65mph Speeding ticket on hwy!!! Cop lied and screamed at me!

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nsxexotic

Experienced Member
Joined
16 January 2004
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627
Location
WashDC - Chantilly, VA
Happened last week on I-76 East Bound. Driving my black nsx with my sister as the passenger.
(Philadelphia - about 10 minutes before entering the city 676)

I just got on the highway. Where the merge area ends, the 2 insides lane ends. I move over to the middle lane (lane to the right of the farest left).

As soon as I get to the middle lane I instantly notice a bright light shinning through my driver side window. I ask my sister what the heck is that light? I turn around to see a patrol car using his beam on the lane left and shining it right at me - most likely to see who was in the car.

He turns on his lights and I pull over the shoulder. He asked for my drivers license and I kindly give it to him. He got really mad for no reason and told me to "GET OUT OF THE CAR!" I follow him to the back of the NSX and he screams at me the whole time. Saying things like DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE SPEED LIMIT IS? Everytime I try to say something he screams right back at me. For example : I say I was just following the flow of traffic. His screaming reponse: If you see someone doing 80mph are you going to do 80mph??? My sister hears everything and gets mad at the whole situation.

He asked me to get back in my car and tells me he is going to give me a ticket. I get back in the car.......... he gives me my ticket and I leave without saying a word.

On the citation he wrote: CHARGE - Unsafe speed "Aef oper his vech above the posted spd limit 50. Est 65-70 for more than a mile. Aef states he was confused."

I was only going with the flow of traffic..... why did I get pulled over??? Why did the officer flash his spot light in my car before pulling me over??? Why did he lie and say he followed me for one mile when I just got on the highway??? Is it legal for him to make me get out of my car for speeding??? The speed limit was 50 and everyone on that highway goes faster than me!!!

If I didn't know any better I would think this is racial profiling. I strongly believe it was the officers decision to pull me over because I'm asian. The officer was african american (black).
 
"I was only going with the flow of traffic..... why did I get pulled over??? Why did the officer flash his spot light in my car before pulling me over??? Why did he lie and say he followed me for one mile when I just got on the highway??? Is it legal for him to make me get out of my car for speeding??? The speed limit was 50 and everyone on that highway goes faster than me!!!"

"If I didn't know any better I would think this is racial profiling. I strongly believe it was the officers decision to pull me over because I'm asian. The officer was african american (black)."

It probably has to do more with what you drive than what race you are.

Yes he can ask you to get out of the car.

Going as fast as traffic is never an excuse unfortunately.

I suggest doing a search on here about speeding tickets. Most jurisdictions will reduce your ticket to no points if you go to court and its your first speeding ticket in the past couple of years. However, it might be reduced to a moving volations in which case your insurance will raise your premium even with no points on your license. It might cost less to get a lawyer over the long run of increased premiums. Hope it all works out for you.
 
You got a ticket.....big deal. :rolleyes:

I was pulled over once because I did not (and still do not) have a front license plate.....big deal.

Okay, sympathy group hug, everyone. :p
 
It sounds like you ran into a cop with a serious attitude problem. It has happened to me before and I do sympathize with you. For him to call you out of the car and scream over you like that was uncalled for unless you provoked him... which it doesn't sound like you did.

I don't think there is alot you can do in this situation though. You admit you were speeding (which we all do on occasion) and he didn't get physical with you. All the rest is just his word against yours and you lose that battle everytime.

Not that I'm defending the cop's behavior, but these guys are out there risking their lives day after day and don't make that much doing it. And it's not like being a cop gives you that many skills to fall back on, if they quit after putting so many years in, what are they going to do now? Work a gun shop, security guard? Talk about a stressfull job, I couldn't do it and have respect for those guys.

You never know, right before that guy pulled you over he could have been on a murder scene or been shot at. Or even worse, he could have just spoken to ANDY, that would give anyone an attitude problem:D .
 
Hire an attorney if you like.

In any case, take it to court, and bring your sister with you as a witness. Make sure she testifies to what happened.
 
I don't know how PA law works but giving an estimate on a ticket without exactly knowing to what extent you broke the law sounds a little fishy to me.
I am sure the job is stressful but that still doesn't give him the right to scream at you if it was un-provoked. As far as getting you out of the car, he does have that right..probably didn't want to scream at you in front of your sister..?.?
I agree, get a good traffic lawyer and explain the situation, it sounds like u have a defendable case. if you think he was un-professional and not courteous to you..file a complaint..maybe he has a bunch of complaints already and needs to re-think how he goes about doing his job.

either way, good luck,

my .02
 
Like some of the others have said, you may want to bring this to court.

It doesn't sound like racial profiling, but what it sounds like, is that the officer was trying to catch up with a vehicle that he saw really speeding, lost that car in the traffic, and mistook you for the real speeder. This happens a lot at night.

If you know the exact spot where you were pulled over, and show the court that it was less than a mile from the onramp you used then it shows that he may have been in error.

Everyone has bad days, and everyone makes mistakes. Don't go into court with an attitude, just state your case plain and simple. Also clearly and calmly describe the state of mind of the officer that pulled you over. He was angry and verbally abusive to you. In many states (including Florida) that considered assault. No kidding. No police officer has the right to conduct him self in that manner. Police officers are trained to be calm and professional in all conditions, so that when a truly stressful situation arises (like an armed gunman or whatever) they will be able to handle themselves properly (i.e. you can’t aim a gun properly if your shaking from uncontrolled adrenalin flowing through your veins).

I was in a situation similar to yours a few years back (pulled over for incorrect reason by an officer that had a bad day). I didn’t even have to go to court. I wrote a letter to the clerk of courts in the county in which the situation happened, and I received a letter a few weeks later stating that the charges had been dropped, the officer admitted that he had conducted himself poorly, and had been reprimanded.

You should speak with an attorney, and see what they say.
 
I don't have much respect for Police officers and the whole court system. No matter what you say in court, the judge will believe the crooked police officer over you, end of story. You have no chance of the judge believing you. I have found this out first hand last time I went to court. You are guilty no matter what. :mad:

Rob
 
This happened to me once... police officer had the worst day and attitude. He even questioned me about my employment, probing how I could afford such a nice vehicle (i was 18 driving a cabriolet). Anyways... I went immediately to the police station and asked politely to speak with the duty Sgt. I told him the situation and that as a proponent for the local police I was ashamed of his conduct. The duty Sgt asked for my citation and had it dismissed. The policeman was reprimanded for abuse and formally wrote me an apology. Nice. :D

Try this yourself and see what happens.
 
nsxexotic said:
I follow him to the back of the NSX and he screams at me the whole time. Saying things like DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE SPEED LIMIT IS? Everytime I try to say something he screams right back at me. For example : I say I was just following the flow of traffic. His screaming reponse: If you see someone doing 80mph are you going to do 80mph
Click to expand...

Well, you did go over the speed limit and hence broke the law. Whether everyone else was going as fast is irrelevant. They broke the law too. You were just unlucky you got caught.

The NSX does attract alot of attention. I've gotten 2 speeding tickets in the last 9 years, and I try to be a boy scout and obey speed limit laws, but sometimes it just doesn't happen. I've never gotten a speeding ticket in my Volvo or in my minivan. Every single ticket I got was in my sports car that I owned prior to the NSX.

The NSX just attracts alot more attention. It stands out like a sore thumb in a crowd of cars. I don't think its race related. I'm always cautious when I'm drivng my NSX. The NSX is just more visible than most cars on the road.

I say pay the fine and go to traffic school.
 
Last edited:
dnicho05 said:
Hey Rob,

Not always, can you say O.J. Simpson? :D
Click to expand...
He was clearly referring to a Judge's decision, not a jury trial. Have you ever served on a jury? It sure was an eye opener for me. Maybe 2 of the 10 had a clue. The rest were morons, and that's putting it mildly.
 
I have to agree with most of the above.... you were speeding and as for pleading your case in court ......well if you get a lawyer you may be able to get it reduced but in any case your probably screwed. As for this being a case of racial profiling .... i seriously doubt it...... but i have found that how you present yourself can do wonders in how an officer treats you.
 
The ticket says unsafe speeds and the cop did not get a radar/laser on you just an estimate. this one is sooo fightable. I would do some research and take this one to court.
 
nsxtasy said:
Hire an attorney if you like.

In any case, take it to court, and bring your sister with you as a witness. Make sure she testifies to what happened.
Click to expand...


You must hire an attorney for this one and fight it. Here is why:

1.) It is NOT legal in most states for the officer to shine his high powered spotlight into a MOVING CAR!! By him doing this at highway speeds he has compounded the dangers of your speed even more by now rendering you blind from the light. Those lights are ONLY to be used after you have come to a complete stop. How much sense does it make to blind a speeding driver? NONE!

2.) Police officers are trained to remain calm and maintain control of the situation, and the actions of this officer (if unprovoked as you say) are grossly unprofessional and warrant a repremand at the very least. He needs to be punished for his actions. He is why officers have a bad reputation.

3.) If he lied about your speed or distance you were followed, that should not fly. Now, if you really were speeding at the rate he states, you really cannot fight that because then the distance he was following you is really not important.

4.) You have a witness to his actions and lies. Instead of just your word against his, you have the advantage of a secondary person to support your allegations. This is a huge advantage, and combined with proper legal counsel gives you a solid base to fight the ticket.


You might end up having to pay some speeding fines still since you were in fact speeding. The profiling really does not hold water in court when you actually were breaking the law. I know how you feel since I received a ticket in one of my NSX's for going 5 mph over on the highway.....5 mph. This was with people PASSING ME, but he pulled me over. Luckily I fought that one and won since the prosecuting attorney even thought that was a little stupid for a ticket. :)

I hope that helps. But you really should fight this one, and at least make it known that this jerk is out there abusing citizens verbally. There may be other cases on him for this, and you may help out by reporting him as well. Good luck. :)
 
3.) If he lied about your speed or distance you were followed, that should not fly. Now, if you really were speeding at the rate he states, you really cannot fight that because then the distance he was following you is really not important.


this is irrelevant.... fight every ticket you get, no matter what, whether you were in the right or wrong. court isn't about right and wrong, if you believe that, you are entirely naive to the system of justice in this country.
 
Just to clearify how much the NSX attact cops here in the new england states - I purchase my NSX last year and put under 2000 miles on it. Got pulled over twice! And I don't speed... the last time I got a speeding ticket was when I was like 16-17. (Doing 60mph in a 40mph work zone.)

I plan to stop by the traffic court and appeal to my ticket. I might try to stop by the police station and talk to the sgt on duty as per JOPRIMO's advice.

If I do have to go to court - It really doesn't make sense to me to hire an attorney since I will most likely get the points taken off and the fine is a little over $100.
 
Meeyatch1 you have some really good points.

I sumed up the reasons I will use in court.

1. I have a witness
2. Prove that "following me for one mile" is false.
(easy to do since I can just show him my proof of residence + witness)
3. Officers unprofessional attitude.
4. Office writes speed is estimated at 65-70 - no radar - no proof
(speedos on all cars are 3-4mph off anyways)
5. Creating unsafe driving conditions for me by shining his HPWR spotlight in my face!

Normally I would accept it was my fault for speeding but in this case I don't think I will let it go that easy. Its simply outrageous how people can pass me at 75-80mph and they don't get pulled over - instead me in my NSX doing 65.
 
nsxexotic said:
Just to clearify how much the NSX attact cops here in the new england states
Click to expand...
:confused: There are six states in New England: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
 
I'm also in New England and have put over 80,000 miles on my NSX on New England roads. During that time I've been pulled over maybe 5 or 6 times in my NSX, however I've received no tickets at all (and my driving record when I first bought the NSX was miserable. I was an SDIP 35 for a while when I was younger, doesn't get worse than that). I've only had one ticket in the NSX since I purchased it about five years ago, and that was for doing 100 in a 65 in Kentucky. I hired a lawyer and got that reduced without ever having to appear.

So, is New England bad when it comes to cops? Probably no worse than anywhere else I've been (except perhaps Ohio :P). Some towns can be worse than others, but the staties all seem to be about equal. I actually find the police are MUCH more lenient when it comes to the NSX than they would be if I were in another sports car (if I was stopped in my 300ZXTT, it was almost always a ticket). This is also a good reason to keep your car fairly stock looking. If it looks like a ricer, the police will treat you like a kid, rather than a respectible member of the community.
 
Then again, after all that it appears the original poster isn't in New England at all according to his profile which says Pennsylvania :P.
 

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