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I didn't get my day in court, but that is ok with me.

830 views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  Rob Keller 
#1 ·
I got a call today from my attorney today and he told me he had news about my October 5th court date about that seat belt ticket I had told you all about in a previous thread. I got a ticket, no my wife did-now I am confused??? Now, one thing that I did not know when I told you about that seat belt ticket that the Officer had written the wrong code number on the ticket. He had written the code for excessive speed on the seat belt ticket.

My lawyer had been talking to the Chief of Police about some other matters and the Chief brought up our case. The Chief told my lawyer that they were just going to amend the ticket to show the right code. My lawyer told the Chief after he got done amending the ticket, maybe he could be so kind as to tell him who the defendant was since I was named at the top of the ticket and the Officer had my wife sign it.

Well, to make a long story short, the Chief dropped the charges. The Officer that issued the ticket has no idea what he was thinking about when he wrote it out. My wife knows what the Officer was thinking about, the next victim. My lawyer informed me that the Chief of Police apologizes to my wife and I. He also tells me that the Officer apologizes to my wife and I. :D My lawyer told me he was sorry that I did not get my day in court like I wanted but I told him that was all right. I would just as soon pay him twice as them once.

When I told a truck driver buddy of mine about this ticket, he told me that is why you never see any Greyhound buses get a ticket, their company policy is to fight every ticket no matter what it is.
 
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#2 ·
It'll be interesting if you ever have to go back to Winterset, and the officer see's you and what the reaction will be..... be sure your Geo no burned lights out, or license expired, or anything to give him another excuse,,, then after your business in town and as your leaving town IMO give them the 1 finger salute as you leave :thumbup:
 
#3 ·
Zonk, it has been my experience that small town cops are kind of like the bullies I knew as a kid, once you kick their tails they leave you alone and pick on easier targets. After all, they work for the city and are subject to small town politics. Their jobs depend on the public opinion of a very small pool. I suppose that is why this Officer blamed the ticket he was writing on Governor Vilsack no less than seven times. I would guess that was the City Police Department's feeble attempt at shifting the blame. If the Officer would look closely at his paycheck, he would discover that the City of Winterset is paying him. A small town that is banking heavily on tourism. It is a sad thing that the City Police Department is holding a stop-sign ticket fundraiser within plain sight of John Wayne's birthplace. I'll bet the Duke is rolling in his grave. Just down the street from a number of places that Clint Eastwood was filmed in that Bridges of Madison County movie. I could just imagine how Clint would react to such abuse, are you feeling lucky?

When I was in high school I put up with a lot of abuse from the Chief of Police in the town I went to high school, where the swap meet is held. He was my bus driver and I had an on-going feud with a couple of other kids on the bus. I was not the same wishy-washy guy that I am now (don't ask my wife she will dispute the fact that I have changed and become spineless and she will tell you I haven't changed a bit) and I was totally incapable of backing down from anyone no matter what back then. Anyhow he started driving our bus when I was a little kid, I got into it with one of those kids, it came to blows, the Chief blamed it on me and sentenced me to sit in the front seat of the bus while the other perpetrator remained in the rear of the bus. Now, as I saw it we were equally at fault, if he had treated us equally I would have forgotten all about it, but he didn't which upset me to no end and I proceeded to stare at the Chief in the mirror the rest of the trip home. This in turn bugged the heck out of him, every time he looked up I was staring at him and I could tell it was having the desired result and the feud was on between us. After that I was always to blame for anything that happened on that bus. This in turn irritated my Dad to no end and The Chief almost got wiped all over the side of the bus on more than one occasion (Mom would always stop Dad and the Chief had no power out in the country and I think he was afraid of Dad but he hated me more than his fear). I turned 16, got my license and he would stop me every time I drove into town. The Chief would search my car, yell at me and just generally be a real pain. He wouldn't give me a ticket but he kept doing it month after month. I think it was his way of letting me know that this was his town and he called the shots (but he was still scared of Dad). Dad would go to town and spin his tires right in front of the Chief and he would just look the other way. This all ended abruptly when he made the mistake of stopping the kid I was riding with that day in front of one of the "town fathers" places of business. There just happened to be several members of the city council and my neighbor witnessing him ripping seat covers and breaking the glove box door of my friends 64 Chevy. My neighbor was one of those real vocal guys and he took great pleasure in explaining to the council members how all this was going to look in the lawsuit that his guy would eventually bring down on the town. I probably could have went through town at 90 mph after that. His love of stopping me just evaporated. And now you all know why small town cops really get under my skin. Even though I won that feud.


I have had several other bad experiences with small town cops but it is late and I need to go. I will tell you that I won those times also and it has resulted in some of them hunting for another job. The last one being over twenty years ago.

I am not saying I do not respect the law. I have nothing but respect for the Highway Patrol and the cops in bigger towns like Des Moines. I am sure they have good and bad but they have more things to do than sit around and pick on people. And in the case of the Iowa Highway Patrol, even the ones I have personally known and not agreed with have always acted like professionals, not like some jerk on a revenge kick.

This is the root of why I will gladly spend more money fighting a ticket that I feel is unjustified rather than taking the cheaper route of just paying it. Or maybe I am just crazy. Sorry this is so long but how else could I explain my motivation
 
#4 ·
No cuz, you're not crazy. I bought a hobby farm 5 miles out of town that the local cop wanted. I've been here 3 years and he's accused me of all sorts of stuff.
Whilst he's been making accusations I've been making friends. His day will come - I too am more patient these days.
Oh did I tell you I'm witholding a cheque from a local radiologist who is frauding the govt funded medical system? Corruption is a worldwide disease. Good luck.
 
#5 ·
Im glad you got out of it and here is a trick i learned accidentally because of my love of stickers

while working in the bone yards i would peel stickers i likes (a skill from my body shop days)
so i peeled this Florida sheriffs acc. sticker and put it on the back of my 71 lemans
(this sticker was a 20 year member one) so 1 morning a buddy calls me needs a ride (i dont do mornings real good) get out on the paved road and get her up about 100mph(out in the boone docks) come around a bends in the road wooosh right past a sheriff dammit man ..!! I just pulled over i knew i was busted sure as sh !t after SHE reams me out for speeding she goes back there it get my tag # and comes back with a WARNING TICKET!! :eek:

well i got pulled a couple weeks later for a head light and a verbal warning now im really tring to figure out where this good luck came from and then it hit me !!! the sticker !!
so now i put at least one on every car, truc,k train, trailer and I even donate $20 a year for my little "get out of a speeding ticket stickers" and knock on wood I havent been stopped in over 10 years now try it it might work for you


SR66 :thumbup:
 
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