Does complaining about a police officer actually do anything?
07-19-2011, 03:41 AM
#12
Former Moderator
in Prince William it's automatic 5 days in jail for racing
Get a lawyer. It's not as expensive as it sounds and could save you money in insurance premiums in the long run.
Racing is a serious offense in every county. Get a lawyer.
07-19-2011, 05:42 AM
#13
But anyways, I would just say how the light turned green and you accelerated...you can't help if you have a fast car and accelerate faster than most. If they didn't get you for speeding (i.e. didn't write you up for going over the limit), there's really no way they can prove anything. I wouldn't even mention the Civics. I would just tell the judge that you were rolling up to the light, it turned green and you pushed the gas pedal. No crime in that.
Also, there is a crime for accelerating too fast.
07-19-2011, 06:21 AM
#14
Originally Posted by clarkster009' timestamp='1310997965' post='20789991
But anyways, I would just say how the light turned green and you accelerated...you can't help if you have a fast car and accelerate faster than most. If they didn't get you for speeding (i.e. didn't write you up for going over the limit), there's really no way they can prove anything. I wouldn't even mention the Civics. I would just tell the judge that you were rolling up to the light, it turned green and you pushed the gas pedal. No crime in that.
Also, there is a crime for accelerating too fast.
One can accelerate smoothly and quickly while having perfect control of the vehicle.
07-19-2011, 07:03 AM
#15
and while their behavior may have been unprofessional - lets not forget that they put up with a lot of stuff on a daily basis (including sarcasm and other disrespectful comments) on a daily basis. Maybe having a little more respect for them up front will keep them from appearing so 'unprofessional' in your dealings with them.
07-19-2011, 07:19 AM
#16
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I find it impossible to believe that you were being recorded in both voice and video. That said, you will need a lawyer. It takes some legal maneuvering to get them released. At the very least you should file a complaint ASAP. Don't wait.
07-19-2011, 03:17 PM
#17
Why is it so hard to believe that voice and video were recorded? Any police car that is equipped with a dash cam will also be recording audio. The police officer will be wearing a wireless microphone, most of the time it's part of their radios or it will be clipped to their shirt. Audio/Video start recording automatically as soon as the officer triggers their lightbar. Even if the police car(s) in this scenario where equipped with cameras it wouldn't have been useful as it would only show the traffic stop, not what led to the traffic stop.
07-19-2011, 07:23 PM
#19
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This happened in Winchester VA ....they did not pull over the other cars, the other cars didn't do anything wrong because they didn't go over the speed limit either. The cops did not see what actually happened. They probably heard my exhaust looked over and saw me pulling ahead of them (they were sitting still while I was already rolling) but it irratates me because they said they saw me sitting at the light and take off when it turned green that tells me that they didn't see what happened. If they would have given me improper driving or accelerating too quickly I would just suck it up but Racing!? In the middle of town on a busy street, no way.
I went to the police department yesterday to file a complaint. Talked to the supervisor. According to him I can't file a complaint unless they actually broke a law themselves? Idk...whatever. I'm going to talk to a lawyer and go with what he thinks I should do.
My record is terrible. I got a "general reckless driving" 4 years ago- lost my license for 30 days & speeding ticket 2 years ago along with usual exhaust/expired inspection/no front tag tickets.
Thanks for the advice guys! I'll keep updating the thread so you guys have something to read and discuss about lol Normally I would just pay the ticket and go on but this is a racing ticket and I honestly didn't race.
I went to the police department yesterday to file a complaint. Talked to the supervisor. According to him I can't file a complaint unless they actually broke a law themselves? Idk...whatever. I'm going to talk to a lawyer and go with what he thinks I should do.
My record is terrible. I got a "general reckless driving" 4 years ago- lost my license for 30 days & speeding ticket 2 years ago along with usual exhaust/expired inspection/no front tag tickets.
Thanks for the advice guys! I'll keep updating the thread so you guys have something to read and discuss about lol Normally I would just pay the ticket and go on but this is a racing ticket and I honestly didn't race.
07-20-2011, 06:10 AM
#20
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Don't get into a war of smart-assiness with the cops. Being argumentative with him (even if he was dead wrong) was a waste of your time, and calling home dude didn't help either. Honestly, I don't see much that warrants a complaint here. Even if he was being a sarcastic a-hole with you, that's not really complaint worthy. My feeling is that any complaint you make will go virtually ignored.
Racing is serious in VA, and with your record you cannot afford to roll the dice without an attorney. It is a class 1 misdemeanor, carrying the possibility of up to a $2500 fine and jail, and you could lose your license and forfeit your car in a worst-case scenario. You can't prepay the ticket either... it requires your appearance in court. Go hire a lawyer, sooner rather than later.
Racing is serious in VA, and with your record you cannot afford to roll the dice without an attorney. It is a class 1 misdemeanor, carrying the possibility of up to a $2500 fine and jail, and you could lose your license and forfeit your car in a worst-case scenario. You can't prepay the ticket either... it requires your appearance in court. Go hire a lawyer, sooner rather than later.