Legal Help: Police Intimidation

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Dang

So I went to court today and got a bigger fine. They judge wouldn't even talk about the second ticket I got.

I'll have legal representation for the second ticket and I hope I can get that one quashed.

Dang! That's a terrible outcome. Did you have any help from student legal aid this time around? Did you bring up the point of what the officer did? That area was a mess in terms of proper signage. Everybody here was pulling for you.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Did the officer testify?

[MJM]

Time to file an intimidation complaint about the office in question if you ask me.

[Dang]

Well the officer testified that after he gave me the ticket that he retraced the route and found no 80 signs and only 60 signs. Also, the judge said the photo I showed was unclear about what day the picture was taken or where it was taken.

I also testified about the cop visiting my house but the judge said it was unrelated to the trial. He also mentioned that it's normal to be given multiple tickets for a traffic offense.

I didn't have any legal assistance this time but I will for the next ticket.

The ticket was increased because the officer testified that I was travelling at speeds of 82-86 km/hr. So the judge decided to fine me at 86 km/hr rather than the original 82 km/hr. That increased the ticket to $155.

It was all really biased as the judge came out at the beginning and said that people who defend themselves usually don't have very good outcomes.

Originally Posted by Dang

Well the officer testified that after he gave me the ticket that he retraced the route and found no 80 signs and only 60 signs. Also, the judge said the photo I showed was unclear about what day the picture was taken or where it was taken.

I also testified about the cop visiting my house but the judge said it was unrelated to the trial. He also mentioned that it's normal to be given multiple tickets for a traffic offense.

I didn't have any legal assistance this time but I will for the next ticket.

The ticket was increased because the officer testified that I was travelling at speeds of 82-86 km/hr. So the judge decided to fine me at 86 km/hr rather than the original 82 km/hr. That increased the ticket to $155.

It was all really biased as the judge came out at the beginning and said that people who defend themselves usually don't have very good outcomes.

Oh no... sounds like Baird... was he an old bald crotchety guy? If so, you were doomed from the get go.

[killer_carlson]

appeal it.

[octothorp]

So now there are three separate speeds that you've been accused of driving... 82 on the original ticket, 104 on the second ticket, and 86 on the revision to the original ticket?

[4X4]

Originally Posted by ken0042

For those who say they have never been given a break, the one thing I do that seems to give me a little more leeway is admitting to what I have done. You do want to be careful, you don't want to be pulled over with the cop only able to lock onto you at 20km over and admit to doing 45km over. I usually ask the officer how fast he clocked me at, tell him "yeah, that's entirely possible. I wish I had some great excuse for you but I really don't."

Also I try to make the officer's job easier for him. If at night on the highway I roll the window down as I'm stopping, turn on the interior light, and put both my hands on the top of the steering wheel. If I have a passenger I get them to keep their hands visible as well. A couple of times the officer will ask why we are sitting like this, and I reply with something like "I'm sure it makes you feel better to approach a car on a dark highway and to be able to see what the occupants are doing."

A lot of this boils down to showing respect. And I know in my day to day life I am far more willing to help somebody out who shows me respect to begin with.

I've been on both sides of this coin. I once got pulled over by a cop for speeding in a playground zone (I know, I'm a terrible human being). When the cop came up to the window and asked me if I knew why he pulled me over, I said something along the lines of "Oh, man. I'm sorry. I was totally not paying attention. I know that this is a playground zone, just got alot on my mind. I deserve the ticket".
the cop basically said, "well, since you know, I'll assume that you don't intend to do it again. You're free to go, but pay attention. You're driving.".
That was pretty cool.

On the other hand, I was also pulled over one night going 64 KPH on 17th ave on the west side around Manning. It was like 2am, not a car on the road.
Cop was hiding behind a business' sign and pulled out behind me after I passed. So I pull in to the Part Source parking lot and give him my insurance and reg. He goes and writes the ticket, but returns with two tickets. One for speeding and one for expired sticker. It was 2 or 3 days into April and though I had my sticker in my glove box, I hadn't put it on my license plate. I think I was waiting to wash my car or something.
Anyway, when I got the other ticket, I showed him the sticker and even tried to get out of my car to go and put it on my plate. The guy was just a total ######. Yeah, I was wrong. Yeah, I deserved the tickets. But come on... I had the sticker. It was a couple of days. Was the second ticket really necessary? I begged a bit to have him tear it up but he gave me some douchy lecture about young punks not respecting the law and such. F'n jerk.

Oh, then there was the time I was booking it down memorial. Probably going 15 or 20 over the limit. A ghost car pulled up beside me and the cop reached down and grabbed his magnetic roof light to show me he was a cop. I gave him the nervous clenched teeth, squinty eyed "I'm sorry" and slooooowed down. Cool guy. He gave me a faux stern look and then a smile and that was that.

So the official tally:

cool cops - 2
dickheads - 1

[4X4]

Actually, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I know why the cop was such an a-hole. Because about 30 seconds before I passed the cop, a car went wizzing by me going way faster. When he pulled me over, the first words out of my mouth were "I guess you didn't see that other guy going way faster, huh?".... I think I learned that day never to question a cop about something like that. I was speeding. Doesn't really matter that other people were too.
I suppose it'd be like saying something dumb like "good thing you're out here catching us real criminals". That'll just antagonize the guy. You're likely to end up with a ticket for one tail light being slightly smaller than the other. (thanks to Chief Wiggum for that gem)

The word '######bag' and derivatives thereof, is so 2007.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Bent Wookie

The word '######bag' and derivatives thereof, is so 2007.

My teenage years were the 90s. I will continue to use ######, listen to Nirvana and watch Seinfeld and Simpsons reruns.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by 4X4

One for speeding and one for expired sticker. It was 2 or 3 days into April and though I had my sticker in my glove box, I hadn't put it on my license plate. I think I was waiting to wash my car or something.

Been in a similar position a couple times. First time I was driving my parents car, I had just left a pub and got pulled over because he said he thought i was speeding, after tailgating me for about a minute where i was going about 5 under the speed limit. The insurance card had expired like 8 months earlier and they never got around to putting the new one in the car. I was let go with a warning and no tickets.

Last year i got pulled over on January 1st about 9am for allegedly doing a U-turn where it wasn't allowed(one of those places where tons of people do it and there's no sign saying you can't), my insurance card just happens to be renewed december 31st each year and i hadn't yet got my new one because I moved the previous year and for whatever reason they mailed it to the wrong house. Ended up getting a ticket for both a borderline uturn and a 1 day expired insurance card. Awesome start to the new year.

Originally Posted by Dan02

Been in a similar position a couple times. First time I was driving my parents car, I had just left a pub and got pulled over because he said he thought i was speeding, after tailgating me for about a minute where i was going about 5 under the speed limit. The insurance card had expired like 8 months earlier and they never got around to putting the new one in the car. I was let go with a warning and no tickets.

Last year i got pulled over on January 1st about 9am for allegedly doing a U-turn where it wasn't allowed(one of those places where tons of people do it and there's no sign saying you can't), my insurance card just happens to be renewed december 31st each year and i hadn't yet got my new one because I moved the previous year and for whatever reason they mailed it to the wrong house. Ended up getting a ticket for both a borderline uturn and a 1 day expired insurance card. Awesome start to the new year.

You can't do u-turns at intersections controlled by a traffic signal device (ie. lights) or in between intersections. What exactly makes it borderline? Because everybody does it?

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by Bent Wookie

You can't do u-turns at intersections controlled by a traffic signal device (ie. lights) or in between intersections. What exactly makes it borderline? Because everybody does it?

who said anything about it being at a traffic signal device or between intersections?

Originally Posted by Dan02

who said anything about it being at a traffic signal device or between intersections?

Umm... no one... thought you'd just like to know... that's why I asked the clarifying questions.

[Shnabdabber]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I dead hobo, a bucket of lye and a shovel.

Pics?

[Shnabdabber]

In my dealings with police for traffic violations, I have found one constant.

City/town cops are dicks.

RCMP is great.

I have found that if you are up front and respectable with RCMP, they usually extent that much back to you. Cops on the other hand...

A few years ago, I was headed back home after spending a week up north for work. I was traveling along the highway at 2:30 am, tired, bitchy, and wanting to get back to my own bed in the worst way. I was doing a hair over a buck fourty when I see a car flip around and the cherries and berries flash up. Great. Conversation went like this...

Cop - G'morning sir, do you know why I pulled you over?
Me - Yes sir, I was speeding.
Cop - And do you know how fast you were going?
Me - 140 clicks.
Cop - 141 actually but close guess! Say its pretty dark out huh? Do you think you would have time to slow down for say, a cow or horse thats loose on the highway?
Me - Actually, no, your right, I probobly wouldn't.
Cop - And what do you think would happen if you hit a horse at that speed?
Me - *sigh* Well... Id prolly cut the horse off at the knees, he'd come up over the hood, smash through the windshield, and turn me into a torso. Then, the next guy to drive by the scene calls you, and then you have to come out to identify who died, call next of kin, and clean horse guts off the highway.
Cop - Bingo! Ya gonna slow down a bit?
Me - You got it.
Cop - Have a nice night.

I swear, every RCMP officer I have dealt with has been more than fair. I wish I could say the same about town cops.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by Shnabdabber

In my dealings with police for traffic violations, I have found one constant.

City/town cops are dicks.

RCMP is great.

Sheriffs are _____________.

Personally, I haven't had many dealings with them. Others have not had a lot of nice things to say as far as their willingness to cut a guy a break or exercise discretion. I suppose when your entire raison d'etre is to write tickets, why would you expect them to let you go with a warning?

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by Shnabdabber

In my dealings with police for traffic violations, I have found one constant.

City/town cops are dicks.

RCMP is great.

I have found that if you are up front and respectable with RCMP, they usually extent that much back to you. Cops on the other hand...

A few years ago, I was headed back home after spending a week up north for work. I was traveling along the highway at 2:30 am, tired, bitchy, and wanting to get back to my own bed in the worst way. I was doing a hair over a buck fourty when I see a car flip around and the cherries and berries flash up. Great. Conversation went like this...

Cop - G'morning sir, do you know why I pulled you over?
Me - Yes sir, I was speeding.
Cop - And do you know how fast you were going?
Me - 140 clicks.
Cop - 141 actually but close guess! Say its pretty dark out huh? Do you think you would have time to slow down for say, a cow or horse thats loose on the highway?
Me - Actually, no, your right, I probobly wouldn't.
Cop - And what do you think would happen if you hit a horse at that speed?
Me - *sigh* Well... Id prolly cut the horse off at the knees, he'd come up over the hood, smash through the windshield, and turn me into a torso. Then, the next guy to drive by the scene calls you, and then you have to come out to identify who died, call next of kin, and clean horse guts off the highway.
Cop - Bingo! Ya gonna slow down a bit?
Me - You got it.
Cop - Have a nice night.

I swear, every RCMP officer I have dealt with has been more than fair. I wish I could say the same about town cops.

Every department has good ones and bad ones. I have had good dealings and bad dealings with municipal police and I have had good dealings and bad dealings with RCMP.

[MaxPower]

Originally Posted by 4X4

I suppose it'd be like saying something dumb like "good thing you're out here catching us real criminals". That'll just antagonize the guy. You're likely to end up with a ticket for one tail light being slightly smaller than the other. (thanks to Chief Wiggum for that gem)

Well let me just confirm that yes, that is a dumb thing to say, and yes, it tends to make them mad.

I was back at my parents place, small town, last Thanksgiving and got pulled over for having one taillight, which was news to me. The guy does the standard "you know why I pulled you over?" routine, blah blah, goes back to his car, comes back 20 minutes later with a ticket for the taillight. As I waited for him to write the ticket, I became increasing furious for a couple reasons.

First, what kind of dink writes a ticket for this? I hadn't realized I was doing anything wrong, I told him I would go straight home and fix it first thing in the morning. The only argument that could be made for me deserving a ticket is that I didn't do a full inspection of my vehicle before driving but I know for a fact cops don't inspect their vehicles every time either. Hypocrite.

Second, I am almost 100% certain that he was trying to reach a quota for the long weekend blitz that was underway that weekend. The cops were in an absolutle frenzy around town all weekend. Just forcing the issue.

So, yeah as he's reading the ticket to me, I brilliantly grab my ticket out of his hands, throw it in my glove box, slam it shut, and ask "Are we done here or what?" He says, "Hey I don't need this!" and I say "Well I don't need this either, why don't you go fight some real crimes instead of this Mickey Mouse bull@#$%"

So long story short, he found a few more issues with my vehicle, I was there for well over an hour, and in the end had to get a full inspection done on my vehicle (and fix anything that didn't pass) within a month or it would be impounded.