Here in Puerto Rico the cops are just like what you describe. The Mitsubishi distributor here on the island let my father (who owns a dealership) test dirve a new evo over a weekend, from thursdar till monday a couple of months ago. I was driving it one night, at around 11:30, and a cop starts following me. I just figured they were looking at the car. Then he tells me to pull over, and after I stop and ask why he says I had modified the stock sound suppresion equipment on the car. I explain that the car is completely stock, but he didn't believe me. He even said that it was too loud to be stock. He gave me a $100.00 ticket for that. Remember this was a 100% stock evo8 owned by Mitsubishi Motor Sales of the Caribbean. I guess they just saw the big tail pipe and tall spoiler and thought it was just a ricemobile. One of the cops even said: "pay it, its just a hundred bucks". Cops see yung guys in nice cars and I guess it makes them mad or something, he could even see on the car's registration that Mitsu owned it. Now I'm waiting for the court date to fight it, lawyer and everything.

 

Man I feel your frustration. I had something similar happen to me last month... basically got a ticket for looking fast! Cops set up a speed trap and claimed to have clocked me at 84 kmh in a 60 kmh zone. I knew it wasn't me because that section of road was notorious for speed traps and I had an eye on the speedo all the way till before I was stopped. Most likely they clocked the other car that made a right turn at an intersection and it was just my ill luck. I wrote in to the relevant authorities who basically told me they're looking into my case based on the following facts:

1) The officer told me the road had 60 kmh speed limit signs posted along the road. I retraced my route and there were no such markings.

2) After I retraced my route, I passed by the speed trap again and asked the officers for my speed. Their response was that they didn't know my speed. When I asked why they didn't know my speed, one of them said and I quote "I didn't notice". Question: why bother setting up speed trap operations if you are unable to determine the speed of oncoming vehicles?

3) The distance of the intersection from the speed trap was a total of 14 lamp posts or about 500 meters. It's impossible to tell the make of the car without visual aids at that distance even in the day, much less at night. Could it be possible that they missed the other car which made the turning at the intersection?

Anyway I'm determined to fight this at all costs because I know I wasn't speeding for sure. It's the principle of it: there ain't no way I'm bowing down to bullying tactics just because I choose to drive a performance vehicle.

 

Did you admit to a specific speed when the cop stopped you? If not, just tell the judge you were doing the speed limit. Also, if there were no speed limit signs on the stretch of road where the cop saw you, then you should not be charged with a violation according to VA law. I can get you the exact statute if you wish.

Also, in VA, ALL convictions of moving violations carry demerit points with the DMV. In VA, the DMV assesses points, not the courts, so there is no "fine but no points" deal in VA. The good news is, even if you are convicted, "failure to obey a highway sign" is only a 3-point violation, and you need 18 points to get your license suspended, so you're good to go if you don't have any other tickets in the past 2 years (demerit points come off your record after 2 years).

Not really worth getting a lawyer for this one...small fine and only 3 points...you can probably get it dismissed...just tell the judge that you were driving the speed limit, and that the only reason you passed the cop is that he slowed down. Also, you can tell the judge how the cop "harassed" you over your totally stock car!

Normally, I would say just pay the fine and forget about it for such a mickey-mouse ticket, but if you really feel you got boned on this one, then by all means, fight it!

Cheers,

Steve

 

I'm sorry all who like or our cops. I do not like you. Anything to **** people off just so you can get off. I was informed by a cop that even warnings help meet there quota. What a joke. They are not even paid good at all. At least not around WI.

 

Hey VA/DC guys, thanks for the specifics! There is a small chance I'll be moving out of here in the next month. So if I'm still around, I'll fight it.

Nova Evo, if you have the exact statute # available, that would be quite helpful for me I'm sure. Because the cops exact words were, "There were multiple speed limit signs that we drove past." When in reality there were none in the 1 mile or so I was driving along with him on the road.

I've only had a VA license for about 4 months...and have only lived in this state for shortly longer. So this is my first ticket in this state.

I'm the kind of guy who tends to get up on his high horse at times. So it just takes some time to decide if it's worth fighting the ticket on the grounds that the cop was being an 455 and targeted me for non criminal reasons. Or just pay the fine. The fine amount will probably only be worth a few hours pay to me....but I have a hard time laying down sometimes, if you know what I mean.

SC~

 

I don't care how blazed and lazey you get Chimp, DON'T LAY DOWN ON THIS. The best feeling in the world is walking out of the court a free and ticketless man and being able to smirk at the officer. "AHHH take that you power hungry pig." You'll see.

 

I tend to be a pretty beligerent and confrontational person when it comes to jerk off cops. You'd be surprised what you can say to them without them being able to do ****. Not to mention it's just a horrible story that nobody WANTS to beleive is true, you know, cause cops are supposed to be there to protect us. Not bankrupt and corrupt. No hard feelings.

 

The statute from the Code of Virginia is as follows:

§ 46.2-830. Uniform marking and signing of highways; drivers to obey signs; enforcement of section.

The Commonwealth Transportation Board may classify, designate, and mark state highways and provide a uniform system of marking and signing such highways under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth. Such system of marking and signing shall correlate with and, so far as possible, conform to the system adopted in other states.

All drivers of vehicles shall obey lawfully erected signs.

No provision of this section relating to the prohibition of disobeying signs or violating local traffic signals, markings, and lights shall be enforced against an alleged violator if, at the time and place of the alleged violation, any such sign, signal, marking, or light is not in proper position and sufficiently legible to be seen by an ordinarily observant person.

Basically what this means is that if there were no speed limit signs along the stretch of highway you were on when you got pulled over, then by law you CANNOT be charged with failure to obey a highway sign. The ticket should be dismissed by the judge if you can show him that there are indeed no speed limit signs along that particular stretch of highway.

BTW, what was the exact Code Section written on the ticket???

Cheers,

Steve

 

I learned the same lesson about yellow cars, my IS 300 is yellow and let me tell you it gets good attention and bad attention. Its sort of like a big if you need to fill your quota or you are just frustrated please pull me over sign. Its nice when the ladies notice tho. I'll tell you what tho when i buy my EVO i am gonna try to blend in a bit, NO yellow NO red! Tired of being hassled by the man.

 

Thanks Steve! Thats good stuff!

If I remember correctly....which I possibly do not, the number on my ticket may be the exact number you posted above! I'll chx when I get home.

Ad_Lib.....you know, I had my Yellow Type R for 3 years. All that time I was expecting it to attract undue attention from the police too. But during that whole time, I never got pulled over.

btw...I tink I'll be moving this to a regional forum now...since it's a bit VA Specific now.

SC~

 

F*ck'in PIG...fight'em in court. Be REALLY polite to the judge and tattle on the pig's harrassment about your car. Do you have a digital camera? If so, make a short video of the strip where there are NO speed limit signs.

Go get'em Chimp....those g@dd%mn idiots.

Leo

 

Yep...I have a digicamcam... And it makes nice vids. I plan on doing the vid this weekend just in case some mysterious signs appear on the road between now and Sept.

SC~