| Author | Message | ||
     Sgthigg |
Me and some buds were riding through a national forest down is S MS today. When were were coming around a turn and a wildlife/game enforcement officer was coming the other way. While we were all(officer included) mid turn he throws his lights on. This time I decided to ride as the tail man and I was the last one in the row of 3. He does a U-ey and pulls us over says he clocked us going 45 in a 25. When I asked for his radar print out he didnt have one. Can they clock 3 consecutive riders, mid turn, on coming while the officer is moving? Come to find out this ticket is a "pety" federal ticket. He said if we pay 125 its over and no points on my liscense. I am tempted to shell out the 125 and it be over. But he was pissed as hell at us and the first thing he wanted to know was if we were military? I thought that odd he proceeded to try to scare us by saying he is going to call the base General,Bla Bla Bla. I almost feel as if the judge heard all the circumstances he would throw it out. Anyone have experience with these kinds of tickets and possible ramifications if I do lose in court? Should I fight it ? You thought and experienc will be appreciated. Either way it was fun as hell today, smoking a R1 and a CBR1000 REPSOL through some twisties!!!! Straight line they got me, But I can still sleep well at night with that though. | ||
| Dtx |
I would probably just pay it and consider it "water under the bridge". Then, you won't have to mess with all the hassles. | ||
| Hardcorps |
Did he give all three of you tickets? I find it hard to believe he got all three of you at the exact same speed, in a corner. Maybe one of you, but that might be good enough. Remember the officer goes before the same judge every time some one fights a ticket, and probably knows the officer. This could be a good thing, or a bad thing. Hard Corps | ||
| Skyguy |
Sgthigg, Do your research as it might be best to just pay the bribe. I don't know about your State but here in the Land of Confusion (CALI) that would be a hefty ticket. | ||
| Lowflyer |
$125? I'd pay it. It wouldn't be worth my time to fight it. | ||
| Kdan |
Was he a federal officer? That's a whole different can-o worms. I wouldn't fight it. Wouldn't be worth the time and money. | ||
| Paint_shaker |
You could fight it, depending. Radar operators in Florida are trained NOT to run radar in a turn as the radar may not give an acurate reading due to the angle of the radar beam vs. the angle of the approaching target. They are also NOT required to provide you a printout from the radar unit (I have never seen one that prints out. Doesn't mean they don't exist), nor are they required to show you the radar or radar certification during the traffic stop. They ARE trained to get a visual speed estimation, followed by a doppler tone and a digital read out confirming the target speed. They are required, if requested by the defendant, to show their radar ceritficate, radar log and radar calibration during court. As for giving all three of you tickets, I suppose he could if he could prove all of you were travelling at the exact same speed. In the situation you describe, it is possible, though NOT probable he clocked each of you. Technically he can only testify to clocking one of you. But the reading MAY not be vaild because it was in a turn. A lot of the Feds (not all) don't have much of a sense of humor (nor compassion it seems). Good luck bro! | ||
| Buellbozo |
Higg, I checked with a friend on OSPD. He says it will come up before a federal magistrate in Biloxi. He also said that the forestry guys got nothin' better to do than write tickets. Too bad it wasnt local justice court. Those can still be caused to disappear. Besides, anybody with NO sign of chicken strips on his new Pirellis is gonna get snagged now and then ! lol Give me a call.  | ||
| Old_man |
BODGES! BODGES! - We don't got to show you no stinkin' bodges! | ||
| Halbard |
Hummm... getting radar on a motorcycle is difficult at best... in a corner, the doppler gives false indications of speed... I know you could fight it... but is it worth your while for a 125, no pointer? Also, doppler gives the speed of eithor the largest, or the fastest, with no specific target indication. Only laser does that. So if he tagged with a radar gun, you could easily argue that the others were traveling faster, and thus gave the indicated speed, while you (in the rear) were obviously traveling slower, and beat the ticket. Being a fed, his certification is probally up, but all in all, he sounds like too big of an a$$ to let this stand. Get with an MP (if you know a cool one... yes, there are a few...) and get the certificatin material... tells the specific faults about radar on conoring vehicles... | ||
| Xbmick |
If I was the cop and it went to court,I'd say I tagged the LAST guy,he was the slowest,and still 20 above the limit.(then you know the two other riders ahead of you were going faster than you)...hence all three WOULD get a ticket. I'd pay the 125 and call it a day.....wrong place wrong time..... | ||
| Jerseyguy |
Sgt - Were you doing 45? Do the crime, pay the fine .... It's a tax on having fun. Let it go. | ||
| Got1nut |
Well, if you were speeding then you should man up and pay the fine. Thats like someone eating a meal at a restaurant then complaining it was awful so as not to pay for the meal. You bought it. | ||
| Buellbozo |
See above post re: "...chicken strips..."  I've seen his tires,guys-feathered ALL the way out! (Message edited by buellbozo on March 07, 2006) |
