Fighting a Ticket Advice

[Ole Unka Phil]

And Phil, with the way you are acting lately, I never know if you are joking or not. From just about anyone else I would take it as a joke, but from you lately I just don't know.

Well I am not certain I know what you mean by the way I am acting... I not certain you been around me very much lately to make a judgement and I certainly not been around here much...

But heck Thord. Me and you have never held what we think from each other back. And we never, from what I can tell, ever held a grudge for it. And you know me well enough to know if I get a chance I am going to mess with ya! And mostly always am joking.

Good luck with it Thord. I see your point. I gave you my input earlier. So it still stands.

[PyRo]

25 is "responsible" driver age in NJ too.

And no, Muz, I can't burn out. Thats what makes this so ironic. If it was LS Differential, maybe, but the v6 mustang is open differential, so nope. When I first got the car I tried, and you just manage to squeal a little. You can't get enough torque to the tires to break traction before you'll start moving. I gave up on trying last year.

And Caleb, I understand where you are coming from, but just because he's a cop and I'm a civilian doesn't mean I have to bend over and take it just because he percieved an infraction. Police officers make mistakes just like everyone else. And I plan on defending myself against it. I don't need to be anything but polite to him or anyone else, all I have to do is state my case. I have the weather reports indicating bad conditions, and the fact its on a quite noticeable incline backing me up, not to mention its a RWD vehicle.

A cop friend of mine once told me he could write me a ticket for talking on a cellphone while driving, I don't even have to won a cell phone and the judge is going to side with him nomatter what. I think that's generaly true unfortunatly.

[RoadDawg]

Well I wasn't there so I can't totally take either persons word on the matter. From the description given, you lost traction and continued on the gas, which to even the most skilled drivers, in the snow is a no-no. It can be percieved as a burnout, to a by-stander (the cop). If you had let up on the gas he most likely wouldn't have bothered but by keeping on the gas, shows that you were obviously doing something you shouldn't and could pose a danger to anything near by if you were to suddenly take off and lose control. SO I personally think that if you think you can win, go for it. If not, why waste the state, and your time. (Pick your battle in essence)


Best advice to anyone who blames the cops for doing their duty. If you didn't break the law, you wouldn't have been pulled over. (Not directed at you Thordic so don't get upset)

[Thordic]

If you didn't break the law, you wouldn't have been pulled over.

Thats the biggest load of crap I ever heard.


But in any case, I got my court date, and i had a question. Does the rule of discovery apply to moving violations? If so, I'll try to get a copy of the police report before the court date so I know what they have.

[RoadDawg]

Thats the biggest load of crap I ever heard.

So cops pull you over for no reason! If it hadn't appeared that you did something you shouldn't have, *brilliant idea hits* you wouldn't have gotten pulled over. What a concept. Don't blame the cop for doing what he's supposed to do. If it looks like your doing something that will endanger you or others, it is their responsibility to make sure you get a ticket.

It's like the people that complain a cop beats their butt after they flee from a chase. It's common sense. Don't blame a cop for your action. Whether or not you meant to do it, or if it wasn't what it seemed, to him it seemed that way and your getting the consequence. Deal with it how you'd like.

[Muzikman]

Cops will pull you over for NO REASON WHAT SO EVER!

I am proof of this.

About 10 years ago I was driving back from a job site. It was about 4pm. I missed a turn so the first parking lot I came to I pulled in and turned around (it was a parking lot of a small grocery store). After I pulled back out and started heading the right direction a cop car came up behind me and followed me through the town (smaller town, but stilla suburb of Pittsburgh). Since he was behind me I made sure I wasn't speeding, etc...you know how ya get when a cop is behind you. Just before I crossed the township line They pull me over. Both cops get out of the car, The cop in the passanger seat stands at the rear right corner of my car and the driver proceeds to my driver side window. I roll down the window and he asks me for the typical information. I give it to him, he take it and hands it to his partner who goes back to the cop car. He then proceeds to ask me to step from the car and stand near the front left bumper. I then sticks his head in the driver door and looks around (without touching anything). His partner comes back with my information, hands it back to me. The other cop takes his head out of the car, looks at me and says "You know you have to get the car inspected before the end of the month". He then tells me to have a good day and goes back to his car.

A few things about this. It was the first week of the month, so I still had three weeks to get the car inspected. He never told me why he pulled me over. Also, I was in a smurf blue 81 Ford Fairmont (don't ask, it was going to be a project car...but was serving as a work vehicle for me at the time). I also have long hair.

When I told a few people about this they said things such as;

They might have been looking for a car similar to yours.
It was because you had long hair.

Now, if I was driving a Honda or a Toyota or hell, any other car besides a Smurf blue 81 Ford Fairmont, I might think that they were looking for a car that was similar to mine. But, how many Smurf blue ford Fairmonts have you seen in your lifetime?

Also, since I was coming back from a job my hair was still tucked under my hat (for safety reasons). So there was no way for them to tell I had long hair.

So again. I tell ya, cops can and will pull you over for NO REASON WHAT SO EVER.

[bofh]

So cops pull you over for no reason! If it hadn't appeared that you did something you shouldn't have.

Oddly, you post two different thoughts so close to each other.

A cop can and will pull you over for not breaking the law. All a policeman can do, is react to something he/she observes as a violation of the law as they know it. {edit, or in Muz's profile dirty hippies. }

That is a subtle, but large difference from "breaking the law" and getting a ticket.

Otherwise, we wouldn't need any of those silly judges.

[Thordic]

So cops pull you over for no reason! If it hadn't appeared that you did something you shouldn't have, *brilliant idea hits* you wouldn't have gotten pulled over. What a concept. Don't blame the cop for doing what he's supposed to do. If it looks like your doing something that will endanger you or others, it is their responsibility to make sure you get a ticket.

It's like the people that complain a cop beats their butt after they flee from a chase. It's common sense. Don't blame a cop for your action. Whether or not you meant to do it, or if it wasn't what it seemed, to him it seemed that way and your getting the consequence. Deal with it how you'd like.

I'm not talking about me. I know WHY he pulled me over, I just don't agree with it.

But don't tell me that every single time a cop pulls someone over, its because they broke the law. Thats one of the dumbest things I have ever heard.

[chairman_mao]

As to you're question of discovery I believe that once the ticket is issued the report becomes a matter of public record. So you should be able to obtain it througha Freedom of Information Act request. You must submit your request in writing and the reporting agency has 10 day with witch to respond. I cannot foresee any reason why the PD would not give you a copy. But what the hell do I know