that (when I was young and dumb) I used to drive drunk as hell and would never get pulled over.I actually passed out a block from my house one time(woke up in time to drive on someones lawn and miss their house).I am not proud of that and I haven't drank and driven since then. All in all a person stands to lose way too much,to ever get behind the wheel drunk.

 

Tire pressure?? Radar?? That is funny, a 1st for me and I have been radar certified for almost 20 years, moving, stationary, and hand held...But as I have stated before, the radar is a tool, the officer already knows you are speeding when you are clocked most of the time..Part of the certification is being able to estimate the speed of a moving vehicle at different speeds within 2-3 miles...and if you do it often enough you get good at it.....try it..go to a school zone, guess who is speeding and who isnt...that is enough for a conviction.....
But like the other officer said most courts would rather barter for a fine and probation, without reporting it to the DL office..than fight it in court...and defensive driving is a good thing to do also..
As for not showing up in court, if we miss court it a automatic forfeiture of 4 hours pay for the first offense....Doesnt happen much here....If you really think you have been wronged by al means fight it, I know everyone makes mistake, we are human too......really we are !!!
Oh and I for one really do check the air in my tires everyday, never know when you are going to have to go fast, and I for one dont want to have a blowout for underinflated firestones...lol....Dave

 

Ok since we're talking about being pulled over, I figured that I would chime in as I have much experience in this matter. I have even been pulled over by a Park Range. That sucked, a big old green dodge ram pick-up with an old blue light on top chas'in me down. I talked my way out of that one though. The DMV even went as far to send me a letter sayin that I was in the top 5% to die in an auto accident . Whatever. I've been through the group counceling and all.
The worst run in with the law that I ever had was while I was still living in Northern VA. There was snow on the ground and I was driving my 1986 mistubishi Starion (just like a conquest TSI) fun car. Anyway it was a rear wheel drive car with wide low profile tire all around. Not the best thing for snow, kinda like drivin a Vette in snow. Well I'm cookin along going around this turn and I get alittle to close to the edge from where they tried to plow the road and it pushed me over a little towards the oncoming lane. I had control for the most part, execpt for the VA STATE TROOPER that was coming at me. He just didnt see it like that. So he turns around and comes after me and I pull over. This is where things get worse. Picture this, a black sports car, tinted windows, with a big sticker (18" tall)on the back window of calvin flippin everyone the bird and grabbing his package. A 'JET PILOT' sticker on the back deck lid. Did I mention that the plates said 'TY ME DN'? A NO FEAR flamming skull on the quarter glass and DUNLOP racing sticker on the rocker panel. I know just walking up he had to be pissed! So he comes up and says 'License and Registration, Do you know why I pulled you over?!?! You almost hit me coming around that turn. What if I was a 26 year old female driving my kid to school, I would have to PULL OVER AND CRY!!!!' I havent had a chance to say a word up to this point. So he goes back to his car, and would ya know, things CAN get worse. He comes back up with a vengence and asks WHY IS YOUR LICENSE SUSPENDED!! I told him 'It wasn't.' Which was true, the DMV messed up and said that I didnt take a drivers saftey course. So now he's really pissed and goes back to his car. I'm waiting there freaking out b/c I'm probation from the DMV already as it is. ANY more violations in 1 years time and I would lose the license for 6mo. I had been good for so long and only had 2 weeks to go. Well he calls me back to the car over the loud speaker and I walk back there getting ready to sit in the back and he motions for me to get up front. Since I only lived 1 mile away he let me drive home (w/escort)and park it. Took my license and ticketed me for Reckless Driving and Driving on a suspended. So Went to the DMV that day and cleared up the Suspened thing, thanked them for their flawless service and left. Somehow I got the bomb lawyer who was concequently becoming a JUDGE and he told me to plead guilty w/500.00 fine and 1 year suspened license. I was thinking "DIDNT I PAY YOU?" Then he said that they were going to suspend everything pending I didnt get in any troublefor 1 full year. MADE IT!!

 

SCrew and Dave,

Thanks for your advice as well. The problem that I have is that I wasn't doing 72..more like 62..If I was doing 72 then I got caught and shame on me. If the ticket was written for 62, then again shame on me and I would pay.

I am going to go to the DA and ask if I could plea to a no points offense and make a donation in the amount of the fine to a group that supports the families of police and firefighters that are killed in the line of duty here in DE. That way there is no "He is trying to get off paying" or any crap like that. I hope that will work, if not I need a defense in court.

Thanks for all sides of the situtation.

-Tills

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2001 F-150XLT SuperCab, Styleside, Silver, 4X4, 4R100, 5.4L, 3.55LS, 17in Rubber, Sport Package, Bedliner, Sliding Rear Window and A partridge in a pear tree...

 

Hi All,
Thought that I would put my two cents worth in on this. I am not saying that I cheated or anything but here's the story. I was on my way to work about 10 pm at nite and meet this city cop who is gung-ho and pulls me over for doing 55mph. But I had just passed where the sign used to be and it had been knocked over so I could not see it. I really already knew it but I was not going to tell him. Anyhow, go thru the whole spill and then when he gets done I ask him about the sign. He says, "Well, it will be fixed in the next day or so but that doesn't count." So, I decide that I will go the old way of doing things and go to court over it since I have not been. I went a couple of days prior and had my buddy at the local dealership write a work order checking the speedometer and saying that it is not correct and then he gives me the bill. I take this with me to the judge, which is Mr. Butthole, and he says you were still speeding even if it was 1 mph over!!! But the DA make me an offer of just paying the court cost and that would be it. Thats how I got out. Use it to your own discrection.

 

I live in san antonio too but when I go to waco TX I get stopped just about everytime. It`s sad. There`s a law for every little stupit thing.

 

and 5 years ago when they made this post I'm sure they would have agreed

 

I have one rule and it is any moving violation and I give it to my lawyer. Usually $150 plus a small fine and never any points. I don't have to go to court and its less nerve racking.

 

I had the LED bolts on my rear liscence plate frame, got a stupid ticket. $120.00. OUCH! Told the dude I would cut the wires on them and he still wrote me a ticket. Stupid Baton Rouge cops. Had another officer from the same department pass by me just 5 minutes before and never even looked twice.

 

My friend bought one the other day...He hasn't got caught yet but I would think you could get in big trouble with ne of those. I would think if you were speeding through town with one of those and a police officer sees you then you could get in trouble.