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General Registry Discussion Topics of Interest (Mach 1 Related or otherwise) for discussions that don't fit other forums. |
View Poll Results: Ask a Police Officer Htread - Good Idea? | |||
Yes, good idea | 54 | 60.67% | |
No way...scrap it | 2 | 2.25% | |
let's try it and see how it goes | 24 | 26.97% | |
What do I care. Where is the Procharger thread? | 9 | 10.11% | |
Voters: 89. You may not vote on this poll |
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02-07-2006, 12:54 PM | #276 | |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
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To respond to streakn...there is no emergency i have recently spent alot of time siting at stoplights later in the evening watching an emtpy intersections with no traffic and realized just how much of my life has been wasted over the years(granted i'm only24 so...) waiting at an emtpy intersection. I've decided, pehaps ignorantly, that my time is to valuable to waste at an empty intersection and that i'm not going to wait anymore...now if i see a car even 1/2 a mile away i'll wait but if i'm the only car i can see...i'm not waiting.
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02-07-2006, 01:41 PM | #277 | |
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Re: Interesting reading
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02-07-2006, 03:20 PM | #278 | |
Lurking since 04-12-2005
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Location: Winchester,VA
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
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Most cops believe it or not like to exercise common sense as well as you do.But if they see an obvious violation they will not ignore it due to the fact they are wondering why someone would violate the law right in front of an officer. Usually it's one of two things. Either they just weren't paying attention which is in and of itself bad.... or they are under the influence of something that prevented them from seeing the police officer or the color of the light. |
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02-07-2006, 05:14 PM | #279 | |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
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That’s BS. Traffic court is just like criminal court, if there is reasonable doubt the Judge cannot find you guilty. I beat 4 tickets in three different court systems based on the same thing. An officer on the stand's word of "opinion" is just that opinion not fact and in our justice system matter of opinion is not enough for a guilty verdict. Just because someone wears a badge does not make what they say in court hold any more weight than your average Joe. The United States justice system is based on facts and evidence, not educated guesses and or opinions. I am an estimator for a construction company, I take measurements all day long does that make my sense of distance is any better than the next guy? I mean no disrespect to any officers, I have friends that are police officers and almost became one myself, but still their word is not the end all be all. I have had ALOT of tickets in my day so I know my way around them as well as the legalities involved. I just hate when I see people say oh well I got a ticket for something I wasn't doing but the judge is not going to believe me over the officer so I will just go ahead and pay it. This is what the system is based on, you not wanting to fight it and just paying it. |
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02-07-2006, 05:22 PM | #280 | |
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Location: Austin Texas
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
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Me- "I was posted at such and such location, watching the traffic light cycle, looking for vehicles running the red light Northbound on Such and such street. I observed the vehicle fail to stop for the traffic light which was indicating red for that vehicle prior to his arrival, and continue through the interesection. Him- The light was green your honor! Judge- Guilty My word against his word. Happens all the time. Now in fairness, there has been the ocassion when the judge felt sorry for the defendant for any variety of reasons and found in their favor, though I would put it at 1 in 30 times.
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02-07-2006, 05:56 PM | #281 | |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
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02-07-2006, 05:57 PM | #282 | |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
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Well like I said if you have something that will make the judge think for a second. If I walked in and simply said "well I was doing the speed limit your honor" I doubt that would work at all. Lets face it the more traffic tickets that get paid the better chance the Judge has at getting a raise. But if there is a plausable reason an officer pointing the finger saying they did it should hold no more weight than a regular citizen saying he didn't do it. Example: I was traveling south at about 70. There is an area on this road that goes from 65mph to a 45mph on a dime. Flew into the 45 doing 70. An officer was heading north on the same road. As soon as I passed him he made a U and hit the lights. Well I went to court on this one for sure. I asked the officer if there was a possibility that he had seen another car speeding and that once he turned around since I was the one in front of him he figured it was me. He said "I know it was you because I didn't take my eyes off of the car". So then I asked if we were closing on each other at 120mph at 3:30am in the dark. Then he had to stop his car, tun it around and begin to come after me how did he not take his eyes off of me. Since he had no answer, and clearly there was time for another vehicle to be in the area the Judge threw it out |
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02-08-2006, 12:22 PM | #283 | |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
01trublu gt..I do this for a living...and I can tell u without any doubt that an officer's word in court does carry a great deal of weight.
For the very reasoning expressed below as stated by JRKANOT: Quote:
I have tried 100s of cases and based on my experience I can definitely state that what happened to you in that case is not the norm. For a civilian to defeat and officer in court...his best bet is to have some hard or overwhelming evidence that the officer is incorrect. For example...his radar gun was not calibrated, your speedometer is not properly calibrated ( shown via statement on letterhead from a mechanic), alibi...you weren't there so it could not have been you verified by several others etc, or some sympathetic plea to the judge ( I was rushing to visit my sick grandma... I have not been in traffic court in years but what I mentioned above used to work on somewhat regularly the rest are longshots.
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02-08-2006, 01:13 PM | #284 |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
I am not disputing the fact that in the real world an officers stated opinion is almost always taken as fact.
In reality acording to the way the law is written, opinions should bare no weight in a courtroom to the point of a verdict being based on that same opinion. However the more guilty verdicts passed down, the more money for the system. I have beaten countless tickets with simple common sense vs. the officers testimony. The funny part is I live in a city where corruption is almost a way of life but it seems to me that our traffic court system is almost too fair to the average citizen. Don't get me wrong if an officer says you did it and the best you can do is say you didn't well you are screwed, but if you can come with more than I didn't do it, 8 out of 10 times you are found not guilty. Perfect example. I was in the right hand lane, getting ready to make a right turn at the intersection, well about 20' before the intersection ther eis a turning lane. As I got into the turning lane a guy on a bicycle was riding in the middle of the lane. I got as far into the lane as I could and made the turn. As soon as I did, lights come on in the rearview. Ticket for illegal turn, and improper lane useage. Well in the courtroom I asked the officer about the guy on the bike and they admitted that there was a person taking up the lane. So I asked why did I get a ticket. The officer said because more than 50% of my car was in the wrong lane. I asked how did they know it was 50%. The officer said that it appeared to him that more than 50% of my car was in the wrong lane. since there was no proof that 50% or more of my car was in the wrong lane the judge dissmissed the case. |
02-08-2006, 01:41 PM | #285 | |
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Albuquerque, NM
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
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Its the same thing with a police officer. The police officer is the witness in seeing you commit the crime. The difference between a police officer witnessing a crime and joe blow off the street witnessing the crime is actually pretty big. If both of these witnesses walk into two different court rooms the chances of the officers testimony being taken as fact are almost guaranteed. You can TRY to question the integrity and credibility of the officer but if you take this route you are going to have to scale a mountain to win. Now, in the other courtroom joe blow is giving his testimony. Again, just like the officer, his credibility/integrity is questioned. Unless you have evidence as to why he might be lying then your going to have to scale a big hill to win. Its not gonna be the mountain that is the police officers word, but it would still be difficult to impossible to do. Police officers are held to the highest levels of integrity. We have to be because of what we do. Granted there are bad cops out there, but they are usually not the ones that are pulling you over for no reason and slapping you with a 15mph over ticket just because they feel like it. Bad cops dont do that. They bust people for drugs then keep the drugs and sell them back on to the streets or they plant drugs on people just to get a bust and look good. Or they bust some guys with a ton of drug money, blood money or whatever and keep some of it for themselves. 95% of bad cops out there are going for money and dont care who they ruin to get it. They could care less about stopping some poor guy on the street who was following the traffic laws just to mess up his day. That would be stupid, because there is nothing in it for them. Chances are if a judge throws out your ticket in court even with the cops testimony its because he felt like cutting you a break. It is very unlikely that he will go against the cops testimony. This is simply reality. Besides, why would one question the integrity of one person when they consciencely knew that they were breaking the law? That is just being a hypocrit. If someone gets pulled over for breaking the law and they knew they were then they should take responsibility for their actions and accept their punishment instead of fighting it. Of course, people do this all the time because they dont wanna get caught or just dont wanna admit it. For just a traffic ticket though, its really not worth fighting. If you really feel that you did no wrong, then go ahead and fight it. I would. If you know you were wrong though, then you should just accept it and move on. |
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02-08-2006, 02:00 PM | #286 | |
Its stock....No really!
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Posts: 4,433
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
Quote:
You felt that you were not wrong and so you fought it. Nothing wrong with that. Just so you know, the proper way to have done that would to be either get behind the bike and wait to make the turn or pass the bike before entering the lane. Once you passed the bike you can enter the lane and make your turn. The officer said he observed your vehicle in two lanes at once. This makes him a credible eye witness to your actions and therefore would be enough proof to give you a guilty verdict. The fact that the judge threw out your case based on the fact that there was "no proof" of your vehicle being 50% out of the lane is interesting. It could be the laws in your state, but where I live and most other states I know for a fact that this wouldnt happen. Be aware though, many cruisers have video cameras attached to the dash. The patrol vehicles that I operate do and they start rolling once I get on shift till I get off shift. They can record for 12 hours straight and they get a new battery and dvd every shift so they see everything. Just know next time you ask "where is the proof?" dont be surprised if they pull out a tape showing your actions. Every case that I have to go to court and testify it is policy that the video of my shift with the case in question be taken to court as well as added evidence. Im a federal cop though, so im not sure of others that may do this. |
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02-08-2006, 04:37 PM | #287 | |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
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I think one of the best tools officers have been handed in recent years is the in car video. This allows for the truth to be seen at a later date, i.e., in court when there is a discrepancy in testimony or opinion. It also keeps officers who "might" fudge the truth a little more honest, and if the public knows that all cruisers are aware that the cameras are rolling, they will be less inclined to lie about what happened or do something really stupid like attack the officer. Cameras in cruisers are wonderful!! (and no, I'm not an officer)
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02-08-2006, 10:23 PM | #288 |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
I agree 100%. As a shift supervisor, in my experience, the cameras tend to clear officers of (inaccurate) accusations of wrong doing more often than they show the officers doing anything wrong. The cameras are a great officer safety tool, and, as a by product, they produce great evidence in court.
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02-09-2006, 12:56 AM | #289 | ||
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
Quote:
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02-09-2006, 07:03 AM | #290 |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
Next time you're at the Ford dealer, get one of those magnetic number thingies they use in the service department to keep track of cars. Place it over the GPS antenna on your unit.... Car 54, where are you?
I learned about this when I asked a shuttle van driver at LAX why he was putting one on the roof of his van. |
02-09-2006, 09:11 AM | #291 | |
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Re: Interesting reading
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02-09-2006, 10:31 AM | #292 |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
I don't know that I'd like the GPS locators, our department has threatened to go to them on several occasions but hasn't yet. The cameras, as I said, have helped us more than they hurt us. As far as documenting each contact... we've got to complete a "racial profiling sheet" on every person that we self initiate a contact with. Royal pain in the rear....
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02-10-2006, 01:56 AM | #293 |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
We are having the GPS locators installed in the supervisor vehicles. It is not a bad thing, but I'm not too keen on how they will be used. So I'm a little apprehensive about it.
And we have to do a racial profiling sheet (or form on the MDT) when we make a ped or car stop, every time. It takes up so much time and bandwidth, it is ridiculous.
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02-11-2006, 11:52 AM | #294 |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
we dont have camra's in our cars but we have 2 things one is a vehicle stop log and on that we need to put down the persons gender,race,and if we gave them a ticket or just a worning.
The other thing is GPS we have it in out cars and unlike camer's i think it can hurt u more times then it can help u. example if we take a extra 10min for lunch or all those other little personal breaks ,your always monitered. also if we park in one spot for more then 10 min. it sends a signal back to our HQ and then they start asking for your statis. GOOD LUCK. OH also not my department but another local has GPS in thier hand held radio's which is good for when they hit there emergency botton they can be found for safty.. |
02-11-2006, 03:57 PM | #295 |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
I'm don't know if i like the idea of GPS units. I agree that they may tend to hurt more than help. Also, it would allow the department to "Big Brother" you alot more than they already can/do. But if you were in a bind and needed help, they'd sure come in handy. I hate that silence when a dispatcher calls to check on a unit that's been out too long. So far, it's been the weren't listening/ couldn't hear their radios. It still doesn't make me sweat any less knowing all that. Maybe it'd be nice to have the GPS that only activated when either the unit or dispatcher indicated that there was an emergency situation....
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02-11-2006, 06:04 PM | #296 |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
I don't really like the idea of GPS in the cars. It will end up making more problems that it will solve. Now on the radios that would be cool as heck for officer safety.
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02-15-2006, 05:39 PM | #297 |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
There's a lot of talk about VP Cheney and the guy he shot. It seems obvious that it was an accident, but it was, and is being, managed horribly.
From a law enforcement perspective, what possible reason(s) could a person have for delaying to report a hunting accident?
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02-15-2006, 05:56 PM | #298 |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
First, if someone in your or my position in life (general peon) were to have a "hunting accident," in order to summon an ambulance/paramedics, we would have to dial 911. That would bring everyone, from the police to the game warden to the fire department. That would pretty much take care of any delay before it happened. If, per chance, the police did not respond to the scene, once the victim is transported to the hospital the doctors have a legal obligation (they MUST, by law) call the police to report a gunshot victim. That is a back up measure to the original 911 call.
So, if there was a delay in the actual police report, it would have to be because the normal 911 route was bypassed. And some sort of law enforcement must have been involved, or the doctor is risking his license by not reporting it. I'm guessing Secret Service intervention.
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02-15-2006, 06:24 PM | #299 |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
Yeah, I read that he had a medical team on hand who responded immediately but waited almost a full day bfr reporting the incident on the Corpus Christi Caller-Times Web site. A lot of people are wondering why he would choose to do that.
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02-15-2006, 08:18 PM | #300 |
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Re: Ask A Police Officer
Secret Service = Federal Law
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