Police officers busted by speed cameras get ticket reprieve

Police officers busted by speed cameras get ticket reprieve

[url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Montgomery-cops-with-need-for-speed-get-ticket-reprieve-7972373-50798932.html]www.washingtonexaminer.com[ /url]

Four on-duty Montgomery County police officers caught speeding by automated cameras -- in two cases driving twice the speed limit -- had their $40 tickets thrown out by a county judge.

Circuit Court Judge Ronald Rubin ruled the officers' right to due process had been violated, because the county police department does not have a written policy that outlines when on-duty officers would be exempted from getting tickets from speed cameras.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 15-7-2009 by TheAssociate]

[edit on 15-7-2009 by TheAssociate]

That's real fair.

Personally, I'm not buying the judge's excuse. This sounds like another case of unequal protection under the law if you happen to be a cop. A speeding police car poses just as much risk to other motorists as a speeding civilian car, and should be punished equally.

For the sake of clarity, this isn't a cop bashing thread, this is a judicial system bashing thread.

[url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/Montgomery-cops-with-need-for-speed-get-ticket-reprieve-7972373-50798932.html]www.washingtonexaminer.com[ /url]
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 15-7-2009 by TheAssociate]

Anyone know why the URL isn't displaying properly? I can't seem to get it fixed.
Here is the link to the article.


TA

[edit on 15-7-2009 by TheAssociate]

www.washingtonexaminer.com...

Here's your link


Since they don't have a policy in place, the police department should step up to the plate and pay up. What is even more amazing is that they took up the court's time over 40 dollars tickets.

As far as the cameras, they are a tax. Safety was just a good enough reason to get them installed.

[edit on 15-7-2009 by jam321]

In a perfect world the police would set an example and pay the fine...

This is far from a perfect world....

I don't know how it is elsewhere but here in New York, on duty law enforcement officers are exempt from obeying the Vehicle and Traffic Code.

No they have to obey regular laws like the rest of us, they can only legally ignore them if it is pertinent to apprehending a suspect or another emergency related reason.

So cops who drive fast in town for fun, and then use lights+sirens to get thru a red light, they are actually breaking the law and should be ticketed. If they are on an emergency call than their actions are justified in most cases.

But whom polices the police?

Police have always been treated better when it comes to a court room from my experience. Try winning a he-said/she-said argument to a judge when it's just your word against theirs with no evidence but that. Heck last night on the news there was a cop that went to his ex-girlfriend's house and pulled a gun on 7 people... smacked one of them in the head with the gun. He got bail for 100k I think? Made it that night and he's free. I was held once on an assault charge for 25k and I didn't even hit the guy!

reply to post by mr-lizard

In a perfect world the police would set an example and pay the fine...

My thoughts exactly. Unfortunately the unwritten law is "do as I say, not as I do."


reply to post by ChrisF231

It's unfair (and arguably a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment) but if that's the law in NY, that's the law. However, I don't think that's the case in this incident, and if it isn't, then they need to be prosecuted just as anyone else would be.


reply to post by muzzleflash

So cops who drive fast in town for fun, and then use lights+sirens to get thru a red light, they are actually breaking the law and should be ticketed. If they are on an emergency call than their actions are justified in most cases.

That's the way it should be in all areas. But you're right, police are allowed to get away with things like this because nobody wants to stand up to them. They fear being labeled as a cop-hater, or even reprisal from the police.

Thanks for the replies, information, stars and flags.


TA

reply to post by jam321


Yeah, I'm sure that with court expenses this ended up costing a whole lot more than the $40 which they should have been made to pay. It's a two-for-one deal courtesy of the government: injustice that you get to pay for!


TA

I saw a traffic warden giving a ticket to a police car that was illegally parked. Some balls but a good move.

I can see the problem with speeding camera's. I think that the speeding camera's should go away. Keep the red light camera's. As a law enforcement officer myself, going twice the posted speed limit should only be used in emergencies, ie....shooting, stabbing, robbery, officer down, officer needs assistance, shots fired calls. Other wise is just plain reckless. There have been people killed in vehicle accidents by officer's speeding for non-emergency reasons. They guy they talk about speeding because the was going to training (51-25) now that's just uncalled for.

Hey,

When a cop is speeding to catch a speeding criminal, why not give the cop a speeding ticket too... they are both SPEEDING!!!!!

lololololol.

Again, if a cop is speeding to catch up with someone suspicious.. hey give that cop a ticket!

lololol.

What have we come to?

reply to post by trace_the_truth


It's not about speeding in the line of duty. As skyeyes and others have pointed out, that's perfectly fine. But speeding just for the hell of it is reckless and should be punished appropriately.


TA

Well then, given the logic displayed here, nobody should ever get a break on a speeding charge, eh?

Line 2.

I saw on the news today that two cops got tickets after about 8 or 9 days, in Ohio I think it was, for doing as much as 150mph. Now if we were doing that fast, they would haul us to jail automatically. I don't know the reason for it taking so long to decide to give them the tickets, I think it may have had something to do with the dash cam video leaking out. It doesn't look like equal fairness for all.

reply to post by MBF

It doesn't look like equal fairness for all.

And that's all I'm asking for: equal protection under the law as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. Glad to hear that the two officers you referred to in your post didn't get away with that. There are enough drivers who shouldn't be driving (to put it politely) on the road as it is, we don't need to allow anyone to be above the law.


TA

Seems like this case might not be over just yet.

Capt. John Damskey, who heads the traffic division that operates speed cameras, said the police department disagrees with Rubin's ruling and the county may appeal the case
"To say that we are above the law, or cannot be held responsible is ridiculous," Damskey said. "What's the next step after that?".

The only good thing about speed cameras is they don't taze you.