Many Cops Routinely Break the Law

Last month I wrote about a problem with the law - Arrested and Forced to Pay Up Again - where I was actually arrested for a fine that I had already paid years ago. Here is a bit of an update about how it went when I appeared in court.

After I paid the fine for the second time the judge told me I was free to leave. I turned around and started to walk out of the area and realized that I hadn't gotten any sort of receipt. I turned back around and walked back up toward the judges bench and said that I would like a receipt. I told her that I didn't want to go through the same thing again or get arrested on my way home. They were all taken aback and acted as though it was quite a strange thing for someone to request a receipt! At first the judge didn't know what to do but then she had them photocopy some form which she signed.

I said, "I'm not going to try to take up any of your time your honor but while I am waiting for that receipt I want to say a few things." I told her about how the police officer was going at 73 mph in a 55 mph zone while taking me to jail and how he had left my wife and kids sitting by the Interstate out in the middle of nowhere. I told her that I really felt the entire thing was completely unfair and that we all saw cops speeding and breaking traffic laws often. She said I was wrong and that cops didn't speed or break any traffic laws unless they were on an emergency and perhaps off to save a life. I disagreed. I told her (loud enough for all in the courtroom to hear) that we had all seen it many times. Police officers routinely run red lights and stop signs, they fail to give turn signals, they pull out in front of you, they tail gate and they exceed the speed limit.

Not too long ago I was coming home late one night, just going up a country road with my wife and children. In the rear-view mirror I saw a set of very bright headlights coming up fast. It was foggy and the road was very curvy so even 55 mph (the posted speed limit) was a little too fast. Anyway, the car in the rear-view closed in on us and soon they were right on my bumper! I was starting to get a bit angry because this was definitely unsafe and that driver was risking the life and safety of me and my family. I kept easing off the gas pedal slowing down gradually until I was doing about 25 mph. The driver behind me then flashed on his blue lights, it was a Kentucky State Trooper! He asked for license and insurance and then told us to be careful.

I know there are some good cops out there and over the years I have met a few of them. But when people like me drive around and we see law enforcement breaking laws and endangering the lives of others for no reason it really makes us angry!

Arrested and Forced to Pay Up Again

Have you ever heard of someone being arrested for a fine that they had already paid? Believe it or not that is what happened to me recently!

I was driving a little too fast on the Interstate and was pulled over for speeding. We sat there for quite some time as the police officer was doing his thing in his car. Finally he asked me to step out of the vehicle and informed me that I was under arrest. I was really surprised and stunned. What was I under arrest for? What was the charge? I had done nothing (other than speeding a bit) and had not been into any trouble.

I was told by the police officer that the warrant was for a traffic ticket that was unpaid from several years ago. I had only gotten one ticket - which was for improper passing and carried a $61.00 fine - during that time period and that ticket had been paid years ago! I had even attended traffic school because of it.

I spent about 5 hours in jail while my wife posted my bond and then two weeks later I had to appear in court to answer to the warrant. I was told basically that if I could find the receipt it would be fine but if I could not... So I searched for the receipt but never did find it. No matter what I said to the judge it was the same... "We have no record of your payment therefore no payment was made." In the end I had no choice but to pay the fine a second time.

Now here is the part that really infuriated me. When the police officer took me to jail he left my wife and two babies sitting out in the 'middle of nowhere' beside the Interstate! She has no license, the vehicle has no air conditioning and they all sat out in the blazing sun on the shoulder for hours. And to make matters even worse the cop who pulled me over claiming that I was doing 16 miles above the speed limit was traveling at 73 mph in a 55 mph zone to get me to jail! How ironic that he was going 1 mile more above the limit than I was supposedly traveling!

While I was in court that day there was a woman who had been ticketed for driving with an expired registration. She said that she had insisted to the cop that her registration had not in fact expired but he wrote the ticket anyway and she was ordered to appear in court. She showed the judge her registration and her case was dismissed. How could such an error be made by that police officer? She said that her sticker was fine (on her plate) and even her registration receipt yet when the cop "ran" her info he came up with expired registration!

When I talk about what happened to some of my friends and family I often hear something like "Wow, I know several people who claimed something similar happened to them!"

Lessons learned
You cannot depend upon the "system" to treat you fairly
ALWAYS keep receipts like this or "the man" might get you again

I wrote a follow up to this at Many Cops Routinely Break the Law