what should we do about this speeding ticket?
Last week my boyfriend got a speeding and racing ticket. We were on the bypass and he raced this black mustang. We got off the bypass and went home. We were followed home by an officer in his personal vehicle. Two city cops showed up a few minutes later. The cop gave my boyfriend a ticket. My boyfriend ask the cop "if I was racing why didn’t the other guy get a ticket?" The cop said "because you were in the front so I FOLLOWED YOU!" How could he have clocked him doing over 70 while in his personal vehicle??? I don’t see how he could give him a ticket. He didn’t have any blue lights or a radar. He followed us over 5 miles to our house. He had to use the other officer ticket book to write the ticket. I don’t think this is right. Should my boyfriend try to fight this in court? Could the officer really give him a ticket? WHAT SHOULD WE DO???
October 15th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
He should pay it.
There is a way to clock someone without the radar. I can’t remember the formula at the moment.
You’re lucky they didn’t take him to jail. I was riding with a guy I dated – and he got pulled over for racing and was arrested. I was left to walk home.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Your Screwed!!!
I’m sorry but your Boyfriend should not be doing illegal activities and ask how to get out of it! You are very lucky the cop did not impound your car and give him reckles driving which will suspend his license and in some cases make him go to jail… You cant get out of this… Just pay it and learn from it!!
October 15th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Pay the ticket and grow up.
Next time maybe you will both die in a fiery crash and you won’t have to worry about a ticket.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
There’s this new invention called a "speedometer". It is equipped in all vehicles and can be used in lieu of a radar gun by any law enforcement officer.
P.S. I know you didn’t ask but I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you to dump that idiot you call a boyfriend. It might just save your life.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
First hint: Police Officers who enforce traffic violations are required as part of their training to qualify as experts in speeding vehicles. Using radar or laser of clocking someone who is speeding ONLY SERVES AS A BACK UP TO THE OFFICER’S OBSERVATIONS. If the Officer who observed your boyfriend stupidly racing another vehicle on public streets estimated his speed to be in excess of the limit, he had the authority to make the arrest (a ticket is what’s commonly known as a notify arrest.) I suggest that your genius boyfriend pay the ticket and try to control himself on the public highways.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Unfortunately police officers are never truly "off-duty". He is sworn to uphold the law at all times.
Officers will use their vehicles to match your vehicle speed in lieu of a radar detector.
And I’m sure it was easy to see the race.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Understand that law enforcement officers have seen the aftermath of street racing tragedies..It can be a sore subject for them. He obviously was concerned that he about to be an eye witness to another tragedy…An officer went way out of his way to see that your bf received a citation, and was within his rights to do so. Officers can effect arrests while not on duty…their police powers are with them 24/7. You can go to court to argue your side, but come prepared with a logical defense…and I think it would be difficult to come up with a good way to fight it, and I don’t think the judge will be on your side. I would pay the ticket, and try to realize that the officer was looking after you…If you would have crashed he would have been there, trying to save your life.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
He was racing on a public road and endangering others and all he got was a ticket. What a lucky fool, I hope he learns from this as if there is a next time somebody might get a trip to the Hospital or Morgue.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
I would advise that you contact the issuing department to verify that the ticket is valid. Validity will be determined on your individual state laws. If the ticket is verified by the local department, you should contact the local traffic court and post bond on the ticket. This will give you the option to appear in front of the judge and appeal your case. If you fail to appear in court, the amount you posted for bond will be collected by the traffic court as a fine and a plead of guilty will appear on you criminal record. I would not advise you fight this is court. Officers are not required by law to be in marked units, unless they are specifically running traffic and in that case must be visible to other motorists. An off duty police officer in his personal car has the right to issue traffic citations. While out of service, and officer has the right and duty to maintain law. This leads to the same question. If you were in a bank and there were five off duty officers in the bank and it was being robbed. Would you not want the officers have the right to act in agression against the armed robbers?
October 15th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
I would appeal it and fight it… Hey, Tell a lie…. Completely switch the story around… Say, the whole story is concocted by this off duty cop because you accidently cut him off… Then he gave you a dirty look so you flicked him the bird and this is the result – A speeding and racing ticket… Talk about the cops age and how he is just looking to stick it to teens, in sports cars… Say, to the judge he said stuff, like you teens, and you foolish youngens, etc… Make it seem like an age thing – that this cop had issues with.. Good Luck!
October 15th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
You admitted you were racing. You know deep down that what he was doing was wrong not to mention dangerous. So suck it up and stop trying to justify your boyfriends actions. He got caught.
October 15th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Quit racing!
October 15th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
It is your absolute right to fight the summons, but you should know a few things. First, most courts will give quite a bit of credibility to the officer knowing the speed, even without a RADAR. Second, any officer can usually pass "probable cause" to another officer, so the ticket is just under those circumstances. If a police officer is witnessing a crime, he has a duty to be a good witness, even if off-duty, and would likely follow for a ways to get registration info. I would pay it and move on, since you stated he DID race the ‘Stang.