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[mike_s]

so did you ever answer if you or any cop you know has done the "meow" thing to someone you pulled over?

 

[papps953]

Washington doesn't have a traffic school. There is a deferred prosecution. If you pay the ticket and don't have any more traffic infractions within 12 months, it will be dismissed (but you don't get your money back). This is available on a limited basis. (I think every seven years.)

Bill B.

 

[papps953]

I have never meowed anyone. I have pulled other pranks on people though.

I saw a man pushing his motorcycle on the shoulder of a freeway. It was quite warm and he was wearing his black helmet. A woman was walking beside him, carrying hers. I pulled up behind them and exited my car as he put the kick stand down. He took his helmet off and sweat poured down his face. I said, "Excuse me. This is a limited access freeway. Pedestrians are not allowed here. You need to find some place else to walk you motorcycle." He just looked at me. I quickly asked him if there was someone I could call to come help him. I kept watching him after I went back to my car. I noticed he kept looking at my license plate. After several seconds he said something to the woman and laughed.

One night I stopped a pickup for a headlight out. The occupants were from Idaho. As the driver was looking through his license the female passenger started talking to me. The driver ignored us, looking for his license. The woman asked how to get to Astoria. I paused for a few minutes trying to think about which way I should direct them. The woman then said, "It's in Oregon; on the other side of Portland." I replied, "I know." I then started to say, "What you need to do is go.... No, you'll need to.... You can't get there from here." At once the driver looked up and said, "What?" I continued, "Yes, you can't get there from here. Haven't you heard about all the flooding?" (Eastern Washington had just experienced a severed case of flooding and several bridges had been washed out.) He replied, "Yes." I said, "All the bridges are washed out. You can't get there from here." He asked, "What are we going to do?" I replied, "There's nothing you can do. You'll just have to go back to Idaho." The man dropped his head. I then told them I was joking and gave them directions.

I had a cadet riding with me. We pulled up behind a motorhome parked on the shoulder of the freeway. The hood was up and it was obviously broke down. The cadet and I exited my car and started toward the motorhome. I yelled to the first person we saw, "Excuse me. This is a limited access freeway. We don't allow camping here." The cadet looked at me. She later said she thought I was loosing it. It was obvious they weren't camping.

Bill B.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

ROFL, Bill! I think a funny one would be to pull someone over and then say, "Sir, I need your license, registration, and I have a little kit here, in order to draw some blood for a sample. Please roll up your sleeve. I'll be right back!" (and then jump in the cruiser and leave)

 

[RadRob]

Not really. Most of the tactics in regards to the radar gun are typical, and expected. A good cop would already have those in order when he shows up to court. In my state, all I need to present is a card showing that I am certified in the use of traffic radar; if you want my full training record, you have to subpoena it separately, in what's called a "Pitchess Hearing", and you have to have due cause to do so. Plus, not all tickets are written with the use of radar.

Postponing a trial for several months? Won't go in my neck of the woods; the dockets are too full for that. You'd need to come up with a GOOD excuse (i.e. military service, hospital treatment, work transfer out of the area) along with PROOF.

There is no "deferred adjudication" unless you need to come back for a good reason (i.e. insurance paperwork). Traffic school is only available once every 18 months unless a judge agrees to otherwise. Community service in my area consists of picking up trash by the side of the freeway...I'd rather pay the fine, thank you.

There are judges in my area who, just prior to handing down the sentence, will review the defendant's traffic record and if he/she feels this person doesn't have a safe driving record, will suspend their license for up to 30 days.

As far as use of lawyers...EVERY single time I've had a traffic defendant bring an attorney to court, either they've lost, or they just pleaded out the case in exchange for traffic school.

I guess that's where our laws differ. I can take defensive driving every 12 months. I can be on probation as many times as a judge will let me, but not in two cities at the same time. Deferred adjudication is available anytime the judges grant it, but it usually comes with requirements (no moving violation convictions within a certain time frame, community service, etc...). Community service here can mean anything from picking up trash to working in a nursing home, to tutoring kids after school. It can be just about anything that is approved by the judge. We also are allowed to sit out the fines in jail and the ticket won't go on your record. That may be tied to one of the deals above, not sure.

Our dockets are so full, most of the time I don't have to postpone the trial, they do it for me. By the time the trial comes around, most of the time the officer doesn't show.

To the first paragraph, yes we need a subpoena to get them. Most of what you ask for pre-trial has to be done this way.

With my lawyer, he no doubt pleas, but he gets great deals.

As for the drunk firefighter... My chief would have more than just his butt and badge. He has been known to talk to judges to ask for maximum penalties. And when you live in a town of 900 people. you can bet the judge is old pals with the chief.

 

[dherbman]

I've used the delay trial tactic in the 70's with some success. These days, officers don't appear for a single case. They schedule court dates for the officer to resolve multiple cases, so they may appear less often, but spend more time when they do. In short, that tactic won't work here.
My last citation was for following "TWO" close. This was 5 years ago and I took it to the bench. THere were several minor factual errors on the ticket in addition to the "TWO" error. They thanked me for pointing them out and corrected them on the spot.
They have also seen every game there is on the radar/laser defense. I guess it can't hurt to try, but they've pretty well coverd every angle.

 

[Knight1989]

so did you ever answer if you or any cop you know has done the "meow" thing to someone you pulled over?

I havent, but I know a couple of other officers that did. They busted a girl for DUI and did the "meow" thing, fiquring there was no way shed remimber when she sobered up. About 3 months later they ran into her at a event we were pulling security at, and low and behold she remimbered them.

The best one we ever did was late one night a bunch of us were surrounding a house filled with teenagers(long story). We had a plaincloths officer with us that could have easily passed for 16, and anouther officer had his new girlfriend doing a ride along that night. We, by we I mean the boyfriend, convinced the plaincloths officer to run over the the crusier where the girlfriend was and jump in. Long story short, he jumps in the car and trys to "steal it" the whole time shes telling him he shouldnt be there, when he gets the car started he screams"we're going to Mexico!", and slams it in gear. She bolts out of the car and down the street, screaming, with her boyfriend in chase, laughing hysterically, while the rest of us are surrounding this house laughing like crazy. They broke up shortly thereafter, wonder why?

 

[ScubaBabe22]

Last night i had to swerve to avoid getting into an accident...A cop saw me swerve (not the other 2 cars) and pulled me over . He wanted to know if I had been drinking, and he just saw all the groceries in my car..and goes "I be you want one" and I wasn't sure if this was a trick question so I politely responded, 'Yes sir, when I'm 21". He laughed and gave me back my license...

 

[WaterWayne]

TJ, thanks for starting this thread; all of you LE officers, thanks for making yourselves available. It's been deadly dull here at work, and you've filled some minutes for me.

Motorist, sarcastically: "I guess you've got a quota to fill, huh, officer?"
Trooper, smiling: "No, ma'am, they lifted the quota, and now we're free to write all the tickets we can!"

Mother in restaurant, struggling loudly to get her kid to eat his peas, as a uniformed officer is walking by: "Timmy, if you don't eat your peas, that big policeman will take you away to jail!"
Officer (my cousin, actually): "Timmy, I'm 6'2" tall, and I never cleaned my peas, either. You'll probably grow up just fine."
The mother glared furiously, but that's one kid who won't grow up with an irrational fear of uniformed cops.

Me, age 20, confidently assuring my insurance agent: "You see, I drive so much that the law of averages simply caught up to me."
My insurance agent, laughing (oooh, that hurt almost as much as the higher rates): "Son, that's not the law of averages that caught you, that's the law of Texas!"

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

LMAO!! What is the "meow thing"?