Video: passing emergency vehicle citation BS

[ram57ta]

Well, wish me luck, just took my ticket to my lawyer for a 114 in a 50 zone. Whoops! Thankfully just a speeding ticket and not a wreckless, their was no one around when I did this is why he only cited me for speed. I know, stupid mistake. I'm gonna be paying out the ass to keep this gone. Congrats on yours though.

114 in a 50? In a hurry much. Geez. Surprised you weren't arrested.

[KBScobravert]

Too bad you didn't get to argue your case to the DPS Trooper to sit back and shit and shit himself in the wrong. At least you got out of the passing ticket.

[dsrtuckteezy]

shouldnt have stopped, puss

[quikag]

More than the ticket. BUT he proved his point.

$250 total, but I got FreightTrain money....well, probably not that much but enough to take a stand on this BS citation.

[FreightTrain]

So how much were your attorney fees?

More than the ticket. BUT he proved his point.

[GE]

So how much were your attorney fees?

[Broncojohnny]

I am suprised that the DPS trooper didn't want to get on the stand and explain tearfully how you disrespected his "authori-tie"

[redrocket5.0]

Well, wish me luck, just took my ticket to my lawyer for a 114 in a 50 zone. Whoops! Thankfully just a speeding ticket and not a wreckless, their was no one around when I did this is why he only cited me for speed. I know, stupid mistake. I'm gonna be paying out the ass to keep this gone. Congrats on yours though.

[Snatch Napkin]

Snatch, thanks for your calcs and advice. It helped me prepare my defense.

On the video, I took it down and I'm not putting it back up. Water under the bridge at this point.

Anytime, man. I actually got a big kick out of doing it.

[quikag]

Snatch, thanks for your calcs and advice. It helped me prepare my defense.

On the video, I took it down and I'm not putting it back up. Water under the bridge at this point.

[Snatch Napkin]

Damn!!! I was seriously looking forward to finding out how close my estimates of speed were.

Fuck! This thread has been in the back of my mind since the beginning.

[01vnms4v]

Here is the video (I pass him 5 seconds or so into the video):

i cant see no video??

[quikag]

Well, had the trial today. It was anti-climatic. I had the aerial shot printed on 11x17 paper with mathematical calculations proving I was going under 50mph. I had the video ready on my Ipad and I had all my talking points typed up on my Iphone. The DPS trooper was there surprisingly with about 8 other troopers. I guess the judge gets them all together at one time and tries to knock them all out at once is what one of the troopers told me.

RS was on vacation this weekend so his bro-in-law, Robert Gregg, represented me. He was a nice guy and really liked my video (via open records request to the DPS) and all my evidence. He went up before the start of the trial and told me the prosecutor offered to drop the no front plate ticket and give me deferred on the passing stationary emergency vehicle ticket. I told him no way and I wanted to go to trial on the passing ticket.

So, I sit there for a while while Mr. Gregg sits at the front. I look down and start refining my talking points on my Iphone and after about 30 minutes as the court processes other people, etc., I glance up and see Mr. Gregg walking towards me.

I stand up and he tells me he got the passing ticket dismissed on a technicality. Apparently, the complaint listed something about how passing a stationary emergency vehicle is a violation of the law, but never specifically said I violated that law. So, not sure I understand that, but the court screwed up the paperwork and I got my passing ticket dismissed.

My options on the no front plate ticket were to pay $117 and be done with it or Mr. Gregg would appeal it to another court and fight it another day. He said that while the Texas Legislature screwed up on the penalty provisions (i.e. forgot to put them in) for the no front plate, the courts have been ignoring that and still imposing the fine on the intent of the statute or some BS like that.

In short, I could fight it and pay Mr. Scott a bit more money and likely lose and pay even more money on the ticket (due to extra court costs, etc.) or just pay the $117 ($50 fine plus $67 court costs). I decided to suck it up and pay the money, so I didn't waste any more time, and I didn't have a very good defense on that citation (because I didn't have a front plate on the car obviously).

So, I won on the passing citation, but it's bittersweet as I really was prepared to fight and win the trial, so getting dismissal on a technicality didn't leave me with a warm fuzzy. Plus, paying the $117 on the no front plate ticket didn't help. All that said, it's done.

[SS Junk]

An enlightening experience to say the least.

They are all in bed together. There is a county next to me where judges do not give you the time of day unless you are represented. Even when trying to reduce a ticket I had to lawyer up. Cop didn't even bother showing and they still went on anyway.

[Baba Ganoush]

Is that the guy who is always on Russ Martin's show?

Yes, he had his own show on Sundays. Smart fellow.

https://www.dallasattorney.com

My case was more than 7 years ago, btw. They look to be still in business though.