seoul2k

So today I was in the S2000 driving on a on-ramp that has another ramp that yields to it. Well I was following a car in front, going the speed limit when a jeep pulls out in front of me with maybe a car length of space between us. I'd say I was going around 30-35mph at the time as I wasn't really paying attention to my speed, but the car in front. Well as soon as the jeep pulled out in front of me I decided to go around him instead of slamming my breaks and taking a chance of hitting him. I didn't flick him off or anything, but kept driving. As I'm waiting at the red light I see him waving a car down which happened to be an undercover cop.

So I get pulled over and hammered with questions because of what happened. The guy in the Jeep was a off duty cop and called the officer that was near by to pull me over. The cop was a huge asshole and started asking me if I was going 100 mph and if that was why I didn't press on my brakes. Nothing about the off-duty officer pulling out in front of me. Then he went on by asking me what the speed limit was in that area and I said I think it was 35 mph and he said are you sure? and I replied yeah I'm pretty sure and he just says well it seems to me that you're not sure what the speed limit is. Anyways he asks for my license and takes it to his vehicle. Gives it to the other off duty officer and he goes about writing my information down. Then the officer on duty walks back to my car and tells me i'll be getting a citation for reckless driving in the mail for what I did which is a 6 month license suspension and a minimum 200 dollar fine.

SERIOUSLY WTF?!?!

UPDATE:
I ended up getting the ticket in the mail today. It was for careless driving instead of reckless driving, 3 points nonetheless. The description is efendant drove at a excessive speed while overtaking another vehicle via the shoulder and almost struck another vehicle. lol.... Nothing about the officer off duty pulling out in front of me at all.

WDPhead

wow sorry to hear that...that fukin cop is fukin asshole! abusing the power

shift957

driving sport bikes or cars on the street, i try to run a go pro because of things like this. go to court, be very professional and positively argue your case. if you have a good/clean record, you'll most likely be believable. if your record sucks, well, hmmmm. either way, it might be worth your time to find and utilize a good attorney.

seoul2k

it's just bullshxt that I'm going to have to hire an attorney and pay 400+ dollars to fight something just because this cop decides to pull out in front and i dunno maybe felt dumb in front of his wife? who knows....

I haven't gotten a moving violation for the past 4-5 years. I think the last one I got was for tint a few years back, but that was a non moving violation.... If i lose my license because of this incident I'm going to be writing a lengthy letter to the newspapers to get published on that police officer.

rosica

Did you sign anything? You should have signed a citation proving you received it, I don't think they can just mail you something. Maybe they are just trying to scare you.

Jeremy Clarkson

I tend to agree with the above. Without signing anything you don't have a court date and if the cop was off duty there was no recording equipment. Although it isn't illegal it is generally frowned upon to issue a ticket without any type of evidence...Especially if the officer writing the citiation did not experience the event. If you do get a ticket with a court date through the mail (which is very unlikely) and contest it the police officer who wrote the ticket will have to show up to court but since he did not witness the event and has no physical evidence of any violation it will be very difficult for him to prove that you did anything wrong. There is a chance that you will be able to counter sue the county for abuse of power depending on how good your attorney and what kind of records you can present. Also as a side note, you don't get your license automatically suspended for a wreckless driving ticket unless you already have points on your license. I believe wreckless driving is a 5point ticket, which is not enough to suspend a license.

shift957

i agree. lots of odd claims going on here. and yes, it would be great to be able to counter sue for multiple things. maybe then some cops wouldn't go around trying to lay the bs on so thick.

seoul2k

Well I don't want to sue the county I just think it's all bs and a power trip. His wife was in the car with him when it happened but still she cannot be a witness since they're married.

But Jeremy it is a 6 month automatic loss of license. With court fees and the minimum fine itll come out to around 340 for the whole thing.

freq

Long story short, I had an off-duty cop pull me over on my motorcycle. HE WAS PISSED that I passed him on a back road double yellow. Asked for my license and registration which I didn't carry. Made me follow him to the police station so he could write me a ticket.

I fought it, without a lawyer, and won. Off-duty cop was off-duty.

Good luck OP.

Jeremy Clarkson

Was it in NJ or PA? If so, there is no mandatory loss of license for reckless driving in NJ, it is at the discretion of the court of course, but if you have never gotten a reckless driving ticket before and you have a clean record you will most likely not lose your license, although if you don't fight it your insurance will sky rocket. Google it - NJ Statute:39:4-96 ( or 97 - careless), PA is Statute 3736 title 75. The cops were just trying to scare you they don't have the ability to take away your license only the judge does.