Hwy Patrol lie?

[Will733]

Got caught going 70 in a 65...

Once my headlights shined on the cop who was hiding (had his lights turned off at night) I naturally brake out of instinct but look down to see I was barely over the limit and thought he wouldn't really get me for that.

Wrong... He claims I was going 82 but said he wouldn't show me his radar unless I wanted a ride back into the station with him. Seemed like he was really trying to sell me on his theory that I was going that fast by saying my bigger tires cause my speedometer to be off by about 8mph. Also then said if I can't find my proof of insurance card it's a $1,600 fine even though I'm insured. It's actually a $100 fine but he was trying to say he's giving me the "minor speeding ticket" but cutting me the huge break not giving me the $1600 one. I then find it but he didn't care at this point. He then gives me the ticket, I drive away and he then turns his lights back off immediately.

Checked my speedo after and it reads 71 when I'm going 70. Also the fine for not having proof with you is $100 not $1600. Not sure why this guy felt he needed to lie so much... Just be a man and say I'm getting a ticket for 70 and I'd respect that.

 

[Pikeman]

Was he driving with his lights off? or parked with his lights off? The 1SG in the Reserve Unit next to mine is CHP and will ask if that is an acceptable practice(which it is not if he was driving) You might be able to fight it based on his Unsafe actions. Will try to remember to find out and will let you know on Monday since my Reserve Duty is this weekend.

 

[Will733]

Was he driving with his lights off? or parked with his lights off? The 1SG in the Reserve Unit next to mine is CHP and will ask if that is an acceptable practice(which it is not if he was driving) You might be able to fight it based on his Unsafe actions. Will try to remember to find out and will let you know on Monday since my Reserve Duty is this weekend.

Not driving... Maybe illegal but this guys lied about enough that I doubt he'd be honest when I try to fight it. Hopefully the 2 witnesses in my car would help make my word worth more than his.

 

[Slow_T4R]

Not driving... Maybe illegal but this guys lied about enough that I doubt he'd be honest when I try to fight it. Hopefully the 2 witnesses in my car would help make my word worth more than his.

It's legal for them to sit with no lights on, when they leave on their parking lights, they're doing it to get you to slow down. Lights off= ticket hunt.

 

[KCcarguy]

Glad he's out there catching the real bad guys.

:flipoff:

 

[Dusty Driftwood]

Got caught going 70 in a 65...

Once my headlights shined on the revenue agent who was hiding (had his lights turned off at night) I naturally brake out of instinct but look down to see I was barely over the limit and thought he wouldn't really get me for that.

fixed...

 

[Pikeman]

Yes it is perfectly fine for him to sit on the side of the road with lights off. Dusty got it right, Revenue Agent. I have actually encountered CHP driving at night with lights off on three occasions.

 

[03_4x4Runner]

What size tires do you have?

 

[Will733]

What size tires do you have?

Went from stock 265/70/17 to 285/70/17...
Also it was December 28th and you know how they get around that time of the month.

 

[mikedks]

I have so little respect for cops because of crap like this. Unfortunately, too many of them are on power trips looking to show you who's boss. At least around here, you are usually safe going 1-10 over the limit.

Think of the bright side, at least he didn't throw a bag of weed in your backseat
and bust you for it.

 

[RunninInGA]

Not driving... Maybe illegal but this guys lied about enough that I doubt he'd be honest when I try to fight it. Hopefully the 2 witnesses in my car would help make my word worth more than his.

Unfortunately not. A judge will always believe a uniformed officer over your buddies. I've caught enough tickets in my driving career to know the best thing to do is pay the ticket and be done with it. You were speeding by your own admission in any case.

That being said, in GA, you must be at least 20 or 25 mph over the legal limit before jail time becomes a possibility. AND you have the RIGHT to verify calibration of the instrument being used to clock your speed. If you want to fight this, be proactive and take a defensive driving course BEFORE your court date (will lower your insurance premiums as an added benefit) and take proof to the DA / solicitor. Its very possible if you act like a respectable person that your fine will be reduced. I highly doubt you'll get it thrown out unless you have video of the judge porking a goat or a 10 year old boy.

 

[BrianSD_42]

Hi fellow San Diegan.

it's legal for them to sit with no lights on, when they leave on their parking lights, they're doing it to get you to slow down. Lights off= ticket hunt.

Actually I have heard that sitting with the lights completely off while watching for speeders is not acceptable in the state of CA. They must have their parking lights on if they are going to issue tickets.

If you were not going 82 then you should fight it. Don't be intimidated. The worst that can happen is you pay the full fine. I would never plead out to something I didn't do because the cop was lying. Sorry but cops supposed to protect the public not lie to give out tickets. That is just BS.

If enough people call him a liar trust me his name will be tarnished. Accusing a cop of lying (when he is) is not against the law it is one of your rights. The cops in San Diego have had a pretty disgraceful year if you read the news.

Is it possible your demenor and attitude had anything to do with it? I always treat a cop with respect and I never have argued. Save the argument for court.

There are some cops on this forum actually. Hopefully one of them chimes in.

 

[Slow_T4R]

Hi fellow San Diegan.



Actually I have heard that sitting with the lights completely off while watching for speeders is not acceptable in the state of CA. They must have their parking lights on if they are going to issue tickets.

I work with A LOT of Leo's and every single one of them has told me the same thing. Leaving the lights on is a curtesy to you. They can choose to sit there with no lights on, parking lights on headlights on. It's their choice.

Here's a little info from a Leo forum:
Parking lights at night? [Archive] - Police Forums & Law Enforcement Forums @ Officer.com

 

[BrianSD_42]

Thanks and good to know.

I was pulled over last year for speeding in a construction zone on the 101 in Sonoma county, CA. I didn't realize it was a construction zone because it was night time and everyone was driving 65 so I drove 70.

Luckily for me the cop that pulled me over was also former Navy and he was also previously stationed on an Aegis Cruiser in San Diego and he was also previously in Weapons Dept meaning we had a similar background. I was let off pretty easy with only a fix-it ticket for my front license plate.

:bat:

 

[bigslimdog]

Probably not going to get many LEO to chime in since half the posts in this thread are bashing police and questioning their integrity. But I'll chime in anyhow, I'm a LEO in MD. Policies also vary between individual departments and I'm on the opposite side of the country so things may be different here.

I've never heard of being required to keep parking lights on. Also, there's no such thing as a "quota" or increased amounts of citations at the end of the month (at least not a my department or any of the departments my friends work for). It is the discretion of each officer as to whether they will issue a citation(s) or written warning(s) on a traffic stop. Personally, I don't write any citations to military unless they do something REALLY stupid. Another factor is also the driver's demeanor during the traffic stop. Plenty of people talk themselves into a citation. If you disagree with the citation, take it to court and argue there. You're not guilty just because you received a citation. The side of the road is not the place to argue, the court room is.

I have no idea about the particular laws in CA such as fines for not having insurance card or whatever. As far as what the officer said to you, it sounds a little bit much but just like in life, different people have different personalities. Some people are police who simply should not be, sometimes bad ones slip through as you can see in the news every now and then. You may hear about a crooked cop who is caught stealing (money, drugs, etc.) but you don't hear about the hundreds of thousands of officers who do their work fairly, impartially, and honestly on a daily basis.

Lastly, we are only getting one side of the story here. There are two sides to a story and somewhere between those two stories lies what ACTUALLY happened.

 

[Ross]

Different in size tires will cause you speedo to read wrong. The greater the difference, the more your speedo will be off. If you checked it with something else that may also be off.

You state in your first line you sere speeding. You got caught. You caught a ticket. If you are parked do you keep your lights on? You can try to fight it or just go to traffic school.

You didn't have proof of insurance, the law says you are supposed to carry it. Then you find it, he didn't give you a ticket for it anyway. You were speeding but you don't want to take responsibility for your actions. At least that is how I see it.

 

[034RUNNER]

Different in size tires will cause you speedo to read wrong. The greater the difference, the more your speedo will be off. If you checked it with something else that may also be off.

You state in your first line you sere speeding. You got caught. You caught a ticket. If you are parked do you keep your lights on? You can try to fight it or just go to traffic school.

You didn't have proof of insurance, the law says you are supposed to carry it. Then you find it, he didn't give you a ticket for it anyway. You were speeding but you don't want to take responsibility for your actions. At least that is how I see it.

+1. Even with my slightly upgraded tires, my speedo still is off by 2 mph. I drive highway a lot, and speed often, but my eyes are always looking around, and I keep my speedo issue in mind.

I have never gotten in trouble in my 4runner (knock on wood), I only have been stopped when I have my Cobra since it just cried out for attention. What I'm getting at is I'm sort of surprised you got pulled over for going a little faster than what's posted (what does your speed really come out to be though, because of your tires?)

If I'm not mistaken, some states have some leeway with speeding. I can't imagine being pulled over around here, or the tri-state area for that matter, for going a little over, especially in something that doesn't stand out much, if at all, amongst the other cars.

I'm just thinking here I suppose, but it probably is best to just do what you can; just pay it, and be more careful next time.

 

[ajonesnv]

Take a GPS along with you to measure your speed based off of the GPS. I did that to gain a percentage of the inaccuracy, so that I could always calculate how fast I am actually going. The strange thing is it is different on different trucks. My old Ranger was thrown off by 7% and my 4Runner is thrown off by 2% and my buddies Tacoma is like 10%. I understand that the difference between the Ranger and the 4Runner is fairly consistent, because of the stock difference. However the difference between my 4Runner and my buddies Taco should, In theory be a lot closer.

IMHO, I would let it go. You wont win, you broke the law on at least two counts. Whether by the amount you say or by the amount he says. Standing on principle for principle's sake is a good thing, we should all do that. But it seems that you are "standing on principle" so you get out of a fine. And lying because he may of lied isn't right, even if you are wanting to stick it to him, which you wont.

Good Luck.

 

[Ross]

Take a GPS along with you to measure your speed based off of the GPS. I did that to gain a percentage of the inaccuracy, so that I could always calculate how fast I am actually going. The strange thing is it is different on different trucks. My old Ranger was thrown off by 7% and my 4Runner is thrown off by 2% and my buddies Tacoma is like 10%. I understand that the difference between the Ranger and the 4Runner is fairly consistent, because of the stock difference. However the difference between my 4Runner and my buddies Taco should, In theory be a lot closer.

IMHO, I would let it go. You wont win, you broke the law on at least two counts. Whether by the amount you say or by the amount he says. Standing on principle for principle's sake is a good thing, we should all do that. But it seems that you are "standing on principle" so you get out of a fine. And lying because he may of lied isn't right, even if you are wanting to stick it to him, which you wont.

Good Luck.

Here is what I see happening court:

Judge: was the driver speeding:

Driver: yes
Officer: yes
Diver: but only 5 mile an hour, I doubled checked with my GPS and it was a good GPS, consumer reports gave it great marks.
Officer: by 12 miles an hours. I clocked him on my radar gun that this state purchased. This radar gun is designed especially for this purpose and has been proven effective. It has been calibrated in the correct manner and has been use by somebody who has been trained to operate it.

Who do you think the judge will side with?

 

[Trevloc]

i went form 265s to 270s, and when i have cruise locked at 80, im actually going 84 (found this out the hard way, then double checked it more than one way...gps / my own radar gun.)

now my speedo doesnt start to be wrong til around 50+mph, but the faster i go, the more its off.

i know you might hate the hear it, but he could be right about your speed.