Got a ticket...
05-14-2004, 08:54 PM
#1
Ahhhhhhhh
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Got a ticket...
on my way to my high school team's baseball game. 51 in a 35. I wasn't speeding, that much I know for sure, I was following two friends on a two lane road (they were in seperate cars) they were going 40, tops, and both said that I wasn't gaining on them.
In the lane next to me, another teammate was driving, and passing me, going significantly faster than I was. The officer claimed that he got me on radar, and that he tone matched my car, and that it was green. What is this tone matching business? I've never heard of anything like it. Also, he said that he had been taking radar on a side street, does this constitute a speed trap? I'll be fighting this one for sure, this officer was a real peice of work, going on and on about how he'd taken weeks of classes in order to use radar.
So what do I do?
In the lane next to me, another teammate was driving, and passing me, going significantly faster than I was. The officer claimed that he got me on radar, and that he tone matched my car, and that it was green. What is this tone matching business? I've never heard of anything like it. Also, he said that he had been taking radar on a side street, does this constitute a speed trap? I'll be fighting this one for sure, this officer was a real peice of work, going on and on about how he'd taken weeks of classes in order to use radar.
So what do I do?
05-14-2004, 09:08 PM
#2
Burning Brakes
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Go to the court date no matter what you do if you really want out of it. I don't know how it is in Cali, but where I live if you go to court to fight the ticket and the cop that gave it to you does not show up the ticket gets thrown out. It happens alot here because people usually just pay.
That is the only advice I have, I have never been very lucky when it comes to getting out of tickets.
Best of luck to you!!!
That is the only advice I have, I have never been very lucky when it comes to getting out of tickets.
Best of luck to you!!!
05-15-2004, 01:30 AM
#6
Racer
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I've beaten a few tickets in my day ... Maybe 3 out of the 10 or so. I seem to get one every 2 or 3 years. The only thing I love more then driving is driving fast! I've beaten a few in California but the best way to beat a ticket is to talk the cop out of giving you one. Or, talk him into reducing the speed.
I've had my CLS for about 4 months now and I got a ticket about a month ago ... 54 in a 45. I was actually doing 60 (that's what the radar said). I chatted with the cop for a few minutes ... showed him some respect and acknowledged that I was speeding. He showed mercy on me and gave me a 1-point ticket instead of a 3-point ticket. Anyway, can't you do the traffic school thing out in California? We can't here in Colorado but they deal all the tickets down (always reduced points, sometimes reduced fines).
As for the tone thing … he was lying to you. Cops will lie to get you to admit your guilt. They write down everything you say to them when they chat with you. If you’re going to fight the ticket, you should do the same thing. Write down everything that happened … types of cars around you … especially the ones that passed you. Have details ready when you question the cop. The judge will be impressed that you took the time to take notes and that you remember everything that went on. The cop won’t remember. You can catch him on the details. With any luck, you’ll get to sit through 10 or 15 trials before they call your case. Most, if not all, of those cases will go in favor of the cop. That’s what you want. By the time the Judge gets to you, hopefully, he’ll be looking for someone to give a brake. BTW, dress like your going to court … not like it’s casual day at work! Good luck
I've had my CLS for about 4 months now and I got a ticket about a month ago ... 54 in a 45. I was actually doing 60 (that's what the radar said). I chatted with the cop for a few minutes ... showed him some respect and acknowledged that I was speeding. He showed mercy on me and gave me a 1-point ticket instead of a 3-point ticket. Anyway, can't you do the traffic school thing out in California? We can't here in Colorado but they deal all the tickets down (always reduced points, sometimes reduced fines).
As for the tone thing … he was lying to you. Cops will lie to get you to admit your guilt. They write down everything you say to them when they chat with you. If you’re going to fight the ticket, you should do the same thing. Write down everything that happened … types of cars around you … especially the ones that passed you. Have details ready when you question the cop. The judge will be impressed that you took the time to take notes and that you remember everything that went on. The cop won’t remember. You can catch him on the details. With any luck, you’ll get to sit through 10 or 15 trials before they call your case. Most, if not all, of those cases will go in favor of the cop. That’s what you want. By the time the Judge gets to you, hopefully, he’ll be looking for someone to give a brake. BTW, dress like your going to court … not like it’s casual day at work! Good luck
05-15-2004, 05:51 AM
#7
I miss my 03 CL-S :(
The fact it was a speed trap means nothing. At least in VA. They do them all the time in roads around here during rush hour of all times and rake in the $$$. Judges could give a shit it was a speed trap.
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05-15-2004, 02:10 PM
#9
Suzuka Master
You might consider traffic school.
In CA, if you don't bring a lawyer along, you lose the right to go to traffic school if you fight the ticket.
I'd check into this.
You may have been busted unfairly, and the cop may very well not show up. However, being right is not necessarily going to get you a "pass" in court.
Local police have been using LIDAR and RADAR around my area to bust people for doing 3- to 5-MPH over the limit. I was right next to a guy doing less than 40 in a 35 zone who got pulled over after pulling slightly ahead of me. (Got to love the V1.)
Lately, in CA and NV, along route 80, they have been doing some "zero tolerance" ticketing for going 1-MPH over the speed limit. (I'm not kidding). Here is an excerpt from the article, and I was warned from a relative that knows a few friends that got snagged for doing 1 MPH over the limit:
CHP issues 622 tickets in valley on 'zero-tolerance' day
By Art Campos -- Bee Staff Writer - (Published May 6, 2004)
The California Highway Patrol issued four times as many speeding tickets than usual to motorists buzzing along Interstate 80 in Sacramento, Placer and Yolo counties during the agency's most recent "zero tolerance day."
On April 28, Valley Division officers handed out 411 speeding citations and 211 tickets for other traffic and vehicle violations.
For the first time, the CHP's Golden Gate Division became involved in the no-tolerance efforts, issuing 533 speeding citations to Bay Area motorists on I-80 that day and 230 tickets for other violations.
Capt. Rick Ward of the CHP's Newcastle office, which initiated a monthly zero-tolerance program in Placer County in October, was pleased to see the effort spreading to other divisions.
"The word is getting out: We mean business," he said. "We want motorists to slow down. We're trying to save people's lives."
On a zero-tolerance day, the CHP beefs up the number of patrol units on the roadways. The goal is for drivers to see other motorists being ticketed or notice larger numbers of patrol units and cut their speed, Ward said.
"And that reduces the number of accidents," he said.
On May 12, units in Placer and Yuba counties will be deployed in their first no-tolerance day on Highway 65.
Ward said accidents and traffic have increased on the highway because of the rapid growth in Lincoln and Wheatland and the addition of the Thunder Valley Casino.
On May 28, the CHP will have another zero tolerance day on I-80, Ward said.
For more details, see Friday's Bee.
If you go to court, just make sure you are prepared.
In CA, if you don't bring a lawyer along, you lose the right to go to traffic school if you fight the ticket.
I'd check into this.
You may have been busted unfairly, and the cop may very well not show up. However, being right is not necessarily going to get you a "pass" in court.
Local police have been using LIDAR and RADAR around my area to bust people for doing 3- to 5-MPH over the limit. I was right next to a guy doing less than 40 in a 35 zone who got pulled over after pulling slightly ahead of me. (Got to love the V1.)
Lately, in CA and NV, along route 80, they have been doing some "zero tolerance" ticketing for going 1-MPH over the speed limit. (I'm not kidding). Here is an excerpt from the article, and I was warned from a relative that knows a few friends that got snagged for doing 1 MPH over the limit:
CHP issues 622 tickets in valley on 'zero-tolerance' day
By Art Campos -- Bee Staff Writer - (Published May 6, 2004)
The California Highway Patrol issued four times as many speeding tickets than usual to motorists buzzing along Interstate 80 in Sacramento, Placer and Yolo counties during the agency's most recent "zero tolerance day."
On April 28, Valley Division officers handed out 411 speeding citations and 211 tickets for other traffic and vehicle violations.
For the first time, the CHP's Golden Gate Division became involved in the no-tolerance efforts, issuing 533 speeding citations to Bay Area motorists on I-80 that day and 230 tickets for other violations.
Capt. Rick Ward of the CHP's Newcastle office, which initiated a monthly zero-tolerance program in Placer County in October, was pleased to see the effort spreading to other divisions.
"The word is getting out: We mean business," he said. "We want motorists to slow down. We're trying to save people's lives."
On a zero-tolerance day, the CHP beefs up the number of patrol units on the roadways. The goal is for drivers to see other motorists being ticketed or notice larger numbers of patrol units and cut their speed, Ward said.
"And that reduces the number of accidents," he said.
On May 12, units in Placer and Yuba counties will be deployed in their first no-tolerance day on Highway 65.
Ward said accidents and traffic have increased on the highway because of the rapid growth in Lincoln and Wheatland and the addition of the Thunder Valley Casino.
On May 28, the CHP will have another zero tolerance day on I-80, Ward said.
For more details, see Friday's Bee.
If you go to court, just make sure you are prepared.
05-15-2004, 02:48 PM
#10
At least it's not Jersey
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The fact that he said the radar tracked your car because it registered your color is your ticket OUT of this ticket. There's no such technology in law enforcement hands so he's wrong or badly trained. Tell the prosecutor he said that when your court date comes up. Based on that statement they'll either fine you for what you claimed you were doing speed wise or waive the whole thing.
PS, your car is green?
PS, your car is green?
05-15-2004, 03:12 PM
#11
Suzuka Master
Tone == sound or tone == color???
Originally posted by Neech
The fact that he said the radar tracked your car because it registered your color is your ticket OUT of this ticket. There's no such technology in law enforcement hands so he's wrong or badly trained. Tell the prosecutor he said that when your court date comes up. Based on that statement they'll either fine you for what you claimed you were doing speed wise or waive the whole thing.
PS, your car is green?
The fact that he said the radar tracked your car because it registered your color is your ticket OUT of this ticket. There's no such technology in law enforcement hands so he's wrong or badly trained. Tell the prosecutor he said that when your court date comes up. Based on that statement they'll either fine you for what you claimed you were doing speed wise or waive the whole thing.
PS, your car is green?
OTOH, the guy may be a boob, but may have been blustering with a bunch of pseudo-jargon, and the particular radar they have may have a particular "tone" (== sound). Hard to know for sure – hey?
If he wrote something like, "Radar tracked vehicle color and confirmed speed and color..." then the guy probably needs to have his ticket posted on a joke site and you’d have to visit a kangaroo court to have it upheld. The judge would have to be a nitwit to NOT dismiss the case.
The radar gun can emit a tone, that’s probably what the officer was talking about.
A link that might be of use
http://williambader.com/tickets.html
Keyword == preparation….
05-15-2004, 04:09 PM
#12
Burning Brakes
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If you take all of this information that everyone else has given you to court the judge will see that you are serious and maybe let you out of the ticket just because he does not want to argue with you.
Works sometimes, it did for a friend of mine. Anything is worth a shot, right?
Works sometimes, it did for a friend of mine. Anything is worth a shot, right?
05-15-2004, 04:23 PM
#13
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The tone refers to the doppler shift and of course, a law enforcement officer wouldn't be stupid enough to claim his radar identified your vehichle by its colour.
When multiple cars are together, sometime the radar operator can use listen to the high-pitched whine produced by the dobbler shift to ascertain or confirm a radar reading. It's like a train that passes by you when you are next to the railroad track. As the train passes in front of you and blows the whistle, you can close your eyes and you can tell when the train actually passes by because the sound of the whistle will change it's pitch. Radar operators can hear (and well as see) your vehicle on radar and sometimes they go by how high the tone is to pin the ticket on you.
It's important that you remember exactly what the officer said. If my memory serves me correctly, there is something called tone-locking and either the officer is not supposed rely entirely on the tone or he should use the tone to confirm the reading. Personally I think you would be screwed if you try to attack his method because first radar is already recognized as "infallible" and second, he just came from class. He's not an idiot.
Perhaps you can do the research on the internet to figure out this tone thing or consult a good lawyer. Either way, good luck.
When multiple cars are together, sometime the radar operator can use listen to the high-pitched whine produced by the dobbler shift to ascertain or confirm a radar reading. It's like a train that passes by you when you are next to the railroad track. As the train passes in front of you and blows the whistle, you can close your eyes and you can tell when the train actually passes by because the sound of the whistle will change it's pitch. Radar operators can hear (and well as see) your vehicle on radar and sometimes they go by how high the tone is to pin the ticket on you.
It's important that you remember exactly what the officer said. If my memory serves me correctly, there is something called tone-locking and either the officer is not supposed rely entirely on the tone or he should use the tone to confirm the reading. Personally I think you would be screwed if you try to attack his method because first radar is already recognized as "infallible" and second, he just came from class. He's not an idiot.
Perhaps you can do the research on the internet to figure out this tone thing or consult a good lawyer. Either way, good luck.
05-15-2004, 04:37 PM
#14
At least it's not Jersey
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Another note, the new digital radar guns can track 2 targets at a time, a fastest target and a target with the strongest signal return.
Ex. you're in your CL passing a Mack truck. If he were using this gun it would be a no brainer which signal is which. In your case, he might have crossed the readings on the display and made you out for you friend’s passing vehicle. Big if; we don’t know what gun he was using nor it's mode if it was in fact a digital.
Fact of the matter is unfortunately, you're young and the prosecutor will mostly likely offer you a plea on a less charge. Offer to make a donation or plead guilty to no wearing your seat belt.
Ex. you're in your CL passing a Mack truck. If he were using this gun it would be a no brainer which signal is which. In your case, he might have crossed the readings on the display and made you out for you friend’s passing vehicle. Big if; we don’t know what gun he was using nor it's mode if it was in fact a digital.
Fact of the matter is unfortunately, you're young and the prosecutor will mostly likely offer you a plea on a less charge. Offer to make a donation or plead guilty to no wearing your seat belt.
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