Why is disagreeing with a cop considered evidence?

Question

I received a traffic violation for running a red light. The light was yellow and I felt the cop stopped me as a pretense to see if I was drunk.
When we went to court, he lied and said the light was red two seconds before I entered the interesection and then played the video of him stopping and me yelling out the window that the light was yellow and he should not haved stopped me at all.
The judge admonished me that I was rude and discourteous to the officer. Why would me disagreeing with a cop be introduced as evidence if I am on trial for running a red light.?

Answer 1

I don't think the judge took you being rude into evidence. Judges make comments about the character of people in their courtroom all the time.

And for the record, it sounds like you were an a**.

Answer 2

What your problem? You were rude. You just blew any chance of a warning by your outbursts. The courtroom is the place to fight your battle, not the side of the road. You lose big time credibility as the "innocent" driver in court, pulled over for no reason when you act like that. I run into many people I issue tickets to for red lights who feel that just because they were in the vicinity of the intersection when the light turned red, they made it through no problem. The yellow light does not mean gun it and try to beat the light. If your car is not past the white line in the road when the light turns red, you didn't make it. Even if you feel you were close enough to be given the benefit of the doubt. Try braking the next time, and you wouldn't be in this situation. I have actually given breaks to people who have been courtious and apologized for not making the light, I am of the opinion that warnings can be just as good of a learning tool as a ticket is, but some people talk themselves into them. Especially if you feel he was fishing for a DUI. If you weren't drunk, and he was fishing, you probably would have got a warning, because he didn't find what he was fishing for (the DUI). I pull alot of people over for weaving, looking for DUI's, but if I determine they aren't drunk, I give them a warning for the driving, even though I could have cited them for the weaving.

Answer 3

That does not mean to enter it into evidence, it means to politely scorn you for your attitude. The time to plead your case is not on the road with the officer, it is in court. If you start in the intersection and the light turns red at any time while you are in it, you have run a red light. We don't need to write tickets to people who are not running red lights. There are plenty of people that do.

I am about 99% sure that if you were respectful to the officer, you would have been left with a warning and not a ticket.

Answer 4

If your description of the judge's remarks is accurate then all he did was admonish you. As for using it as evidence against your for running the red light any back room attorney can get that thrown out. Right now it's your word against the cop's...and if you don't have any proof to the contrary they are going to believe the cop.

Answer 5

Because it makes you look like an idiot when you are on the side of the road yelling at the officer.

Who is the judge going to be, the officer who was polite or the guy yelling out the window?

Answer 6

To answer you specific question, it is because it goes to your credibility as a witness in your own case, and it goes to show how the officer handled the entire incident.

Answer 7

Becuase judges always think that cops are right

Answer 8

Dunno...The Judge can't hold your outburst against you unless it was threatening or overly abusive.

Answer 9

Check your miranda..."anything you say can and will be held against you..."