I just got a bogus ticket

[PUREPWR]

OK well im on my way to University of Iowa and this cop is in front of me about 1/4 mile he exits off the highway and then like 20 mins later he ends up behind me. I had my cruise control set at EXACTLY 70mph and i was in a 65. This cop pulls me over and asks me to get out of my car and get in the passenger seat of his car. Im like O.K. and he says im giving u a ticket for 79 in a 65. I aksed him to see this radar gun and the cop says he didnt get me on the gun. I said then what did u get me with he pulls out his STOP WATCH and says this is what i got u with. I immediatly go inferiated and started throwing a fit in his car. I proly shouldnt have called him retarted and bogus and stupid but i did and owe well. I go to get out of the car and left the door open and made him get out and close it hahaha. So is there any way around this ticket, its only 69 bucks and i got a 30 dollar ticket for tinted license plate cover. On my way back me and my other buddy that had his lexus were driving next to each other at 70 and he gets pulled over and gets a ticket for 86mph which is also total bull. Other than thie tickets i had a wonderful weekend. I hate cruckid cops.

[MN6WS6]

I don't know how it is in IL, but in AL, if you ask for radar verification and they don't provide it, it gets thrown out.

[Nightrage]

Wow man, i'm real sorry to hear that. From what i hear, cops love to harass kids (i've never been so much as looked at crosseyed by a cop). Cops around by me are pretty damn cool. When my dad and i wrecked the Viper, all of the cops were REALLY nice with the exception of a female cop but i guess she's just trying to act tough so that the guys don't look down on her You have my sympathy my friend. Good luck.

[Fastbird93]

Take it to court, make the officer prove you were doing 79, without radar. You're good to go.

[Dave M]

The cop does NOT have to get you with radar to make it stick in court. State and local laws vary, but in most areas a stopwatch could legally be used. Simply taking the time it takes you to travel a known distance can tell the cop very accurately how fast you were going. I see you have done gears to your car, have you corrected the speedo for those gears and if so are you sure it was done correctly. I'm not saying you were wrong and the cop was right, it coulda just been a bad cop, but you're probably lucky you didn't get more after throwing a "fit" in his car.

In PA, only state police are allowed to use radar, locals have to use other means of verifying speed. So radar is not neccesarry for a ticket.

If you are convinced that you are in the right, take it to court. Make the officer show between what two points he timed you and how long it took. Make him show the calculation he used to determine your speed. There's nothing to say he simply won't lie about the time length, but they may need to record that info somewhere. Keep in mind that even if it is shown thatthe cop erred, by your own admission you were speeding so you're not going to get off scott free unless the judge simply throws the whole thing out if you can prove the cop lied (unlikely). Take a good look at your ticket and make sure all the info is correct, it might also give you more information about how your speed was determined.

[95z28]

How much would it be off though by changing the gears ??

I got one like that a while back, some how i was doing 63 in a 45 but i was still in second gear . . . i would search online or at your local library for your states vehicle and traffic laws to see if its worth fiting it.

[Dave M]

Some times equipment is faulty and bad readings get taken or mistakes are made in calculations or you simply get a cop that lies. That's why you get your day in court, to make the state prove its case against you. Just make sure you've done your homework before you go in (don't assume you know the laws without having reserached them), and don't go in with a chip on your shoulder thinking everyone is out to get you. If you're cool, calm and collected and present your case accordingly, and you've got the facts on your side, then the ticket should be thrown out. If you really, truly think the cop lied, file a complaint with the department, they are required to investigate it.

[PUREPWR]

OK i just tested the speed and it is 100% correct me and my dad lined up on the highway and he has a factory stock Grand Am and i put the cruise on seventy and so did he and we stayed right next to each other. So this cop is retarded. If u ever go trough Iowa watch out for the black undercover highway patrol cars. And if your officer is moron named Jeff Herter ur screwed.

[Tundrahog]

Why would he need a stop watch if he is going the same speed as you? All he has to do is look at his speedo. Can't the law use the cars speedo in court?

It just doesn't make sense to me how they can use a stop watch. I know the math works, but every persons reaction time is different. Whats to say his reaction time wasn't a little early/late when he hit the start/stop button on the watch.

Total BS

[gimp19]

Thats B.S, my brother and sister have both gotten bogus speeding tickets from cops heding in the other direction (no radar). My brother got off his scotch free cause the cop wrote "Jean" on the ticket and his name is Sean

[Dave M]

Why would he need a stop watch if he is going the same speed as you? All he has to do is look at his speedo. Can't the law use the cars speedo in court?

It just doesn't make sense to me how they can use a stop watch. I know the math works, but every persons reaction time is different. Whats to say his reaction time wasn't a little early/late when he hit the start/stop button on the watch.

Total BS

Some municipalities may not allow pacing to determine speed. Those that do, require the cop to follow you for a certain distance, in PA it's .3 miles I believe. Where a stopwatch is used, it will be an atrea that is set up for such use and the cops will know the distance between two distinct points along the road or they may have lines painted on the road marking the distance. There are also other electronic means of speed detection other than Radar.

If you're in doubt, take it to court. That's your right. Worst thing that can happen is you still have to pay the fine.

[xxRillixx]

I got one going up to Reno, 84 in a 70... i was doing 75. less then 10 seconds later!!!, i got pulled over again for 80 in a 70 and i was really doing 70 (on my speedo). So i radioed the people we were driving up with (2003 jeep), and we both set cruise control to 70... i was actually about 5 mph SLOWER then him. So when we were both at 70 he was pulling away... i had to do 75 to be at speed w/ him. So if thats not bogus, i dont know what is!!