Can I ask to see police officer's ticketing record in traffic court?

Question

I got a ticket for tailgating, the cop said I was four feet from the car in front of me, which is a total fabrication. It's the end of the month and I think this cop is just trying to meet his quota. If a go to court to fight the ticket can I be allowed to see the cop's tickets given out for the month? I want to see if there is a flurry of tickets right at the end of the month.

I'm sure I was tailgating, sometimes I try to gently "push" slow moving vehicles out of the slow lane. Too bad cops never give tickets to people who camp out in the fast lane and do 55. And of course it's illegal to pass on the right, but they never give tickets for that either. I can tell you, in Europe if you camp in the fast lane you will get run over!

Answer 1

Ask him to prove it,.. if the cop is bending the rules,.. this needs to be reported to build a record against the cop.

Answer 2

Yeah, and some people still are writing 2011 on their checks as well. With any luck, they actually entered 2011 into the system, and now you have an arrest warrant for a traffic ticket that's more than a year old. You'd better get this thing fixed pronto. Also, your spelling and grammar are horrible. Learn to write proper English.

Answer 3

You provide very little information especially if you're attempting to "build your defense" concerning the offense.

What was the speed limit and how fast were you going.

Where you more than four feet but less than twenty feet away while traveling behind the first vehicle.

You need to research the laws of your state concerning safe following distances.

In my own state you must maintain a minimum of 20 feet for every 10mph.

This doesn't include inclement weather or hazardous conditions.

Of course...we all know how cops fabricate things just to get your hair on end.

I'd suggest you reconsider your basic driving skills and pay the fine!

Answer 4

It would not be admissible evidence. If an officer gave no tickets for 29 days, then gave 30 tickets on the last day of the month, it might look suspicious, but it does not prove anything.
You won't get a police officer to admit he has a quota. Challenge him on no witnesses, no photos, no videos, no proof he can accurately measure distances between moving vehicles. He has only his opinion.

Answer 5

You can certainly ask if that department has quotas. Many departments did away with quotas long ago. Not likely you will be able to see what you are looking for by the officers stats. Stats are usually tracked monthly, not weekly or daily. You probably wouldn't be able to get something like that without a lawyer.

Just pay the fine !!

Answer 6

You can always ask, but if your defense is to claim that the cop is just filling his "quota", then the judge will probably not take you too seriously.

Besides, I was told that the quota was removed years ago. The cops can now write as many tickets as they want.

Answer 7

You can ask, but I doubt it will happen. What is the relevance of you being cited for following too closely and how many citations the Officer has issued during a certain time period?

Answer: There is none. It's nothing more than a personal attack on the Officer than a question of his credibility

Answer 8

Writing citations (enforcing traffic laws), is part of an Officers job description. There is no such thing as a quota. The Officer is not required to show you what his/her activity is, and has absolutely no bearing on the violation you committed.

Answer 9

It would not make a difference, besides you just admitted to the violation, and have admitted to agressive driving which is also very illegal in many states. I recommend you pay your fine and start looking at changing your driving habits.

Answer 10

You can ask anything. It probably won't change the amount of your fine, plus you get to pay court costs in addition to the fine. Cops have a lot of latitude as far as what they consider following too closely. same as claiming you didn't completely stop at a stop sign.