So tonight I had a run in with two cops, one was one of the most awesome people i've ever talked to, the other, well. . . read on.

Cop#1 (cool cop) pulls me over tonight and says "Good evening, I'm officer XXXX. How are you tonight?" Too good to be true. I have my license out and everything, ready to roll and all he says is "I'm just letting you know your rear lights are out, just wanted to give you the heads up since some people are (word I dunno if I can say on FTE) and could give you a ticket for it. Just turn on your hazards and work your way home"

Awesome. I talked to him a little more, found out he has an old Dodge pickup that he messes around with and the taillights on it don't like to work in the rain. He thought a verbal was all i needed since sometimes older stuff just "doesn't like to work".


So I'm on my way home. I make a turn, the car behind me turns with me, and the cherries light up. What now? Cop#2 (bad cop) walks up and says "know why I pulled you over?" "No sir, I have no idea." "Well, you just made that turn without signalling" (mind you, my hazards are on).

So I made the cop aware that when my hazards are on, they both blink together unless I'm on the brake, when they both glow together.

"Well, you seem to be driving normally, so why are you driving with your hazards on."
"Another officer stopped me and made me aware that my rear lights weren't working. He told me to turn on my hazards and work my way on home."
"So your taillights don't work?"
"No sir"
"Then why are you driving at night?"
"I was unaware that they weren't working until the other officer stopped me about 2 blocks ago."
"But you are aware that they were not operating properly"
"Yes, since the other officer stopped me. I'm on my way home right now to park it until I find out what is wrong."
"Well, since you are knowingly operating a vehicle with inopperative lights, I'm going to have to give you a ticket" (WTF?!!!)

He comes back, gives it to me and says "Now turn on your hazards and work your way on home, I don't want to see you out here any more tonight" (MAJOR WTF.)

So i'm getting a ticket even though I had my hazards on and all that jazz. No biggie, right? A fix it ticket, so it'll be $20 at the most, right? WRONG. Where I got stopped a non-op light is $73.50. That's any non-op light. one tail light, one running light, one marker, one anything to the whole vehicle not working is $73.50.

So at this point I HATE local cops (more than one run in with them), but county mounties are awesome (had more than one positive with them)
AHHHHHHHHHH. Done.

Justin

 

See if you can get in touch with the first off icer, since he stopped you and can verify the situation, it may just be able to get it dropped. It would be best if he gave you a written warning, but if not, just having him state either on paper or in court the fact he had just stopped you and all may be enough. It is unreasonable to expect you to park the truck, and you were following the instructions of the first officer, and in the end, the second officer. If you can bring this to light, any reasonable judge will throw it out.

 

Fellro is right.. I'd call the chief and complain about the second officer. If you were obviously headed home with your hazards on there should have been no problems.

 

they work in pairs you know.the sencond officer was certian, and made sure you said you were certain that you KNEW you were driving with defective equipment.

the first officers ticket might not have held up because you didn't know. and you have no proof of the first officer at all.

"hey buddy, he's the one with the flashers on, make some money for the city."

 

You should have stopped and gotten towed home... just kidding... That cops a dick. Maybe they were working together, but maybe it goes to show that there are good cops and there are bad cops who have some major issues going on.

Thats kinda like when I got two flat tires. Didn't have a cell phone, so what do I do? Walked home to get a second spare. Come back and the cops giving me a ticket for abadoning my car. What the hell was I supposed to do? Sit there all freakin day hoping a tow truck comes by? Kicker was that it was a mandotory court appearence, so $30 ticket plus $30 court fee, not to mention two new tires...

 

and when they tow your vehicle, they would of course put the hazzads on.

 

The problem with going to court over any ticket is that you are still out a day's pay, a day of vacation or whatever for going whether you're found innocent or guilty. Everybody in the courtroom is on the payroll except the defendant. It's probably cheaper to pay the $73.50 and be done with it. The last ticket I contested cost me more than it saved me. The ticket was $96, but I had to miss 3 days of work without pay to go to court and fight it. There should be a law that if you go to court and win the citing officer should have to reimburse you out of his own pocket.

It wouldn't surprise me a bit if you took this to court and got nailed to the wall. The second cop cited you for a legitimate violation, even though it is absurd to expect someone to have a vehicle towed home because the lights don't work.

 

I totally disagree. This would be thrown out quickly I think. Silver is right about the days pay though...

You got any lawyer friends? Slap a subpoena on the first cop if he refuses to help or at least promise to show up in court.

 

So if I get pulled over for speeding, and I tell the cop I didn't know I was speeding, the ticket won't hold up in court? Since when does ignorance of the situation, whether it be speeding, a busted light, or anything else, excuse you from traffic violations?

Is it a fix-it ticket or not? Then just get it fixed, and mail in your proof. I think you have to get it inspected by a cop, though, but you can probably do it anytime. You shouldn't have to pay a fine if you get it fixed.

 

last i knew you couldnt get pulled over and ticketed for the samething twice in a day (speeding not sure of though) here in WI if you dont fix that within a reasonable time or prove you arent driving it anymore, you then have to pay the ticket. if i were you i'd fight the sob

 

Chalk it up to experance and fix your lights. If you are like me you likely have gotten away with lots of worse things. If you fight it and lose it will cost more, and if you fight it and win it could cost you a lot more next time - cops have a way of getting even.

 

A few wears ago my younest son came home & said that the only case that the police ever got to the bottom of was, the bottom of a Case of donuts. Enough of said some would right there own Mother a ticket , Ya, just can't be honist any more ? The one that wrote the ticket is a k ss a-- ya know . Teachers pet & more than likely likes pickle parks.

 

did I ever say that? no I didn't, but a willing admission of that violation carries more weight.

 

That seems like double jeperdy! THe first cop gave you a verbal warning, that is like getting a ticket but not getting a ticket. Put it this way, if the first cop gave you a ticket and told you to put on your hazards and go home, and then you get pulled over by the second cop, can he give a ticket again, I think not!!The second cop had a donut stuck up his --- I would of fought that one

 

First cop was a county mounty, second was a local in a different municipality. He got me right as I crossed from one to the next, which was actually around a corner on a side street, so I highly doubt they were working together.

I went in and sorted everything out, wound up dropping from the 73.50 to thirty something and change. Since it was fixed, the violation was tossed but I still had to pay "processing fees". That means the ticket would have actually been around $110 had I just paid it and would have been almost $150 if I'd contested it.

I get hassled about minor stuff all the time since my truck is mainly an offroad rig, but still use it somewhat as a daily driver. I'm good about checking my lights and all because of this, but it just happened that one went out between checks.

He also wanted to give me a ticket for not having a rear bumper, even though a non passenger vehicle is not required to have one in Missouri. I have a copy of that page of the vehicle code in my glove box (i get hassled about that more than anything).

The particular munic I got stopped in will give anyone a ticket for anything. They even gave the guy that owns the body shop that does all of the work for them a speeding ticket for 7 over. Needless to say, their bills went up a bit.

Justin