Originally Posted by Talk Host (Post 359792)

No, but we have a recourse available to us. If we don't exercise our rights as citizens to defend ourselves, we are fostering the use of bad judgement on the part of a few police officers.

It's the same as complaining publicly about a meal at a restaurant but not discussing it with the manager.

JLK

Originally Posted by NJblue (Post 359828)

If the officer doesn't show up for whatever reason, you get to do the whole thing all over again. When it comes to traffic offenses, our judicial system is essentially non-existent.

Originally Posted by Talk Host (Post 359721)

Did you exercise your right to fight this ticket in court?

JLK

Originally Posted by rubicon (Post 359986)

My attorney was told by the judge that this particular trooper was ( not his exact words) but a real jerk

Originally Posted by skyguy79 (Post 360015)

I was once told by a judge (outside of court) that it was his job to protect an individual from this kind of enforcement officer! He used a term a little more tactful than jerk, but his meaning was the same none-the-less!

Originally Posted by NJblue (Post 360144)

Not all judges are that way - in fact, from my limited experience in a non-criminal courtroom, the judges are the biggest jerks who love to throw their weight around. I once was sent a fine for not renewing my dog's license in time. I knew that I had sent it in on time so I challenged it in court - just for the principle of the matter. After spending all night long waiting for justice to be done, the judge finally called my case. Before doing so, he noted that his docket was filled with people like myself. It became readily apparent that whomever was in charge of processing the dog licenses sat on the applications until after the deadline and then issued summons for all of us. I had my canceled check with the date that I wrote it as proof that it was written well before the deadline. The judge's response to that was I could have put in any date - which is true, but given a courtroom filled with people all taking their time to "get justice", one would have to think that these people may be telling the truth and the township bureaucrat had screwed up. Not this judge - he believed the absent bureaucrat and found us all guilty. As the old saying goes, you can't fight city hall and it is wasted effort to even try.

Originally Posted by red tail (Post 359972)

when an officer goes to court when a person contests a ticket does he or she get overtime for it?

Originally Posted by hotrodgirl (Post 485838)

Perhaps it's not so bad in TV? See what we have here in IL now...

All Illinois drivers or those visiting there.

**** *


Illinois will begin using photo radar in freeway work zones starting in July.

Beginning in July the State of Illinois will
use speed cameras in areas designated as 'Work
Zones' on major freeways. Anyone caught by these devices will be mailed a $375.00 ticket for the FIRST offense, but the SECOND offense will cost* $ 1000.00 and comes with a 90-Day suspension.

Drivers will also receive demerit points against their license , which allows insurance companies to raise their rates.

This represents the harshest penalty structure yet for a city or state using PHOTO enforcements. The State will begin with TWO camera vans issuing tickets in work zones with speed limits lowered to 45 MPH.

Photographs
of both the Driver's face and License plate are taken.

Pass this on to everyone you know.

For more info:
http://www.dot.state.il.us/press/r033005.html

Originally Posted by hotrodgirl (Post 485838)

Perhaps it's not so bad in TV? See what we have here in IL now...

All Illinois drivers or those visiting there.

**** *


Illinois will begin using photo radar in freeway work zones starting in July.

Beginning in July the State of Illinois will
use speed cameras in areas designated as 'Work
Zones' on major freeways. Anyone caught by these devices will be mailed a $375.00 ticket for the FIRST offense, but the SECOND offense will cost* $ 1000.00 and comes with a 90-Day suspension.

Drivers will also receive demerit points against their license , which allows insurance companies to raise their rates.

This represents the harshest penalty structure yet for a city or state using PHOTO enforcements. The State will begin with TWO camera vans issuing tickets in work zones with speed limits lowered to 45 MPH.

Photographs
of both the Driver's face and License plate are taken.

Pass this on to everyone you know.

For more info:
http://www.dot.state.il.us/press/r033005.html

Originally Posted by Talk Host (Post 221358)

To my way of thinking, a speed trap is, in fact, an ongoing, revenue producing, assembly line of handing out tickets to anybody for anything.

However, when chronic speeding is out of control and officers work a specific area, the intent is to save lives. Drivers have criticized speed limits since the beginning of driving. I have never heard of a police officer giving a ticket to somebody who is within the limit. President Ulysses S. Grant was stopped for driving his horse team too fast in Washington. When the cop saw who it was, he said, "I'm sorry Mr. President." Grant said to the officer, "Do your duty man."

In so far as revenue generation goes, traffic citation income is actually a line item in post municipal budgets. The amount is based on an average of revenue from years past. In all the years I have been around police, government, and media, I have never once heard an official say, "get out there and hand out tickets to generate revenue."

What are quotas? Each officer is expected to preform as least as others on the department. Like any business. In manufacturing, if most workers produce 60 widgets a day, but two guys only produce 45, they are goofing off, or incompetent. If 55 sheriff's deputies each hand out an average of 60 tickets a month, but two only hand out 40, they are goofing off or incompetent.

Originally Posted by rubicon (Post 485898)

Shades of Big Brother. it won't be too long before government " for the sake of public safety" will require each vehicle to be equipped with a tracking device so cops don't have to leave their desk in order to issue a ticket. and we will actually have citizens appaulding the governments foresight and effortsGeezzz.
So much for our freedoms.

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter (Post 485900)

Driving 65 MPH thru a work zone is not a freedom!

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter (Post 486048)

I woud like to see a good definition of "speed trap".

Originally Posted by ajbrown (Post 485992)

I have no problem if TV developed a reputation like 301 in north FL, e.g. Waldo or Lawtey. I would love people to be aware, if you wish to cut through TV, be CAREFUL, you will get a ticket.

In fact TV would be much more fair than those 301 towns, not roads that go from 65-55-40-35, then a speed trap. The speed limits stay consistent per road here.

I am not a saint, I have sped before and likely will again, but I have no problem with TV being known as a place to be really careful when driving through...... :police:

Originally Posted by rp001 (Post 486024)

I believe there is ample work in this area to keep our ministers of law and order busy..Look at the arrest records and there seems to be a large contingent of meth users and petty theives immediately surrounding our wonderful world, Wildwood and Fruitland Park and Belleview.

Perhaps the officers would be better suited tending to real crime prevention than ticketing little old ladies on Buena Vista en masse...I know we are looked upon by some of the locals in disdain and are perceived as rich..Look at the median income for the tri county area for a family of four..We are in effect the cash cows for Sumter, and Northern Lake county...

Originally Posted by Shimpy (Post 486026)

I stay away from areas that have speed traps such as Fruitland Park. They lose my dollars that I'd spend in restaurants, shops, etc. because of their over strict policies. I've heard of people getting tickets for going 2 mph over the limit. Thats within speedometer error tolerance and is ridiculous. Until the merchants complain and their policies change, then I'm staying away.
I read a very good article about some communities around the country shortening the yellow lights time in order to give tickets for running red lights. The average time for a yellow light is around 4.3 seconds. One community in California, (Union City) shortened the time by 1.3 seconds under state law. After getting caught they had to refund more than $1 million in fines. This shows me these law enforcement efforts are not for safety, but for revenue. These are pet peeves of mine. They build a divided 4 lane highway and put a 35mph speed limit on it. How ridiculous is that?

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter (Post 486048)

I woud like to see a good definition of "speed trap".

Originally Posted by billethkid (Post 486144)

please don't try to compare the rate of crime to the rate of traffic violations in TV.

The crime rate would be a 1 on a scale of 10 and traffic violations would be a 37 on a scale of 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have said it before and I will say it again, they should put as many cops out on the road as it will take to get the traffic violations as low as possible and TV gets a reputation for being a speed trap area like the ones we all know so well and we do slow down for (right?).

Book 'em Danno!!

btk

Originally Posted by Indydealmaker (Post 486081)

The only way that your statement can be true is if you acknowledge that Villagers must first be law-breakers before they can be cash cows. This is really a "non-issue" if you simply slow down!

Originally Posted by billethkid (Post 486144)

please don't try to compare the rate of crime to the rate of traffic violations in TV.

The crime rate would be a 1 on a scale of 10 and traffic violations would be a 37 on a scale of 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have said it before and I will say it again, they should put as many cops out on the road as it will take to get the traffic violations as low as possible and TV gets a reputation for being a speed trap area like the ones we all know so well and we do slow down for (right?).

Book 'em Danno!!

btk

Originally Posted by rp001 (Post 486132)

I'm not buying that about the "complaints" being the primary reason for the generation of revenue production within this community...Annnnd even though leo's don't exactly have ticket quotas, they are judged by their bosses and peers by their "production" rate..This I know for a fact..My family has been in the law enforcement buisness for over 30 yrs...In south Florida..Being pulled over and ticketed for a very few miles over is just petty and we don't have rampant speeders around here..They are few and far between. And there is ample crime,of a far more serious nature within Sumter county to keep our finest busy...