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Reckless Driving Ticket (5pts). Cops Evidence = I heard you going fast

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#1 · (Edited)
I am 21 years old and never got pulled over in the past. I just got pulled over with my friend. The cop wrote me a ticket for Reckless Driving (5pts). He said he heard us going fast. My friend began speaking with the cop by saying, "Why are we being pulled over?". Cop responded, "I heard you guys going fast". My friend responded, "We're we speeding?" Cop replied, "If I have to catch up to you, you were going fast... sometimes less is better, ever heard that?"... We wait about 30 minutes. He approached us with two tickets. The cop said, "Courtesy to your friend, you are getting a ticket" or something along those lines. I got Reckless Driving (5pts). My friend got Reckless driving (5pts), not yielding to a stop sign (1-2pts) and having no valid insurance (1-2pts). My friend accidentally gave him an expired insurance card however he showed him the valid insurance via phone minutes later.

So what should I due now? I have a court date. I didn't do anything unlawful therefore I should get no penalty. It seems unlawful to ticket someone for hearing them go fast. Please keep in mind he was 5 cars behind us when he pulled us over. It seems that he only followed us after he heard our bikes getting louder when we were going further away from him.
 
#2 ·
Definitely take it to court. Do you know if he has video evidence of you being "reckless"? (Not saying you were but I wasn't there so idk exactly what went on). Also did he clock you on radar? I mean it basically sounds like you got the ticket because of what he hear which is bull. If he has no physical evidence of you being reckless it basically comes down to your work vs his word in court and in that case I'd fight the hell out of it.


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#3 ·
He has no video evidence of me doing anything unlawful. Not even speeding lol. Literally all his evidence is, "I heard you going fast". No clock. My friend asked , "Did you clock us speeding?", replied, "Well no but I heard you going fast. Listen, if I had to catch up to you guys, you were speeding".

The only evidence he has against my friend is the stop sign and the insurance thing.
 
#4 ·
Then you should be in the clear when you take it to court. Bring it up to the judge that he has no video of you being reckless and no radar clock and he should throw it out. I mean look at damn near every Harley rider, their exhausts are louder then holy hell to where any little bit of acceleration sounds like they are being reckless when (sometimes) they aren't. Could always bring that up to the judge too.


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#6 ·
I'd laugh and relax lol but I guess it's easier to tell someone else that when it don't happen to me. I'm the type of person that's paranoid about police an what not but in this case since you have broken no law and he has no evidence you will have no problem beating this. You could always try to get some free legal advise too. That couldn't hurt.


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#7 ·
I just feel extremely unlucky and hopefully it doesn't roll over in court. That's what I am seeking. Legal advice. I know this situation is straight forward and seems like an easy win however being 21 and having the possibly of 5pts on my license would mean... extremely high insurance therefore not being able to afford a motorcycle and having to sell it.

If I win, I am probably selling my hot bodies exhaust and buying a stock one.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Well I can honestly say that's some BS! How the officer can say "I pulled you over because I heard you guys going fast". Depending on the size of the department he should have a body cam or at least it in the vehicle. I know that I when I run radar and catch some one I document there speed on my body cam to show what there speed was so if they try to fight it in court. But him saying he didn't get you on clock is crazy. I would fight it honestly. If there's no video of y'all driving crazy, or reckless and y'all were actually riding safe then go to court. But I'm in Texas so I don't know the laws in NJ just FYI lol.
 
#13 ·
Lawyer up..

Disappointed you didnt have a few choice words for him..
 
#14 · (Edited)
My friend just kept asking "why and what for?" in a concerned tone. I spoke to the officer in a more direct manner, "May I get off the bike?", "Yes Sir", "Understood". He made several remarks inferring that my friend was making the situation worse however I don't believe the situation would have ended any differently.
 
#18 ·
It sounds like your friend was trying to be Billy bad a$$ and pissed off the cop. By no means am I saying what he did or you did is right, especially since I wasn't there. I do know how many ignorant teens cops have to deal with and getting an attitude with him probably made him write everything to full extent. I would go to court and act as mature as possible. The minute you act like a 21 year who got a reckless on a "crotch rocket" that ticket is going to hit your record.
 
#21 ·
Yeah sounds like your friend was acting like a douche and pissed the cop off. If he brings his current insurance to court he'll definitely get off of that but may get stuck with the stop sign, but maybe not even that. You on the other hand have absolutely nothing to worry about. With no evidence that you were even speeding there is absolutely nothing they can prove. It really sucks he hit you with wreckless driving though. That's a pretty big deal. That would definitely affect your insurance if it sticks, which it won't. I also work in law enforcement and your friend sounds like the libertarian "I know my rights" type and ohhh boy don't I love those types. I'm always happy to give those types a good reaming when I have the displeasure of interacting with them. Cite em for everything I possibly can. It's always best to just be polite when you run into someone who can seriously ruin your day with the flick of a pen.
 
#23 ·
Do you think the officer wrote me a Reckless Driving Ticket because he knew it wouldn't stick?

I read online that most reckless driving tickets are in combination with other tickets. I am assuming that's how the driver is proven to be recklessly driving. Via a speeding ticket, etc. It's kind of like the cherry on top to multiple an offense. Correct?
 
#24 ·
I had something similar happen to me lol. Stopped at a stop sign, saw a cop parked in the gas station to my right. Speed limit for the road was 75mph. Rather than shift through the gears I hit 75 in first gear and dropped all the way into 6th. Obviously very loud. When the cop caught up I was doing the speed limit, so he pulled me over because my license plate was difficult to read. Cooperated with him told him what I did, ran my license let me go, told me to move my license plate further up the tail. Also helped that I'm military and was in uniform headed into work lol.

The issue with people is they think loud is fast, whether it's civilian or cop. The education is lacking all because they drive automatic cars that don't ever make any noise.
 
#33 ·
listen to me


it doesn't matter if you didn't do anything wrong


you have an incredibly serious charge against you
the court couldn't give a damn about you, the cop doesn't give a damn about you. if you show up with the case 'i didn't do anything wrong' you're going to have a bad time.

seek council!


serious charges are much less likely to be withdrawn, even amendments are harder to get.

it seems you barely understand the charge, and I'm certain you know nothing about other charges to suggest as amendments.

do not try to do this yourself, and do not only take the bad advice that you are hoping to hear.

yes it is going to cost you.


consider this a life lesson. the world doesn't care about you, yes you can get fucked over for no reason. it's your job now to do what you can to mitigate the damage.
 
#38 ·
Here's my .02 having been issued and gotten out of a reckless driving ticket , albeit a different state.

Normally it's a combination of offenses, in my case following too closely, too many lane changes and failure to use a signal. The cop was extremely rude to me to the point where I figured he wouldn't show up to court. I paid a lawyer just in case $150 to go in and take care of it. $0 fine, case dropped.

You should actually write a letter of complaint to the police department against that officer before the court date. That hearing your bike isn't a legal reason to pull you over and retaliate against you for your friends infractions is also a no no. You should hear back but it may not be in time for your case. Talk to a ticket lawyer and explain and negotiate the fee you will pay him, don't pay too much. Good luck, don't worry that much about it.
 
#39 ·
Get a lawyer, at the very least he should be able to knock it down to careless driving. At least in PA, wreck less driving was considered endangering other drivers, careless driving was just doing stupid stuff and a much lower penalty. From what you describe though, I would expect a half way decent lawyer would get the ticket dismissed.
 
#41 ·
take it to court...and if you know for sure you were obeying all laws, and he has no video evidence of you speeding you will be in and out in no time. he HAS to prove you were speeding. "hearing" it isn't good enough. this guy sounds like a real POS

edit: i wouldn't even worry about a lawyer in your situation...that is as long as you're being honest in your story
 
#42 · (Edited)
I've been stopped, ticketed, and let go, plenty. Reckless included. Just now my license is clear enough that my insurance rates are back to a reasonable level after just over 3 years free of tickets.

I find that the police won't stop you just because they're having a bad day. They generally want to sit out in their squad car and go on about their day without any altercations. If you're doing something strange enough that makes you stand out, you'll get their attention, such as running a stop. And remember that we ride what's in the public eye is seen as a hooligan-mobile so we might as well be riding with a big neon sign over us asking to get pulled over. So having loud pipes makes you much more of a target than some other without.

What I'm getting to is that they won't stop you for a reason they can't marginally defend, especially reckless. If he wrote up reckless, he'll have something to say to the judge that's well within the law, reasonable, and something you definitely did. And it's definitely going to be far more than "I heard them" or "I had to catch up to them". What he told you is irrelevant, it's what he took notes of that counts and what's on the ticket. Grab a lawyer and if PA is anything like VA where I got most of my tickets, the best outcome is going to be a reduced penalty. Don't try to be a smart ass either. Explain to the lawyer exactly what you did so he has a good understanding of what the cop might have on you when he goes to defend you. I've been in courts where a-holes lied to their lawyers and got smacked hard by the cop. It doesn't look good in front of the judge.

There are plenty of traffic attorneys that'll give free consultations. Call a bunch, get a general idea of what you're facing, and pay for the one you like best. If you go to court without one on a reckless charge, you might as well face the penalty outright and save yourself the trouble of trying to fight it.

Cops don't write out reckless just because they feel like it. There's definitely a good reason behind it.
 
#43 ·
What I'm getting to is that they won't stop you for a reason they can't marginally defend, especially reckless. If he wrote up reckless, he'll have something to say to the judge that's well within the law, reasonable, and something you definitely did. And it's definitely going to be far more than "I heard them" or "I had to catch up to them". What he told you is irrelevant, it's what he took notes of that counts and what's on the ticket.

Cops don't write out reckless just because they feel like it. There's definitely a good reason behind it.
Today, I spoke with the court administrator, deputy court administrator, a police department informant, and left the officer who pulled me over a voicemail. At the moment, I can't find any other reasons. Hopefully once the officer calls back, he will clarify his side.
 
#49 ·
No question....Lawyer lawyer lawyer. Ive gotten in to all kinds of crazy **** over the years. You'd be amazed what a good or even decent mouth piece can pull off. YOUR NOTHING to the system zombies...they dont want to see you or talk to you, your just a number, another PROBLEM for them to deal with before they can leave work. The attorney is One of them, a fellow zombie they understand and work with daily, and are often times on a first name basis with. Without one your taking a knife to a gun fight. And dont bad mouth the officer to the lawyer either, they are both zombies and he wont appreciate it. Just dump the facts (and your money) on him and let the chips fall where they may. And dont even think about being rude, slick talking or clever to any of them. Let the money and a professional attitude/appearance do the talking. Be cooperative, clear on your story, and thankful/respectful. They deal with thugs everyday....dont be one.
 
#53 · (Edited)
why on earth are you calling the ticketing officer?

seriously dude. seek council. everyone who is saying it's no big deal is not in your shoes. and has nothing to lose in the matter

I look forward to the post where you get convicted because you refused to seek professional help when you were in over your head
 
#55 · (Edited)
why on earth are you calling the ticketing officer?
So that I know what I am fighting. The ticket, per definition, is baseless to begin with and the reasoning the officer originally gave us is so abstract that I am assuming a different reason will be used.

When speaking with the three individuals mentioned previously, they were all surprised that I received a reckless driving ticket alone. Usually reckless driving tickets are given to exploit another ticket into greater severity.

Then again, like Lyoha mentioned, reckless driving is an extremely serious offense, it's criminal. The chance of an officer just handing out that type of ticket for fun is extremely unlikely.

Without knowing what I am fighting, I maybe leading myself into a booby trap. With no evidence to prove my recklessness, they will most likely turn to my words and twist them around to gain their evidence.

Perhaps the officer wants me to fight this ticket due to a reason that is unknown to me. That is why I want to know his position. I don't want any tricks being pulled out of the hat. I always expect the worst which is why I am preparing for it.

I know your going to quote me somewhere within this particular post papa wibbly lol, and say, "That's why you should seek legal help!". Its been one day since the ticket and I'm still gathering information and questions for when I do seek legal help. Don't worry wibbly, everything will be ok lol.

For now, let me get back to watching spongebob. It's 9:10pm which is already past my bedtime. Hopefully my newly befriended inmate, a few weeks from now, Rhino, likes spongebob.
 
#56 · (Edited)
I think you've received an array of opinions and feedback to give you an idea of directions to think over and soak in. Just follow the process, keep positive, and stay focused on pulling yourself forward.

Maybe even step away from this thread to give yourself room to think over and respond in the most appropriate manner for yourself.

In either case, you have the option to learn and pick yourself back up.

Btw, if you end up opting for some counseling, I'd like to tag along and seek out the Kool-Aid they offer, brother.

:wink2:
 
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#58 ·
polishblood


you are making it blindingly obvious that you don't have the faintest clue what you are talking about, the legal process etc.


before your trial you are able to get the disclosure from the prosecution, this is a breakdown of the evidence they intend to use in the case against you. it will include the ticket and any notes made by the ticketing officer.


by calling him all you're doing is giving him more motivation to strengthen his case against you with better notes etc


you are literally ******* yourself HARD right now. stop, seek council. you're in over your head
 
#59 · (Edited)
before your trial you are able to get the disclosure from the prosecution, this is a breakdown of the evidence they intend to use in the case against you. it will include the ticket and any notes made by the ticketing officer.

by calling him all you're doing is giving him more motivation to strengthen his case against you with better notes etc
^^^ Thank you, this is the type of information I am looking for. ^^^

That's why I called the court administrator, deputy court administrator, and the police department informant. I was asking for any notes or any extra information behind the ticket. They said there is none. I am assuming I will get the breakdown of evidence after I proclaim not guilty in-front of the judge and ask the prosecutor for it.

The deputy court administrator informed me that I can subpoena the officer and/or ask for the dash-cam footage via the prosecutor.
 
#61 ·
Get a damn lawyer or your going to get smoked in court. Its that simple. This is not a out of date inspection sticker or registration or a 10 MPH over the speed limit ticket. It's an offence that can leave you w/ out a licence. Seek legal council this is their job they do this every day. You are not going to plead a better case in court then what a lawyer will be able to do for you.
 
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