PopTarts

I've had county cops not show up the most often. The one time I was pulled by a State Trooper (though it was in VA) and I tried to change the date, the person at the court said "the next time the Trooper is available to show is..." so I wonder if it works differently for tickets given by State Police?

4theheckof_it

State Troopers in MD are ticket machines. All they do is give out tickets, so your chances of him not showing up is slim to none. Now if you reschedule a few times, your chances increases that he won't show.

As for Va, every law enforcement officer has assigned dates for court for the entire year. If you decide to change the date in Va, they will put to the next available date the officer has. So, there is a slim to no chance that the officer is not going to show up.

Now my problem with this whole situations is this.... if you were going the same speed as the suv, and you both were speeding, then how can you be upset you got a ticket? You did speed right? Now it's officer discretion to decide who he is going to pull over. Whether or not the suv had FOP tags doesn't justify that you get to get off scott free. Just my $.02.

O-turn

I am puzzled by the whole officer not showing up deal. I was under the impression that when you sign the ticket, you waive their obligation to appear in court. I do agree troopers are ticket machines, they are always patrolling the highways (state roads) and they really have nothing better to do. The only other thing I've seen a trooper doing (other than tending to an accident) is flip his lights and sit at a construction site. Good luck Matt, you'll probaly be going to court in essex.

4theheckof_it

When you sign the ticket, it just means you acknowledge that you understand the charges against you, and that you have the right to appear in court or prepay the fine. It's not an admittance of guilt, nor is it a waiver for the Trooper to not show.

klassyblue

The State Trooper who pulled me over 2 years ago showed up. I was hoping he wouldn't since I had driven over 2 hours to court to fight this ticket. When we got in front of the judge the SOB lied about exactly what happened. He told the judge that I was "speeding past all the other vehicles on the road" There were NO other vehicles on the road beside, in front of or behind be at this time. I took note of that when I was pulled.

How do you stand in front of a judge and dispute the Trooper? The judges do not want to hear that. So he reduced my speed because of my 'ticket free' record and for the fact I drove so far to show up in court. I still got a few points but when I asked for driving school to get it wiped off he said "That might be how they do it in Richmond, but we don't do that in this county." Things ARE different in Mayberry I guess!!

So much for my day in court, but Troopers are human and they DO lie too. How can they possibly remember what happened to everyone they pull over and ticket when the court date might be months away?? They can't remember everything.

4theheckof_it

When police officer/state troopers write tickets, there is a section on their copy where they write notes about the violation so they can recollect what happened that day for court. I always put down what the person was wearing, hair style, what they said to me during the incident/stop, and what I saw before I stopped the vehicle.

Matts2k

Yea im not upset about the ticket, i was speeding, i know i was wrong. It just bothers me about the suv, thats all. I might even be wrong about it, he may have just stayed behind the suv until he pulled up my info, i really dont know, but if he saw the FOP tags and then pulled me over it just sucks, lol. Ill be staying around the speed limit a little more now.

w1ngman

You might keep in mind (and the trooper may have made notes as Peter mentioned)...but that FOP SUV very possibly may have been an off-duty cop. And you may have been a fish to bait . Possible that the trooper "knew" you were heading towards him, he pulled out, rolled behind the SUV to inspect your car on the roll, then pulled in behind you for the pull over. All just supposition, but its worth considering if you were to decide to suggest to the judge that there was an SUV doing the same excessive speed.

To the prior point, I sat through traffic court one day to hear a particular recounting of an accident where a fellow lost control of his car on an exit. The defendant commented to the judge that it wasn't that he didn't have control of his car...that ANOTHER car lost it in the same turn while the trooper was giving him a ticket...so it wasn't just him. To wit the trooper told the judge, "He's correct, your Honor. And when I finished giving this fella a ticket, I ticketed the other driver that wrecked as well. He's due in your court on....let me see...MO/DAY" (a small series of giggles pervaded the courtroom )

One other comment I'll make...and this is only from personal experience. My father always told me to go to court "just in case the officer doesn't show." Well ya know what? In one instance, the cop *didn't* show for a court date of mine. And as nicely dressed and all that as I was...when I mentioned to the judge that the officer isn't here and I was under the impression that as such the ticket would be thrown out he responded, "Why would I do that? The officer recorded the infraction, and why should I not believe him?" Well ...really, what was I going to say to the judge except "But my Dad said..." [Seriously, that was my response ...I was about 17 then]. Anyway, the judge popped me. It was a roll through a 4-way stop while a student at VA Tech. Really was unintentional/unexpected that I rolled through the stop sign as I didn't see it...then. But more unexpected was that the judge blew me off and found me guilty even though the officer did not appear for court.

Now to the above, Peter may have something to offer. Again, perhaps one really can get off if an officer does not show. Then again, perhaps its the judges discretion. Orrrrrrr...perhaps you can always just get a pisser of a judge. Who knows

- Dave

dkhl

wait... am i missing the point here. you have a cop, who is shooting radar, and he looks down the highway, he sees a red s2k and a soccer mom minivan. who do you think he is going to shoot the radar at first?

a lot of times, i have seen where the cop will go to a different vehicle first to run the plates of the car in question, before he turns on the lights.

As a cop, i would want to know if the car i am pulling over was reported stolen, or is being driven by an ex con...etc.....

3312DC

I got a ticket in MD doing 82 in a 65 on 70 near Frederick on Nov 12th. I went to court in Jan (just dont respond to your ticket and they will send you a court date notice)... I already had my MVA driving record in hand (which was WAY more prepared than anyone else was at court that day) and the judge was impressed, gave me PBJ

just be nice and honest and thats what you will get... forget the story about the SUV and stuff... just say your sorry and before your even done with your apology the judge will issue PBJ