Cop Talk

Originally Posted by Tonester

Couple of questions.. you've probably already answered since is the thread is so long.

Do you bother fighting tickets that have been through 1 extension then after requested a "trail by declaration"?

Also.. is it true that you guys have competitions/bet who can give out more tickets? by deputy/departments/cities?

for the first question, are you asking if the law enforcement guys bother filling out the trial by dec sheet?? It is actually a very, very simple form for the officer/deputy to complete, so I'm surprised when anyone ever doesn't complete it. The combination of lazy cops and the fact that you don't get paid for completing it leaves many of them in the trash. Still, I always fill mine out.

No bets/competitions that I know of. If we're doing a big traffic saturation or something, there may be a little more pressure to produce cites, but I think people tend to take more pride in their number of arrests, not cites.

Originally Posted by OHCM3

for the first question, are you asking if the law enforcement guys bother filling out the trial by dec sheet?? It is actually a very, very simple form for the officer/deputy to complete, so I'm surprised when anyone ever doesn't complete it. The combination of lazy cops and the fact that you don't get paid for completing it leaves many of them in the trash. Still, I always fill mine out.

No bets/competitions that I know of. If we're doing a big traffic saturation or something, there may be a little more pressure to produce cites, but I think people tend to take more pride in their number of arrests, not cites.

Thanks for answer, I've seem to luck out the past couple of times I fought the ticket that route. I figure since it was a "speed trap" where he sits there with his gun and pops a couple dozen people that are speeding to work, my one trial by declaration fight he is not going to care for?

I actually have one pending, and I KNEW I wasn't speeding b/c I passed a patrol car and my car is pretty loud so I was lugging the car. He still manage to pop me for 8mph over? but doesn't show me the reading on the gun?


Thanks!

Originally Posted by deafboy

So I was watching a documentary on conjoined twins....it was one of two girls.

they brought up how they were just two normal girls waiting to get their drivers license...

and I was curious... if they got pulled over, who would get the ticket? Cause technically they are two different people, but sharing one body.

Thoughts...

Edit:

Found out that the left one controlled the left side of the body, and the right one the right side...

As if the initial question wasn't odd enough, you come back with that tidbit about who's controlling the left side and who's controlling the right...

Originally Posted by OHCM3

for the first question, are you asking if the law enforcement guys bother filling out the trial by dec sheet?? It is actually a very, very simple form for the officer/deputy to complete, so I'm surprised when anyone ever doesn't complete it. The combination of lazy cops and the fact that you don't get paid for completing it leaves many of them in the trash. Still, I always fill mine out.

It actually surprises me that rarity of those of us on this side of the equation who fail to take that route or even know about it for that matter. Then again, and even though most of us will claim innocence, ask one to sit down to write a declaration as to why they're not guilty and they'd end up incriminate themselves instead.

I always fill one out. Even if I just state "I stand by my original plea of "NOT GUILTY"... I'll send one in. I am yet to get one of those lazy cops who end up throwing it away.

Originally Posted by Tonester

Do you bother fighting tickets that have been through 1 extension then after requested a "trail by declaration"?

If by fighting tickets you mean show up in court to testify, then yes. CHP requires us to go to court whether it's on our day off or in the middle of the day when we work graveyards. Actually, if you were to get an extension, then do a trial by declaration, it helps me to remember the stop and testify that much better

Also.. is it true that you guys have competitions/bet who can give out more tickets? by deputy/departments/cities?

There aren't any competitions between departments, cities, agencies, or even different offices. However, there are officers who like to see who can write the most tickets for the month. I was trying to figure out a way to have a friendly competition between officers based on over-all activity, not just tickets. But I gave up because nobody else wanted to try to beat me (I write a ton of tickets every month).

Originally Posted by deafboy

So I was watching a documentary on conjoined twins....it was one of two girls.

they brought up how they were just two normal girls waiting to get their drivers license...

and I was curious... if they got pulled over, who would get the ticket? Cause technically they are two different people, but sharing one body.

Thoughts...

Edit:

Found out that the left one controlled the left side of the body, and the right one the right side...

Holy crap! I don't know. I would think that I could argue that they should both get a ticket. If they both control the body, then they both drove over the speed limit. Good question, though!

Originally Posted by Tonester

I actually have one pending, and I KNEW I wasn't speeding b/c I passed a patrol car and my car is pretty loud so I was lugging the car. He still manage to pop me for 8mph over? but doesn't show me the reading on the gun?

Uhhh, you probably got the ticket from a pace/visual estimation. No gun of any kind involved. You passed the patrol car (which was probably right at, if not just over the speed limit), which means that you were speeding. I've written a ticket for a lot less than 8mph over to someone who passed me.

What's the best method for discovering an officer's schedule for using it when scheduling a trial for a simple traffic offense as to try to make a time that he is least likely to appear. Also, do you have to state your name or are there administration fees, and is the officer alerted to you doing this?

Originally Posted by destroyer427

What's the best method for discovering an officer's schedule for using it when scheduling a trial for a simple traffic offense as to try to make a time that he is least likely to appear. Also, do you have to state your name or are there administration fees, and is the officer alerted to you doing this?

Alright, that just seems like a douchebag move to piss off the officer.

if i smoke my taillights pretty dark (sig) will i get pulled over even if the light is strong enough (LED) to shine through?

Originally Posted by destroyer427

What's the best method for discovering an officer's schedule for using it when scheduling a trial for a simple traffic offense as to try to make a time that he is least likely to appear. Also, do you have to state your name or are there administration fees, and is the officer alerted to you doing this?

You can't get his schedule. At least not that i know of. If I get a subpoena that lands during my vacation, or training that can't be re-scheduled, then I'll request a continuance. Every court that I know of grants those to the officers as long as they get enough heads-up. If the court date is on my day off, then I get overtime to go. Either way, you schedule the date and then the officer is notified. If he's not able to make it, then you get a notice of a new court date.

Originally Posted by koven

if i smoke my taillights pretty dark (sig) will i get pulled over even if the light is strong enough (LED) to shine through?

This has been discussed in here before. It's legal since you can see the lights for the required distance. But your lights are modified. Which is illegal. If you were to do them as dark as your signature you'll get a ticket. Not from me. But from someone who writes mechanical violations (like the guys stuck in LA traffic).

OK, here's a question, I get a flat on the freeway and luckily the shoulder is wide enough to pull over so I can change it, but its dark outside:

Lights on/off?
Hazards on/off?
Passengers: in the car/out?


PS: thank God for America's Tire Company's Replacement warranty. Cost to replace a $177 Dunlop tire = $0. Unless you wanna buy a new warranty for the new tire, then its another $22

Originally Posted by Speeder

OK, here's a question, I get a flat on the freeway and luckily the shoulder is wide enough to pull over so I can change it, but its dark outside:

Lights on/off?
Hazards on/off?
Passengers: in the car/out?


PS: thank God for America's Tire Company's Replacement warranty. Cost to replace a $177 Dunlop tire = $0. Unless you wanna buy a new warranty for the new tire, then its another $22

At all costs unless shoulder is extremely huge, I would get off the freeway... Frobie, agreed?

Hopefully someone can chime in on this asap. I recently received a speeding ticket for 100mph in a 55 zone. There is no bail amount on my courtesy notice and it says court is mandatory! Is there a chance i can contest this ticket and request trial by declaration and avoid appearing in court or do I have to appear in front of the judge and request it? I appreciate all the input! Thank you!

Originally Posted by Speeder

OK, here's a question, I get a flat on the freeway and luckily the shoulder is wide enough to pull over so I can change it, but its dark outside:

Lights on/off?
Hazards on/off?
Passengers: in the car/out?

My friend (a state trooper) always advises to have all passengers exit the car while it is stationary on the shoulder. The occupants should stand a safe distance away from the vehicle. A lot of drivers see a car on the shoulder, get distracted, and subsequently slam into it. If a car hits your from behind at 70 mph while you are stopped, you are in for a a lot of pain.

Originally Posted by dtxmob

Hopefully someone can chime in on this asap. I recently received a speeding ticket for 100mph in a 55 zone. There is no bail amount on my courtesy notice and it says court is mandatory! Is there a chance i can contest this ticket and request trial by declaration and avoid appearing in court or do I have to appear in front of the judge and request it? I appreciate all the input! Thank you!

Ouch...your license is most likely gone for 6 months man, good luck with it though.

Originally Posted by OHCM3

At all costs unless shoulder is extremely huge, I would get off the freeway... Frobie, agreed?

Agreed!

Originally Posted by Speeder

OK, here's a question, I get a flat on the freeway and luckily the shoulder is wide enough to pull over so I can change it, but its dark outside:

Lights on/off?
Hazards on/off?
Passengers: in the car/out?

At night? Lights and hazards on. Daylight, hazards on. Passengers in the car if you have a giant sound wall or something like that next to you. If there's a hill or something else (dirt shoulder or even a short concrete wall that you can stand on, guardrail) that allows you to get a safe distance from the car then get out.

Originally Posted by dtxmob

Hopefully someone can chime in on this asap. I recently received a speeding ticket for 100mph in a 55 zone. There is no bail amount on my courtesy notice and it says court is mandatory! Is there a chance i can contest this ticket and request trial by declaration and avoid appearing in court or do I have to appear in front of the judge and request it? I appreciate all the input! Thank you!

Any 100mph plus ticket is a mandatory appearance in court. There's no way to fight it via Trial by Declaration, unless the judge allows you to.