Police encounters

Great story!

Amen Chris!

I hope that lotto ticket payed off.

Cool cops are so awesome, from a low so low to a high so high.

I fear the impound!

That's great!

As I read, I was not excepting that outcome...I was expecting this was our one call and you needed a "go fund me" for bail!

not knowing the area, I had to google. That looks like a great highway to cruise

I should have noted the year, it was 2003, that year "Ford" was the mark at the historic races.
The events we all drooled over was the Ford G.T. 40 races, it was unforgettable and I'm sure had a little to do with my following encounter.

They would most likely impound your car today and label you as a "street racer"

I hope you didn't waste your money on lottery tickets, You spent your luck with that CHP! 99 times out of 100, they will give their mother a ticket on Christmas!

If I was to get caught doing that here in South Australia today they'd impound then crush the car...

No fun to be had anywhere anymore

Share your experience!
I have another one.
I was giving a ride to a friend, we were driving on Santa Lucia Canyon road, it runs by Vandenberg air force base, I was startled to see a SUV rounding the upcoming corner almost on two wheels,I mean he was fly'in so out of control I pulled to right shoulder thinking he's going to loose it. It was a surprise to see it was a air force police car! As he flew buy I checked my speedo and I was going sixty, the speed limit was fifty and looking for all the world like the sheriff on the dukes of hazards, fifty yard back he was off the road in the dirt spinning that SUV around and the lights came on! I pulled over and waited for him. He was a big cop and a smart ass, he looked at my radar detector and remarked "hey is that radar detector gonna pay for your ticket" he laughed, where you go'en? I am heeded home officer, he leaned in and looked at my passenger, "hey you look familiar, do I know you" My future wife said NO. Another policeman now appeared and handed me my ticket, he remarked " Your lucky you stopped when you did, or we would have impounded your car"! Now I wasn't going to follow my impulses and argue with these guys, in fact you should try no matter how stunning the fool, cooperate, only answer the questions asked, volunteer nothing, don't ask to see the radar detector, or question anything they say.
The next day I called a friend (a policeman) and asked if he had any ideas on fighting the ticket, he said "you can never win on a radar ticket"! your screwed. Well I hate being told their no way on anything so I started to research how to fight a radar ticket.
The fact is their is a way to fight it, you use a procedure called discovery at your hearing, so in front of the judge in Santa Barbara, I requested under discovery the following, the radar certification and last calibration, the ticket record, that's how many tickets the officer wrote three days before and three days after your ticket, but the big deal was the radar manual! I received a date for trial and in about a week I received all the stuff,but when I revived the radar manual I was floored.
Did you know the detector can radar grass blowing across the street from your car? or that it is extremely inaccurate if your going around a corner?

I walked into court, loaded for bear, I had charts maps and photos of every angle even a overhead shot of the canyon and a secret weapon.
The trial started around ten in the morning, their was me the defendant and then their was the prosecution, the prosecutor was a officer and with her was three assistant prosecutors.
the judge from her podium above us all and started the trial, she looked at the prosecuting attorney and asked how long is this going to take, her answer was not long your honer, maybe twenty minutes ( they were smiling back and forth at each other with a kind of a this is a slam dunk kinda attitude). then she asked me,the same question, I said I really don't know? The judge glared and said, I want to be out of hear by lunch! the trial started, it was ten thirty in the morning. Only one of the cops was their, the one who operated the radar, I (in my very best "Perry Mason" act I could muster) started in my questioning, he did not recognize anything, the canyon, the road, and almost every question was objected to by Ms. Eny-minny( not her real name)we broke for lunch at twelve thirty. After lunch the questioning went on for another hour and then I was finished, I was not winning over the judge who probably had a short trial in mind and a hot date later that night, she was not happy with me and it was obvious. The Eny-minny presented her case and after only a couple of question of the cop was done. It was three-thirty, I had herd this judge throw the book at a guy who pleaded guilty that morning, his fate looked good compared to what I was imagining.
The judge turned the Eny-minny and asked are your done? Yes your honer she replied, the prosecution rests. Now she looked at me, I swear I saw little whiffs of smoke emanating from her ears as she said in a loud clearly irritated voice, and you, are you finished!
I looked up everyone was staring at me like I had a bad haircut and a case of leprosy, That's when I dropped my secret weapon, well your honer, I just don't get it, wheres the evidence? The evidence the judge shouted!, yes your honer, Eny-menny was up and objecting "this is out of order your honer! the judge looking like she wanted to string me up, what do you mean!? Well your honer, this ticket says I was pulled over by a SUV, but this says on the evidence presented (the radar, calibrations etc.) the car was a Chevy caprice? WHAT! Eny-minny was stammering, we are trying to get the fax to to work to get the you know, things happen, the judge, with a stare that could pop a dirigible,SLAMMED that gavel down, CASE DISMISSED!!!

I don't admit to anything. I just can't remember now what I did?

We've had a rash of mail box and other vandalism which was repeating for a while. We set up a road block and thought we may have had some activity and had the deputy come out. After he set with us a while I said sorry if this was a wild goose chase. He said no problem at all! This was a much better call then the one I was on my way to. Some guy had been facebooking his "Johnson" and I am just glad I did not have to deal with that!

We live in a different time today!!!!

Anthony Wiener???

Only on some lakes and rivers without No Wake Zones. 107 to 120 on a weekend wide open helps get rid of the itch with a little sun and a beer or 2....

Business end...

Amongst police, sheriffs & fire fighters in this state there's an agreement of "professional courtesy". Law enforcement won't write tickets for minor infractions against members of other police, sheriff and fire fighting agencies, they are let-off with just a warning. However officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) do not show that "professional courtesy" to members of other agencies. That is "one" of the reasons the CHP are not well liked.

I knew a Corvette owner, a member of the Los Angeles Police Department, who had many speeding tickets issued against him by the CHP. I knew officers who teased the CHP, saying they weren't "REAL" law enforcement, they claimed the only thing the CHP was good for was sweeping up broken glass and measuring the length of skid marks.

In Ventura County the stretch of Highway 126 between the cities of Fillmore & Santa Paula was a notorious speed trap, marked 55 MPH speed limit the entire distance. Of course the Ventura County sheriffs wanted to be able to get from one city to the next more quickly than that, but of course the CHP would write them up just like anyone else. The CHP uses Ka band radar detectors for measuring speed. In this state a road has to be tested to insure there's no interfering signals in order for radar detectors to be used. So the Ventura Sheriffs Department had Radar Speed Signs (those signs which measure your speed & flash it on a large display) erected along Hwy 126 about every mile, strategically placed so there was no stretch of road that didn't have "interfering radar signals". This made it impossible for the CHP to use their radar guns on that stretch of road.

The CHP would also hide along Hwy 126 within the city limits of Fillmore (where the speed limit is only about 35 MPH) and write tickets all day long. So the Ventura County Sheriffs placed trailer mounted traffic safety displays along Hwy 126 at the entrance to the town from both directions warning motorists that the reduced speed limits were being strictly enforced.

Have you ever been driving down a highway & had a motorist on the other side of the road flash their headlights at you, warning there's law enforcement hiding along the road up ahead? Back in 2005 I was traveling west bound on Hwy 126 on the LA County side of the line between Ventura & LA Counties. An LA County Sheriff traveling east bound flashed his head lights at me. I thought to myself, no way, he can't be warning me about a fellow law enforcement officer. But sure enough, around the next bend, there was a CHP officer parked on the side of the road, monitoring speeds with radar.

Years ago a truck driver I know had a radar detector where you could set the return speed. I think this is when radar for speed control was a bit more primitive.

Driving in a 55mph area, set on 58 driving who knows what. He got into a small town driving 35 in a 30. Cop pulls him over and gives him a ticket for 58 in a 30. He forgot to drop the speed the detector was sending back.

Many years ago, my Dad lived 1/4 mi. outside of town, just past where the local cops sat in the bushes and busted the farm kids (and others) who didn't slow down enough. At that time, he worked for the state inspecting labs in hospitals and clinics, so he had a state car and drove around a lot.

Having grown up a farm kid, Dad didn't think the cop's ambush tactics were really fair.

So he took to carrying trash bags with him and collecting roadkill in the trunk, which he then deposited into the bushes that the cops hid behind. It didn't take TOO long for them to set up elsewhere.

The CHIP cop shop, was right down the street from where I lived back in 1997, I had just finished loosing a game with my kids, as the soccer coach I was very up set for my 5,6and 7 year old's , they did their best but the other team (later discovered) had a ringer 9 year old on their team and we got smoked! I seem to remember a bad day at the office as well. On these kind of days I would occasionally go for a drive to calm down. As I headed out of town their was a big extended 3/4 ton no windows van cralling alone at below the speed limit ( 45 in a 55)I hung back and kept hoping he would pull over or speed up, it was a double yellow so i just waited finally about 3 miles up I got a dotted line down shifted and punched it as I passed the pin-head I gave him the salute, he returned the salute with gusto, what a jerk I thought, well it was another 10 or so miles to the next city ( Buellton ) I was care free and calmed right down, till a car pulled up and started to pace me, I ran it up to 80 then 90 then we came to a two lane area as you head into Buellton, I slowed down and it was a couple of kids in a nice lowered rice burner, they were all thumbs up and smiles as they took off, I remember think'in, you guys better slow down, you see my radar detector had just started to go off, in a big way! I flashed them to no avail, I slowed way down, to around 40 ,speed limit 55, but I didn't want any misconceptions about my speed, sure enough around the next corner were 3 cop cars, the kids were slamming the breaks on and to my surprise they just slid right by the cops, but when I got in range on went the Christmas tree and a trio of cops CHIPS moved into the street to make sure their was no confusion I was getting pulled over. Well I said to myself what are these cops doing, I was way under the speed limit and by the way those kids were not?
I no sooner stoped than they asked me to exit my vehical, I had my soccer duds on so the first question was "are you coming from soccer practice, no I said, I then explained the tragic loss my little team had and I guess they had kids in soccer and they asked how long I had been coaching and then one of then asked to see the motor and for all the world I thought we were all gonna go have a beer, I mean we really hit it off, but then, looming like a great iceberg the big 3/4 ton white slow van pulled-up and I mean screeched up, the driver slammed it into park, whipped open the door and jumped out, WOW, it was another CHIPPY, no he wasn't happy, "HEY YOU do you know how fast you were going????" My answer seemed to make him even madder, I was really not paying attention officer, I really don't know how fast I was going, well this did piss him off and you know he asked me the same question at least 20 times and you know I never did say, cause really I wasn't looking at my speedo when I flipped him off! The frustrated officer finally gave up as the other cops were trying to tell him what a nice guy I was, one of them motioned me to leave and I left as fast and slow as I could,
waving and yelling thanks guys!

Chris, I had a similar situation to your courtroom drama many years ago. Let me first make clear to any that do not know me that I come from a strict background with both military and law enforcement members in my family - I have the utmost respect for the men and women who wear the uniform. On with the story. I was about 20. I had a background in roadracing motorcycles, had started out small on 2 stroke RD's etc. but rapidly moved up to 4 stroke liter bikes and never looked back. One day a few years later a friend asked me to check out the jetting and new sprocket on his RD 250. I wasn't a fan of the high revs needed to run one on the street well, but took it out for a test ride intending to ride Westlake Blvd South up to Mulholland Hwy and back. I only got to Westlake Blvd and while making my right turn got the front wheel in the air and decided it just wasn't worth the potential trouble with the cops (having had way too much already with things that went fast). I made a legal u-turn as soon as I could and headed back to my friends auto repair shop. On the way back I was pulled over by the local constabulary. There were two - real Mutt/Jeff stuff - one big, tall and calm and the other short, dumpy and wired way too tight. The short one took charge. After handing over my license and insurance I asked why I was being pulled over and shortie angrily replied that I was being cited for speeding and exhibition of speed. He read me the riot act about what a piece of crap hooligan I all and others like me were and how we flaunted the laws etc. while his partner stood by looking bemused at this little Napolean's tirade. He indicated that he wondered if I had stolen the bike. I asked him how he knew I was speeding since I knew he wasn't right behind me and he told me he had me on radar. I explained the entire situation to him including how I had cut the ride short because the front wheel accidently came off the ground and that I absolutely was not trying to wheelie, exhibit speed or speed. He continued to abuse me verbally, made me sign the ticket and gave it to me. I know I was shooting daggers and flames out of my eyes at him, but I turned and walked back to the bike intending to ride back to the shop and give my friend a real ration about the whole situation. Instead, just as I threw my leg over the bike the little one starts screaming at me to get off and walk the bike back. I couldn't believe my ears and started to lose it a bit. I advanced on the guy and told him in no uncertain terms that I certainly was not going to walk that bike back! He went ballistic and really started yelling about how he was going to throw me in jail etc. I yelled back with my arms out to put the f**ing cuffs on then! This is all going on in the middle of Westlake Village, a nice affluent community on a large, wide thoroughfare and a crowd of nicely dressed people started to gather near us on the sidewalk. I again asserted that no, I was not going to walk that bike back after a minor traffic ticket and that I would see him in hell first - if I was driving that Mercedes over there would he require me to push it back? The martinet was literally spitting as he shouted at me until his larger buddy came over, told me I should probably ride away right now and kind of bear hugged him and dragged him back to their car. I did as the big man suggested and rode back to the shop immediately. Once there instead of killing my friend I broke both my hands beating up a refrigerator pretending it was cop #1 (had some anger issues back then). While getting my hands casted I decided then and there that I was not going to let this go. I subsequently made frequent use of the Law library at UCLA where I was a undergrad student and learned all I could about fighting and winning traffic tickets - including ones based on radar technology. (BTW, riding to school on my GS750 street bike with both hands in casts always got some interesting looks!) I subpoenaed and received copies of the radar manual, the most recent traffic surveys and street measurement surveys for the road we were on, the officers' training background including the training on the use of the radar system (word of mouth by the way - no formal training by the manufacturer) and other items. I even had a math professor formally write out and sign an algebra equation related to the beam angle width and distances covered by the Mark5 radar gun as indicated by the specs found in the manual. I intentionally delayed the trial as many times as I could - a tactic suggested in several books.

On the day of the trial I arrived in my best suit and to a bit of dismay I noticed that both of the officers were seated in the back of the room. The judge asked me if I had arranged for representation and I responded that while I was familiar with the old adage involved, I would do my best myself. He looked amused and asked if the defense had any motions to make before getting started. I replied that "Yes, your Honor, the defense would like to move for the exclusion of multiple witnessess." The judge pulled his glasses down a bit and looked at me a bit like Fred Gwynne did to Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny after her speech on the stand about carburetors - kind like 'this is about to get interesting' - and promptly granted my motion. This forced one of officers to leave the courtroom so he could not hear and then validate anything his partner said under oath. The prosecution and I made our opening statements, and off we went. Since the little officer was the one who wrote and signed the ticket he was the one left in court. He explained his version of events under oath to the DA and then came my turn. I started with the ticket info and asked him about the weather -

Me: was it clear and dry?
Him: Yes.
Me: How about the traffic that day - moderate like the ticket said?
Him: Yes.
Me: Officer Gr**n, with four lanes of traffic on Agoura Rd. that day about how many other vehicles in your estimation would constitute 'moderate'? 1? 5? 20? 40? (knowing he would lowball it)
Him: Oh, maybe 5.
Me: Officer Gr**n would it surprise you to know that the latest traffic surveys on Agoura Rd. on the same days and times you pulled me over show that moderate would be more like 20 or more in each direction? If it pleases the court I would like to have these most recent city traffic studies entered as defense exhibit #1. I have highlighted the germane data.
Me: Officer Gr**n, do you have any idea how wide Agoura Rd. is at the point you pulled me over?
Him: Not exactly.
Me: If it would please the court I would like to enter this most recent city street measurement survey that shows that Agoura Rd. is exactly 95 feet wide at that point as defense exhibit #2.
Me: Officer Gr**n, you have indicated on the ticket that the vehicle I was riding was a Yamaha RD250 which is a fairly small motorcycle nothing like a big Harley Davidson or the like - is that correct?
Him: I guess.
Me: Officer Gr**n, about how far away from me would you say you were when you used to radar to determine my speed?
Him: About 100 yards I guess.
Me: Officer Gr**n, were most of the other vehicular traffic on that road that day motorcycles or cars?
Him: Cars I guess.
Me: Officer Gr**n, would it be fair to state then that my vehicle was probably the smallest vehicle on that section of road at that time then?
Him: I guess so.
Me: Officer Gr**n, you have indicated that you used a radar to capture my speed that day is that correct?
Him: Yes.
Me: Was the unit in your vehicle the Mark5?
Him: I believe so.
Me: If it would please the court I would like to present this first affidavit from the Officer's department that affirms that the Mark5 is the unit they used in all their cars at that time as defense exhibit #3.
Me: Officer Gr**n, are you familiar with the Mark5 radar system?
Him: I know how to use it.
Me: Officer Gr**n, what formal training on the use of the Mark5 radar system like from a trainer or representative of the manufacturer have you had?
Him: My sergeant showed us how to use them.
Me: So Officer Gr**n, that answer would be none?
Him: I guess so. I didn't need any other training.
Me: Officer Gr**n, are you familiar with the beam angle width of the Mark5 radar system?
Him: Uhmm, no.
Me: If it would please the court I would like to have entered as defense exhibit #4 this copy of the Mark5 radar system manual I subpoenaed from the officer's department. In it I have highlighted on the Specifications page that the beam angle width of the Mark5 radar system is 9 degrees.
Me: Officer Gr**n, can you tell the court how wide an area a 9 degree beam angle width covers at 100 yards?
Him: No.
I quickly scribbled on my notepad and held it up.
Me: Officer Gr**n I can; it's 115 feet and I don't want the court to take my word for it so if it pleases the court I have an affidavit from distinguished UCLA mathematics professor Ican Add with the pertinent equation showing that when you plug in the 100 yards for X in the equation the result I just quoted of 115 feet is correct and I would like to have it entered as defense exhibit #5.
Me: So Officer Gr**n, would it be fair to say that on that day at 100 yards away your radar system was not only covering myself and the 3 other lanes of traffic on my side of the road, but all 4 lanes going in the other direction and both sidewalks as well?
Him: I guess so.
Me: And if, Officer Gr**n as you have already conceded under oath that my vehicle was the smallest out of potentially over 40 other vehicles on the road at that time, how can you possibly be sure that it was my vehicle that your radar system picked out of all that clutter?
Me: I stipulate to the court that by Officer Gr**n's very own testimony under oath he cannot possibly prove this to the courts satisfaction and move for all charges to be dropped at this time.

The judge agreed, called me up to the bench and asked me if I was an attorney. I answered that no, I was just an angry citizen. To which he suggested that I get myself into law school as soon as possible!

This is a slightly condensed version of that day and the numbers are not meant to be exact, but you get the picture - if you arm yourself with knowledge and present a clear case that makes an officer or attorney have a difficult time proving their case - you can win.

Fab Paul!

I wish I has a similar story, but I was once radar-ed for a speed I positively know I didn't drive, went to court, gave my arguments, had drawings proving it couldn't be. And of course, this being Denmark where the State is superior to the individual, they listened to me, never argued against me, and took the officer's word for it and I lost. Because here you cannot allow a citizen to beat the system, not even once, that might inspire others to protest!

Mikael, This is why may red blooded Americans must resist Socialism and Tyranny in the USA.

Paul F, This is a fantastic story. Good for you. Too bad they make it so difficult for the average citizen to defend himself even in the USA where we still have some rights left.

This election has me just all wound up.

Hey Paul, counselor, great job. My lawyer friend
is prodding me to go back to school, but it's to late and retirement is addicting.