rckt

In the Sunshine State FHP will write anyone a ticket, mother, brother, or another LEO. They are a unique breed of LEO. I work with many LEO's and they complain of FHP quite often. A local cop would have known better.

The Clevite Kid

Don't worry about TJ taking time off from work to fight this; his work includes investigating and documenting all things human and automotive .

TJ: I see way back in 1987 your colleague Lisa Gibbs was writing about The Traffic Clinic -- ask her if she remembers !

Good Luck fighting the good fight, and keep us updated. -LS

redzone

Sorta like all Corvette drivers are hairy,gold chain wearing,loud & pompous?

FloydSummerOf68

I hate to tell you this, but in my city they passed out a flyer in the newspaper a while back saying that if there is summer school the lights do NOT have to be flashing and you must obey the posted school zone limits.

If there is summer school you are screwed. Sorry man.

(I think it's BS though)

FloydSummerOf68

You think it's BS that a cop can get out of a traffic ticket? These guys put their lives on the line...I think I'll understand them going 5-10mph over the speed limit and getting out of a ticket if they get stopped.

bapd77

As stated, I am a police officer in Oklahoma and school zones are not in effect if school is not in session. That applies even if the lights are flashing. Just a little FYI in our state. If the lights aren't flashing, I don't see anyway he could have cited you for not following a sign that doesn't require you to adhere to it unless it is flashing. I would definitely fight the citation. Just to let you know, most police officers are very good people. This guy may have been fairly new.

KBoltz

No front plate visible - $20.00 administrative fine. Would you like me to scan the ticket and email it to you? Hell, were in the name of God am I going to put it? Told me to put it in the front windshield so it was visible. I was never GIVEN the front plate when I bought the car (used C4) so what am I supposed to do? Go to the County Clerks office and pay another $58.00 and buy a new set of plates. WTF? You're kidding right? Nope, he wasn't.

Yes, some LEO's badge their brethren hoping for a break. I have seen it done. If you do it as a Federal LEO, you can get yourself 45 days (on the beach as we call it) with no pay and suspended health benefits. Now, if they ask what you do for a living, then you can respond and they will ask to see your Shield and Creds. Then you are not "flashing" and he may give a break. That has happened to me once. He let me off with a warning, I was 5 over the limit (doing 70 in a 65 mph zone).

I agree, it was a BS ticket. The Trooper should know his job. And I know the OP will have to waste his time to go to court. I would hope that he thinks of it as teaching the Trooper to learn his job and the laws he has sworn to enforce. I know when I go to court, I had damn well better know my job, or some illegal or drug smuggler is going to walk. And I cannot abide by that.

I am not defending the Trooper, on the contrary, he is in the wrong, and should get his *** reamed by the Judge after Court. I was saying that painting all LEO's with the same broad brush is the same as saying all Corvette owners are pompous speeders, or all Asians work in a BBQ shack (I am Asian), or all African Americans are gang bangers. It shows that you generalize and stereotype when you should not.

Are all LEO's good ones? Nope, and the bad ones tarnish the badge for those of us who do know our jobs, and work damn hard at it. There is no need to be a jerk to people. I give respect to those I arrest, if no respect is given back, then so be it. I took the high road and as far as I am concerned, it makes me the better man for it.

My advice as a FLEO to the OP, fight the ticket and make sure the Judge "talks" to the Trooper. If he has a history of writing bogus tickets, you can also call the IA division of his Agency. That will open a can that will put a lot of heat on him. That heat can either make him a better LEO, or get him fired.

God-speed

AORoads

Maybe and maybe not. It all depends and I do think you can fight it successfully. IF...if the law in that jurisdiction doesn't state that you must yield to the lower speed limit, at all times.

I believe it's towns or the entire state of Rhode Island where, in many/all school zones, there are no warning lights. Just signs identifying that it is a zone, and no posted school speed limit. Everyone either goes to that speed when school is in session, or gets a ticket. Yours is obviously a slightly different case, but every jurisdiction is different.

Here's hoping...

GotVett?

Still get legal representation (i.e friend attorney, friend of a friend's attorney, someone in the system already, etc.). Believe me, it'll go much mo better when they hear it from one of their peers.

GotVett?

Hey . . . .

Jimmy G.

Well looky here...we got o'selves sumun drivin' one a them there flashly lookin' cars, righ'here in these parts..........

tjackson82

Thanks for all the posts. I'm not about to diss all police officers. I know it;s a dangerous and at times thankless job. But traffic enforcement is such a crapshoot.
I have done a little investigating and the school where the zone is posted isn't in session and the flashing light isn't turned on -- I looked again when I went through the same zone this morning. I also noted that all the cars were moving at regular speed, not 15 mph! I think cars slowed up yesterday in response to seeing the FHP cruiser and played it safe.
I sent in the ticket with a not guilty plea and will await my court date.
It's a waste of my time, but there's a principle here.

805Z06

See if you can get some documentation from the school saying that there was no class session or a schedule from the school. So it won't be your word against the cop.

It's always nice to see a citizen get out of a wrongful ticket.

tv_dir

HUH?? So you think LEO's are above the law??

Nothing personal since I never met you and don't know you ... BUT

THAT IS ONE OF THE DUMBEST COMMENTS I HAVE EVER HEARD

Maybe after our troops get home from WAR .... we should let them use the freeways as a race track ... After all, they put their lives on the line for our safety!

KBoltz

I know it is a waste of your time, but you are very much correct. the principle here is that you are in the RIGHT and this Trooper is taking advantage of those gullible enough to just pay the fine.

Check the Court records to see how many tickets he has issued here, that were dated AFTER school was out of session. Or, if you are hiring a lawyer, have him do it. Will do a lot to back up your affirmation that this Trooper does not know his own Traffic Codes.

The Judge will toss out the ticket, and the Trooper will get a good *** chewing in chambers. Seen it happen on more than one occasion. Like I said, I get tickets too. I just don't '"flash". My career is not worth losing over a minor traffic violation.

70454

You got a BS ticket and you're right to fight it.

40idf

School schedule is probably published on the internet.

Joe

jgoglick

LEO = Law Enforcement Officer. They are not above the law. Period.