Police harrasment ...please advice?

Question

Yesterday I got a ticket at a STOP intersection for not yielding to the police car at the intersection. However i believe it was just a money making trick becuase I was driving really slow and there was not a single car at the intersection when I stopped at the intersection!! He initially harrassed me ... i guess just to gain control of the situaution...i tried to argue but he said he will arrest me... i want to know if I can plead in the court?? I do not know how this can be proved! I want to plead in court becuase i got 2 points on my DMV and insurance increased by aroung 600$ per year....

Has anyone got a false traffic ticket? Do you feel like these police officcers just do this to generate revenue?

i did stop at the STOP sign and waited for about 3 seconds. There were no cars at the intersection. My husband was sitting in the passenger seat. He did not see any car at the intersection either...
Can i take my husband as proof while pleading in the court?

Answer 1

Go to court. At the very least they will half the ticket. As for your husband as a witness? Wouldn't hurt. Cops in general have a lot of leniency when it comes to giveing out tickets... the trick is... don't piss them off, don't argue, and don't yell at them.

Answer 2

Ok first look at the ticket. It should have the cop's name and/or badge number on there. Go down to the police station and request to fill out a form to press harrassment charges against one of the police station employees. Or ask to speak to the police chief.
Next check off the part on the ticket that says you want to fight it in court. Most cops will NOT show up to the hearing so you can say whatever you want to the judge/ court clerk hearing your case. You may get the ticket thrown out (especially if you have a witness, your husband. Bring him with you to court) OR the clerk will probably reduce the charge anyway.
If you have the time ALWAYS fight a ticket because it is a win win situation. You either get the ticket thrown out or the clerk/ judge will reduce the charge dramatically. I went from $175.00 ticket to the lowest possible which was 75.00 bucks. Much easier to pay for me.When you mail the ticket in, checking off you want to fight it in court, then a while later you will receive a letter in the mail telling you what court to appear at and on what day/time. Bring your husband with you.

In addition if you get the cop who wrote the ticket into trouble by filing the police harrassment report against him, then use that for your case in court too (bring a copy of what disipline charges are brough against the cop, if there are any charges.) Also you and your husband should both fill out a harrassment report if you truly believe it was harrassment. before you fill out a report explain the story to friends of yours and ask their opinion too, to make sure everyone agrees it was harrassment. Police as a rule are required to ALWAYS be polite to the public even when giving a ticket.
And yes sometimes traffic tickets are just to generate profit. Something like 25 or 35 dollars of every ticket goes to something called "the head injury fund" in massachusetts and probably many other states. I think it is to pay for education about helmet laws or something to that affect and it has nothing to do with why that perticular person received the ticket.
In addition every ticket you get stays on file and can be pulled up on a computer every time you are pulled over so it is best to try and get the ticket over turned everytime.

Answer 3

I saw this kind of thing all the time in my practice. When you are wronged by law enforcement, don't defend yourself at the scene; defend yourself in court. Contest the ticket and get a court date. Bring your husband along as a witness.
Traffic court prosecutors are often overworked. To have a formal hearing would be a huge waste of their time. Over 90% of the time, they'll offer to dismiss the case if you'll pay court costs. The ticket doesn't show up on your record, and the costs are much less than increased insurance.
If they don't offer to dismiss, then go to trial. Tell your story, have your husband testify. Roll the dice. If you lose in "traffic court" you can appeal. This would mean another court hearing, another big waste of prosecutor's time, etc. If they see you're really serious... really understand you believe you're innocent, they let it go more often than not.

Answer 4

You have no case you have to yield and then you tried to argue. Not smart. If the cop knows the judge the judge could make you take a driving course and anger management. To give you a ticket they have to be with in the law even if he was out to get you and he has notes on the incident like where he was to the intersection and how long you stopped etc.

Answer 5

Fight it and go to court and plead not guilty. You will get to say your side of the story to a judge and so wont your husband as a witness to what happened.

I am not saying if you are in the right or not, because I don't know exactly what really happened. From how you said the police officer was acting you were getting slammed because he was having a bad day.

PS If the police car lights were not on he has to obey the same laws as you.
Go for it.. You have nothing to lose

Answer 6

Unless that cop was running his lights & siren, he has no special "right of way". That concept(right of way) is a courtesy , & in a non-emergency situation should not be used as a moving offense. However, cops have guns & badges & right or wrong , you'll never win an arguement on the side of the road. Go to court & take your wittness. Many times, the cop doesn't show up & even if he does, you could still win.

Answer 7

The officer probably won't show up for the court trial if he is even an officer.You could call your police department and tell them the facts.

Answer 8

this is marriage and divorce catagory. you gonna divorce hubby and marry cop-lol? take hubby to court as witness. good luck.